Eifs Vs Stucco Siding

Stucco dating back to the greeks and romans is composed of portland cement sand and water.

Eifs vs stucco siding.

It is basically a layer of rock surrounding your home. Eifs is notably lighter than traditional stucco however. Eifs is an acronym for exterior insulation and finish systems the product is also called synthetic stucco and it refers to a multi layered exterior finish that s been used in european construction since shortly after world war ii. When you combine an eifs with insulation in the wall cavity you can achieve r values of about 16 or more.

First it includes a layer of insulation. When considering synthetic stucco vs traditional stucco eifs siding has two advantages. Can t quite tell if the sound is hollow or solid. Eifs can work well in certain situations but will lead to mold build up or hidden water damage if not installed improperly.

Eifs is not the same as stucco. Unlike traditional stucco eifs is applied in layers. Around the 1950s a synthetic stucco siding began to replace traditional stucco in some homes. Traditional stucco is not prone to the moisture problems discussed below.

Contractors found stucco to be a good repair choice for buildings damaged during the war. Secondly it offers even more finish options than stucco. With a well trained eye one will be able to differentiate the two in a matter of minutes. Traditional stucco siding is made from portland cement sand lime and water.

Also called exterior insulation and finish system eifs synthetic stucco siding can be a terrific alternative but there are benefits to each. If conserving energy isn t benefit enough there s more. It s strong and porous. Eifs is a relatively new cladding option that was introduced to the us in 1969.

Eifs does not provide the same dual layer of protection against water damage as stucco. Stucco at roughly an inch thick offers an r value of about 20. The fiberglass layer provides more durability even against hard blows from weather. Eifs is synthetic stucco siding.

However eifs depending on the thickness of the insulation board can offer an r value between 4 and 5 6. Pros and cons of eifs siding. The hollow sound indicates eifs due to the thinner base coat and insulation board while the solid sound can be attributed to the thicker solid stucco base coat and no insulation board caution pm eifs or hybrid stucco system can also produce a solid sound. Stucco the original hard coated fine grained cement is sturdier and more durable than eifs also known as synthetic stucco.

First there is a layer of polystyrene board over which a synthetic stucco is applied.