| Location | Catonsville (21228), MD |
|---|---|
| Service | EIFS repair |
| Property | Building with an EIFS exterior |
What EIFS is, and why damage spreads
EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System, often called by the brand name Dryvit) looks like stucco but is built differently. It is a foam insulation board fastened to the wall, covered with a thin base coat with fiberglass mesh in it, and topped with a textured finish coat. It is light and well insulated, but the outer layers are thin. Once they are cracked or punctured, water can get behind them into the foam and the sheathing.
That is why EIFS damage should be repaired, not caulked over. Sealing a crack can trap water that has already gotten in.
What we did
- Removed the damaged EIFS down to sound material, exposing the insulation board and the sheathing behind it where needed so we could see how far the damage went.
- Rebuilt the system in its original layers: base coat, embedded reinforcing mesh, then finish coat.
- Applied a protective sealant over the repair.
- Primed and spot-painted the new work and the surrounding repair areas to match the existing wall color.
Matching the existing wall
The hardest part of an EIFS repair is making it disappear. The finish coat has a texture, and the new texture has to be floated to match the old one, or the patch reads from the street as a different panel. Paint helps even out the color, but it does not hide a texture mismatch. We work the finish coat to the surrounding wall before any paint goes on.
When to call about EIFS
- Cracks, especially at corners of windows and doors.
- Soft or spongy spots when you press on the wall.
- Stains or streaks running down from a crack or a sealant joint.
- Impact damage from a ladder, a mower or a vehicle.
EIFS is exterior work, so like our other exterior work we schedule it March through October.
Have a similar problem?
Call or text (443) 806-8077 for a written estimate. We will look at the job, explain what is going on and give you a clear price before any work starts.
We describe projects by neighborhood only and never publish customers' names or addresses.
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