When Hurricane Isabel slammed into Virginia Beach last month, I watched some of the spectacle on the TV. At one point, I noticed what looked like an EIFS-clad beach hotel. The wind had ripped off a section of the EIFS. The foam, sheathing and stud cavity were exposed. I called some friends who live in the area and sure enough, it was an EIFS job. This month, there are some insights on how wind forces affect EIFS. It's a little late for our friends in Virginia Beach but hopefully, it'll help you on your next project. This month's column will focus on stud and sheathing substrate systems.
First, the issue of wind behavior mostly applies to stud and sheathing substrate systems. On solid substrates like concrete and masonry, the substrate is so strong that it basically is impossible to pull off an adhesively attached EIFS-the foam will come apart internally before the foam lets go from the substrate.