Craig Testing Laboratories (CTL) provides exterior insulation and finishing system (EIFS) inspection services, which is a type of building exterior wall cladding system that provides exterior walls with an insulated finished surface and waterproofing in an integrated composite material system
EIFS is typically attached to the outside face of exterior walls with an adhesive (cementitious or acrylic based) or mechanical fasteners. Adhesives are commonly used to attach EIFS to gypsum board, cement board, or concrete substrates. EIFS is attached with mechanical fasteners (specially designed for this application) when installed over sheet-good weather barriers such as are commonly used over wood sheathings. The supporting wall surface should be continuous (not "open framing") and flat.
Another benefit of EIFS is the option to add architectural details that are composed of the same materials. EIFS mouldings or as they are commonly referred to, stucco mouldings, come in a large variety of shapes and sizes. They are widely used on residential/commercial projects in North America and are gaining popularity worldwide. Production methods have come a long way since their inception which allow manufacturers to create with great efficiency in a cost effective manner.
