The name “exterior insulation” is misunderstood. In some countries, it is a called “external insulation,” perhaps a more descriptive term. External insulation is paramount in having a building that is truly energy efficient. You want the insulation outside of the wall structure that supports it. This allows the wall structure itself—especially if it is heavy like masonry or concrete—to absorb and retain heat energy (hot or cold) and thus moderate the indoor temperature swings. This puts a lesser load on the building’s heating/cooling system, decreasing energy usage.

Air Filtration

EIFS is seamless. It is the only product I know of that can be installed without any joints on large wall areas. Lack of joints equals lack of air (and moisture) moving in/out. This may sound insignificant but it’s not. For example, compare EIFS to traditional clapboard siding, with miles of seams between the boards and the building paper and sheathing, and hollow-stud cavities. No wonder the air infiltration of such forms of construction is so high in relation to a comparable EIFS-clad wall.

Studies in North America show that a lot of the heat losses in buildings come from air leakage—not just through the insulation. Sometimes, the losses can be 25 percent or more of the total loss. Why do you think the Canadian building codes are so specific about the use of air barriers?

Proven Track Record

An early barrier to acceptance of EIFS was the lack of completed jobs. Only a blind man would say that now; EIFS is everywhere. And there are thousands of EIFS buildings of every size and shape in all corners of North America that are performing beautifully. The performance of EIFS is a non-issue, in my opinion.

Proven Details and Specs

When EIFS was first introduced to the North American market, there was scant information available about how to do the construction details and how to specify EIFS. That era is long gone and now there is instant online access to hundreds of well-designed CAD details showing how to do almost any wall condition you can imagine. This includes the sometimes-complex details around openings when using EIFS with drainage.

Widespread Availability of Product

One can get their hands on EIFS materials anywhere in North America. Even if you live in the boondocks somewhere, the material is still close. I’ve seen EIFS installed in some pretty isolated areas, such as places in Alaska where there are no roads, islands like Guam, and weird specialty buildings (an astronomical observatory) on the peak of a mountain, where the product was brought in by helicopter.

Plenty of EIFS Contractors

It used to be that it was hard to find someone who could install EIFS. That ended in the 1970s with massive contractor training programs initiated by EIFS producers, plastering trade groups and unions. Now you can find someone who can install EIFS in some pretty remote places.

Design Flexibility and Cost

I can’t think of another building product that can be made to produce so many different types of appearances than EIFS—and at a reasonable price. This characteristic of EIFS is not unknown to building designers, but they need to be constantly reminded of this fact when selling EIFS. For example, a good potential sales target is a building that is over budget that uses real stone that can be replaced by less expensive EIFS. Why do you think architects love EIFS? They love how it looks.