What to know about synthetic stucco
Exterior insulated finish systems (EIFS) are susceptable to water intrusion that can make afflicted homes virtually unsalable

Exerpted from a Realtor Magazine article. Follow the link for the full article.

Like asbestos and radon before it, synthetic stucco, or exterior insulation finish systems (EIFS), rings loud alarms with anyone involved in buying and selling homes in certain parts of the country. News stories and lawsuits have linked the product to water intrusion behind exterior walls, which in turn rots sheathing and other building components, and makes many afflicted homes virtually unsalable.

In the States, [these systems are] often applied to wood or gypsum. Because there's no moisture barrier over the wood or gypsum sheathing, the system can allow moisture to intrude through less-than-perfect window and door edges or through cracks in the exterior or rooflines, causing the underlying wood or gypsum to deteriorate. EIFS houses become moisture magnets quietly rotting underneath their facades.

A second problem with EIFS systems sometimes can arise because applying EIFS correctly is expensive and complicated. Some general contractors and appliers took shortcuts and ignored many of the EIFS manufacturers' written instructions, which added to the risk of moisture intrusion.

Prevention is the cure

Insist on obtaining all relevant, available information about a stucco home from the seller. Is the system traditional stucco or is it EIFS? Have repairs been performed? Have moisture readings or other inspections been conducted? Many engineers contend that an EIFS house can't be repaired, short of stripping the structure completely of its EIFS exterior.

Hire a structural engineer rather than a home inspector because the more invasive testing methods engineers use are more likely to find moisture problems.

This chapter was republished in "Broker to Broker," a book by Robert Freedman and Realtor Magazine. For more information visit www.buildingdefects.com and www.stuccolaw.com, and for the full article click on the URL or book cover.

by Gary W. Jackson, contributing author to Jan.2004 Realtor Magazine and reprinted in "Broker to Broker"

Title: Broker to Broker: Management Lessons From America's Most Successful Real Estate Companies

By: by Robert Freedman (Author), Realtor Magazine (Editor)

Pages: 320 (article on pages 269-271)

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc

ISBN: 9780471783183

Date: 11/22/2005

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