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Posted by clintonG on January 26, 2007, 2:35 pm
EIFS are going to give you more of the same -- synthetic or not -- EIFS are
still permeable which can and will mold up just like any other material in
an environment where excessive moisture can be or is present. EIFS bubble.
Think bad sunburn that blisters and that's what happens to EIFS in an
environment such as yours. One crack or pinhole is all it needs.
Furthermore, look around the region. Do you still see EIFS being used as
prominently as they once were? The answer is almost always no -- not
hardly -- because EIFS requires significant skill in application and they
continue to fail too frequently regardless. Warm dry climates yes. Moist wet
climates no.
If you went with EIFS anyway the best course of action would the removal of
all exterior material down to the surface of the concrete exterior walls.
The EIFS gives all the insulation properties that could be needed and
resolves your other detailing concerns. After many years in actually
building rather than offering my opinion about stuff I've never actually
done the most important part of any project is always always always the
preparation. For EIFS you prepare by getting the cleanest and most evenly
surfaced wall which the EIFS will be attached to directly.
I think I know how you feel about the aesthetics of your place but I would
consider just buying an inexpensive power washer and use bleach in the water
to spray the siding to keep it clean and bright looking. Bleach helps to
kill bacteria which causes mold and a clean and bright siding can be okay
aesthetically. Who knows?
Unless there are significant historic preservation concerns in the
neighborhood and significant resell value which can pay off -- now -- at
this point in time when economic systems are being disrupted to the point of
failure I would suggest going with what you got, save the money which is
better spent on building and keeping a happy family. Go to Disneyland. Take
your family to Europe for a vacation and spend the rest of whatever you have
available to prepare for the coming economic failures, food shortages, and
other nightmares being planned and implemented with murder and mayhem being
perpetrated by the globalist new world order facsists.
<%= Clinton Gallagher
NET csgallagher AT metromilwaukee.com
URL http://clintongallagher.metromilwaukee.com/
MAP http://wikimapia.org/#y=43038073&x=-88043838&z=17&l=0&m=h
> We own a 1948 constructed Art Moderne design, flat roofed, concrete walled
> home on Vancouver Island (wet winters, warm dry summers). The
> exterior of the home was clad in vinyl siding in 1989 because the previous
> owner was tired of repainting the old stucco every three years and because
> he wanted to add a 1" layer of polystyrene insulation to the exterior
> concrete walls. There is an Art-Deco detailing just below the roofline so
> the siding/insulation starts 1' below the roofline, creating a 2" capped
> lip where the insulation-siding starts and continues to ground level. This
> flashing "lip" is sealed against the concrete wall with caulking.
>
> We are considering replacing the siding with stucco to return the home to
> its original look (flat white stuccoed walls with rounded corners
> into the window frames). However, we are very concerned about
> doing so in this wet winter climate with a flat roof and no over-hanging
> eaves as we foresee it as being a high maintenance option and see
> potential for :
>
> 1) lots of cleaning or repainting green mold at the end of each winter
> 2) potential for water damage in behind the lip where the new stucco would
> meet the concrete wall
> 3) staining at the splash level where the stucco would meet the sidewalks
>
> We are not prepared to remove the insulation to have the stucco flush with
> the exterior concrete. We are beginning to think that as nice as it would
> be to return to a non-vinyl siding look that the maintenance nightmare
> would offset the benefits of a "nicer look".
>
> Any ideas or suggestions appreciated!
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