Eifs Siding Vs Stucco

Unlike traditional stucco eifs is applied in layers.

Eifs siding vs stucco.

Around the 1950s a synthetic stucco siding began to replace traditional stucco in some homes. Pros and cons of eifs siding. Also called exterior insulation and finish system eifs synthetic stucco siding can be a terrific alternative but there are benefits to each. Traditional stucco is not prone to the moisture problems discussed below.

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. Eifs is a relatively new cladding option that was introduced to the us in 1969. Contractors found stucco to be a good repair choice for buildings damaged during the war. Eifs is synthetic stucco siding.

Eifs is more costly than traditional stucco. If conserving energy isn t benefit enough there s more. 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.

When you combine an eifs with insulation in the wall cavity you can achieve r values of about 16 or more. After this a fiberglass mesh is applied and then a finishing coat. More difficult to customize compared to traditional stucco. Can t quite tell if the sound is hollow or solid.

Without a trustworthy and experienced contractor on the team eifs is easy to mess up and that can result in a lack of water resistance and long term damages down the road. Traditional stucco siding is made from portland cement sand lime and water. 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. You need to hire a professional contractor to install eifs.

Barrier eifs on the other hand uses a multi layer synthetic stucco that is much softer than traditional stucco. With a well trained eye one will be able to differentiate the two in a matter of minutes. When considering synthetic stucco vs traditional stucco eifs siding has two advantages. However eifs depending on the thickness of the insulation board can offer an r value between 4 and 5 6.

Stucco at roughly an inch thick offers an r value of about 20. Eifs does not provide the same dual layer of protection against water damage as stucco.