As mentioned in the EIFS Briefs (September-October-2021.pdf on eima.com), the New York City Council passed an updated code that will take effect on November 7. Filed under Int. No. 2261-2021, the new code “completes the most recent code revision cycle with amendments to the New York City Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes, based on the 2015 editions of the International Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Plumbing Codes published by the International Code Council, where necessary, modifying or adding new text tailored to the unique needs and characteristics of the City’s built environment.”
One of the code’s modifications that is “tailored to the unique characteristics of the City’s built environment” is essentially banning the use of EIFS in NYC as we know it. The new code goes beyond the IBC requirements of NFPA 285 testing by calling for modifications to buildings that use foam plastic insulations, including extensive use of fire-blocking to cut off concealed spaces within the wall covering around wall openings; in alignment with the slab edge for a height of not less than 8 inches at maximum intervals of 20 feet vertically and more.