I recently moved to Florida. Timing is everything and in my case, my timing was both good and bad. Just as I left Seattle, hurricanes swept through Florida, making me wonder if my new home would still be standing when I arrived. As I pulled in, the walls appeared to be intact and my phone was ringing off the hook with requests from local building owners. They wanted to know whether or not their EIFS was still properly attached to their building. These requests resulted in me explaining to all of them, over and over, the same basic story about how EIFS is attached to a wall, and how to determine if it is OK. Just in case there are some queries about wind damage as a result of the recent moistness in the Southeast, this month's column will give some insight into this timely subject.
As you know, most EIFS is adhesively attached. This method is preferred for many reasons, not the least of which is the lack of fastener show-through, the greater ease in making a flat wall and its higher strength. Yes, adhesives are stronger. The reason is simple: They spread out the wind force over a greater area, instead of concentrating the force at single attachment points, as fasteners do. The problem is the foam insulation, which is not particularly strong itself and there's only so many fasteners one can put in a 2-feet-by-4-feet piece of insulation. It's the same reason that lots and lots of rivets are used on the thin metal skin of airplanes-it reduces the concentration of stresses on the weaker material.