What does the manufacturer have to say about its EIFS product?
There are quite a number of reasons why EIFS manufacturers get specific about the conditions under which their product is to be installed. This month’s column will give you some tidbits of information so that you can respond to architects, GCs and others who try to push you to install the EIFS when the conditions are not right.
Setting up by drying is temperature and humidity dependent. Low temperatures and high humidity make the process take longer. Curing is not so temperature sensitive. This is one of the advantages of Portland cement-based EIFS adhesives, such as are used in attachment adhesives and basecoats. In essence, the setting process is more predictable; you know that it will have “set up” in a certain amount of time. For instance, in cool damp climates, such as those that exist all winter where I live in Seattle, cementless EIFS adhesives take an eternity to dry. Obviously, this can cause problems with the constructions schedule, since you shouldn’t apply the next layer until the one beneath it has set up. The converse can be true, too. In hot dry weather, the finish can set up so fast that you don’t have time to work it.