Grassroots® | The Inspection Specialists

Home, Commercial and Environmental Inspections

1-800-774-2538

Request a Quote | Find an Inspector
  • Inspection Services
    • Home Inspections
      • Home Inspection Services
        • Overview & Types of Inspections
        • Security Blanket Protection™
        • The Oops Inspection™
        • Ride Along Inspection™
        • Monster Free Inspections
      • 3 Questions to Ask Your Home Inspector
      • 5 Key Suggestions When Buying A Home
      • 7 Things To Ask Before Buying A Home
      • Order a Grassroots® Home Inspection
      • Request a Home Inspection Quotation
    • Commercial Inspections
      • Overview – Commercial Inspections
      • Types of Inspections
      • What Kinds of Buildings Are Inspected?
      • Order Commercial Inspection
      • Commercial Inspection Quote Request
    • Environmental Inspections
      • Overview – Environmental Inspections
      • Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Testing
      • Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) Testing
      • Environmental Site Assessments (ESA)
      • Order an Environmental Inspection
      • Request Environmental Inspection Quote
    • Litigation Support & Dispute Resolution
  • Request A Quote
    • Home Inspection Quote Request
    • Commercial Inspection Quote Request
    • Environmental Inspection Quote Request
  • Resources
    • Information Bulletins
    • Suggestions & Tips
    • All Resources – Alphabetical
    • Glossary of Housing Terms
    • Are You Looking For A Date?
  • Franchise Opportunities
    • Why a Grassroots® Home Inspection Franchise?
    • Be Part of the Grassroots® Inspection Team
    • The Grassroots® Inspect 2000™ Reporting System
    • Consider This . . .
    • About the Canadian Home Inspection Industry
  • About Us
  • Contact Grassroots®
  • Home

Exterior Finishing System – EIFS / DEFS – Suggestions & Tips #170

October 20, 2016 by Grassroots Leave a Comment

exterior_finishing_system_eifs-defs

Exterior Insulated Finishing System (EIFS) and or Direct Applied Exterior Finishing System (DEFS) are exterior wall cladding systems that have a synthetic / polymer stucco finish coat applied to them. It’s used on residential homes as well as commercial buildings.

With EIFS, an insulation board is attached to the substrate. Then a base coat is applied over the insulation panels with a reinforcing mess embedded into that base coat. Finally, a textured protective finish coat is applied over that. EIFS was developed after the war in Europe and began being used in the 1960’s in North America, but became more popular in the 1990’s. Perhaps one of the most popular benefits is the architectural details that can be added-on that are made out the same materials. The various types of moulding / details are really only hampered by your creativity.

DEFS on the other hand are typically the non-insulated version of EIFS. That is, the sheathing boards (such as DensGlass® Sheathing, DuRock and Hartitex™) act as the substrate to which the synthetic stucco is applied to.

Determining the type of system utilized, materials / methods used, underlying conditions and the likes is very difficult if not impossible to identify during a visual building inspection. Further, there are differing types of materials / products and applications utilized in the building industry.  For example, there are two types of EIFS that can be employed: one that is water managed (allows a path for moisture to escape) while the other system that is not. Today, the water-managed EIFS system is most commonly used. Regardless, the installation method, procedure and application are critical to the success of the system employed.

There is a history of problems concerning water / moisture penetration into buildings that caused wood damage / rot and the likes. This damage may be hidden, for example, inside wall cavities and not readily visible. Depending on the exterior finishing system used (manufacturer, product, etc.) there may also be class action lawsuits and or class action settlements regarding them.

To perform an EIFS and or DEFS inspection typically requires destructive or invasive testing. This may include puncturing the exterior surface with long pins from a moisture meter in various places and or cutting open the wall surface itself for further examination. This however is outside the scope of a normal visual building inspection.

Read more about Exterior Insulated Finishing Systems (EIFS)

If you are considering buying a home or commercial building with EIFS / DEFS, ensure you carry out your due diligence as to what has been installed in the first place and what warranties / guarantees are available to you, if any…and be sure to have the home / building inspected.

Filed Under: All, Exterior, Exterior Issues, Insurance & Legal, Suggestions & Tips Tagged With: DEFS, direct applied exterior finishing system, EIFS, exterior finishing systems, exterior insulated finishing system, wall cladding

Subscribe to our mailing list

Email Address*

First Name

Last Name


 

Search Our Site

Resource Centre

  • All (229)
  • Attics (27)
  • Bathrooms (23)
  • Bedrooms (11)
  • Building Systems (18)
  • Design & Layout (23)
  • Electrical (33)
  • Exterior (19)
  • Exterior Issues (25)
  • Fireplaces & Chimneys (14)
  • Foundations & Basements (39)
  • Heating & Cooling (56)
  • Information Bulletins (58)
  • Insects & Vermin (10)
  • Insulation (29)
  • Insurance & Legal (42)
  • Interior Issues (21)
  • Kitchen (26)
  • Laundry (20)
  • Main Living Spaces (9)
  • Outbuildings (6)
  • Plumbing (50)
  • Property & Site (24)
  • Roof (32)
  • Safety & Environmental (99)
  • Staircases (9)
  • Suggestions & Tips (172)
  • Water Heater (13)

Recent Articles and News

Should Mortgage Lenders Insist Their Clients Have A Home Inspection? – Suggestion & Tips #172

Some mortgage lenders will not place a mortgage on certain homes because they have, for example, asbestos, vermiculite, UFFI (urea formaldehyde foam insulation), knob & tube wiring, 60 amp … [Read More...]

overhead-electrical-service-trees-vegetation

Overhead Electrical Service & Trees / Vegetation – Suggestions & Tips #171

As you might imagine, there are certain clearances that electrical wires / power lines must have, for example, when they cross over roads, driveways, roofs, pools, walkways and when near fire escapes, … [Read More...]

Exterior Finishing System – EIFS / DEFS – Suggestions & Tips #170

Exterior Insulated Finishing System (EIFS) and or Direct Applied Exterior Finishing System (DEFS) are exterior wall cladding systems that have a synthetic / polymer stucco finish coat applied to them. … [Read More...]

Get Social with Grassroots!

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Home Inspections

We do fantastic home inspections that tell you exactly what is wrong with your home. Buying a house? You'll love us because we help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
More >>

Commercial Inspections

When you purchase a commercial property, you'll want to know exactly what you're getting. Remember, you get what you inspect, not what you expect.
More >>

Environmental Inspections

Are you having problems with indoor air quality? We can do many types of specialized tests, including for mold, radon, CO2 and VOC.
More >>

Franchise Opportunties

Your future can be bright with a Grassroots® inspection franchise. We'll show you how to run a successful business based on helping people.
More >>

© 2019 · Grassroots® | The Inspection Specialists · Legal · Privacy · Website design and hosting by The Web For Business.com