The Plague of EIFS

[LowPolygon]

I think it looks horrible in the vast majority of cases,

not true

and much worse than a well-done EIFS face.

except it doesn't ruin the building

Do you love painted brick, for example? Do you love brick faces which have outlines of prior structures? Do you love all deteriorated brick?

yes, brick is vastly preferable to EIFS in every one of these cases.

So, are you really trying to say that all 50s and 60s homes are heritage homes? Every run down war time bungalow in the city, for example? That's just bizarre.

i didn't say that. i asked to explain which brick buildings are worth protecting, given that you "personally don't give a chit if it doesn't maintain the outer brick look from the 1950s."

See above.

nothing to see. all you've done is spout the same old fatuous and vague 'off the rack' nonsense about how EIFS "refreshes" old buildings, whatever that means.

 

[Eug]

not true

Uh, both TrickyRicky and I don't like most painted brick because we think it's horrible and your response is "not true".

So basically you have different aesthetic preferences. Well, good for you.

yes, brick is vastly preferable to EIFS in every one of these cases.

In that case you're free to stick with the brick, even ugly painted brick when you next reno your own old brick building.

Just don't stick your nose into other owners' affairs when it doesn't belong. It's not up to you to unilaterally declare all 50s and 60s homes in the city as heritage homes.

i didn't say that. i asked to explain which brick buildings are worth protecting, given that you "personally don't give a chit if it doesn't maintain the outer brick look from the 1950s."

See above. A heritage home isn't one just because YOU want it to be. If you don't like that, you can take it up with the city, but it's foolish to think every building ever built in a certain time period must be maintained as is in perpetuity. That's just a waste of money and space.

nothing to see. all you've done is spout the same old fatuous and vague 'off the rack' nonsense about how EIFS "refreshes" old buildings, whatever that means.

It means that some of us value progress, even if some posters here seem hopelessly stuck in the past at the expense of everything else.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Is EFIS the same thing as stucco?

 

[LowPolygon]

It means that some of us value progress, even if some posters here seem hopelessly stuck in the past at the expense of everything else.

well there we have it. as always with opinions like yours, "progress" equals philistinism.

 

[LowPolygon]

Is EFIS the same thing as stucco?

it's a version of synthetic stucco. real stucco is a very beautiful material.

https://www.facworld.com/facworld.nsf/doc/stucco

 

[Eug]

well there we have it. as always with opinions like yours, "progress" equals philistinism.

Heh. This was the response I was expecting from you as well. It just took a bit longer for it to appear than I expected.

In the meantime, progress will continue in the modern world.

Is EFIS the same thing as stucco?

No, but a lot of people use the word "stucco" to mean EFIS.

Personally I'm not a huge fan of true stucco. I prefer wood siding or, ironically, brick. I'm not a fan of EFIS either, but obviously I don't believe it's the apocalypse.

 

[junior43]

it's a version of synthetic stucco. real stucco is a very beautiful material.

https://www.facworld.com/facworld.nsf/doc/stucco

Deep - any idea how old that article is?

This thread had me concerned (bad after 5 yrs, etc) because I planned to re-clad my house in it. What little research I've done so far mentions that late 80's/mid 90's applications were done badly, (mould build up behind it, etc) but current application methods are much better and more durable.

Anyways, yes covering that old building was a travesty, but for residential, it's an economical way to re-clad a house - and much more preferable to the horrendous aluminum siding I have now........

 

[Eug]

This thread had me concerned (bad after 5 yrs, etc) because I planned to re-clad my house in it. What little research I've done so far mentions that late 80's/mid 90's applications were done badly, (mould build up behind it, etc) but current application methods are much better and more durable.

Judging by the contractor forums, it seems like correct installation of EIFS requires more than just taking some short course on it, because it isn't very forgiving. If you go that route, you'd want a company very experienced in its installation.

I guess what this means is that a low bid for a job like this might be a very bad idea, and DIY is out of the question.

 

[junior43]

Judging by the contractor forums, it seems like correct installation of EIFS requires more than just taking some short course on it, because it isn't very forgiving. If you go that route, you'd want a company very experienced in its installation.

I guess what this means is that a low bid for a job like this might be a very bad idea, and DIY is out of the question.

DIY was never an option. I'm handy, but not stupid. The three quotes I get won't be about price (necessarily), it's more about how professional they appear (references, before/after shots, etc.). Also, I have lots of friends in the construction industry, so hopefully they can refer me to reputable co's. to start with.......

 

[TrickyRicky]

To be clear I wasn't commenting about the aesthetics of painted brick, but painted brick is directly related to the discussion we are having. The reason it is related is that the paint causes deterioration of the brick underneath often leading the building owner to search for another siding solution because the brick facade becomes pocked and uneaven as the paint flakes off. That siding solution is now commonly EIFS. In otherwords there is somewhat of a progression from brick, to painted brick, to EIFS.

Re-bricking is another siding option however there are two main problems: First, it is the most expensive option, Second for many of the older buildings that thedeepend is concerned about the brick is not just a facade, it is the structure. Older houses and brick buildings are actually brick buildings. They are not timber frame buildings clad in brick such as your typical brick structure built since the 1950's. There are however more and better services available now to refresh and rejuvinate brick including brick repair, historical mortar mix, and even brick staining (to match uneven mis-matched brick repairs).

 

[LowPolygon]

In the meantime, progress will continue in the modern world.

Oh yea, EIFS is right up there with the moon landing and the mapping of the Human Genome.

 

[Eug]

To be clear I wasn't commenting about the aesthetics of painted brick, but painted brick is directly related to the discussion we are having. The reason it is related is that the paint causes deterioration of the brick underneath often leading the building owner to search for another siding solution because the brick facade becomes pocked and uneaven as the paint flakes off. That siding solution is now commonly EIFS. In otherwords there is somewhat of a progression from brick, to painted brick, to EIFS.

OK fair enough, and I agree.

In that context though, say if I inherited a painted brick building that was in bad condition, my two options would either be to tear it down, or to reface it with EIFS. I would never do EIFS if the brick was in good condition, of course.

Either option would incur the wrath of deep though, not that it's any of his/her business.

Re-bricking is another siding option however there are two main problems: First, it is the most expensive option

Yep.

Second for many of the older buildings that thedeepend is concerned about the brick is not just a facade, it is the structure. Older houses and brick buildings are actually brick buildings. They are not timber frame buildings clad in brick such as your typical brick structure built since the 1950's. There are however more and better services available now to refresh and rejuvinate brick including brick repair, historical mortar mix, and even brick staining (to match uneven mis-matched brick repairs).

My house was not originally timber frame, and it was built in the 50s. It was a post-war brick bungalow with a lot of cinderblock.

The brick exterior was eventually covered with foam insulation and cedar siding.

My downtown townhouse before that was wood frame with a brick exterior, but it was built in the 90s.

Oh yea, EIFS is right up there with the moon landing and the mapping of the Human Genome.

Yeah, just as a crappy 50s brick bungalow is right up there with the Taj Mahal.

- pic -

OMG, a random picture from who knows where with a building that that has problems and it isn't brick! You should call The Star right now.

 

[LowPolygon]

OMG, a random picture from who knows where with a building that that has problems and it isn't brick! You should call The Star right now.

,

 

[urbandreamer]

Is it easy to remove the stuff?

The real danger is the numerous side streets around town that are being ruined with this crap. It's like newbies don't like red or yellow brick--what's wrong with these ppl?!

 

[adma]

well there we have it. as always with opinions like yours, "progress" equals philistinism.

No kidding. Like, when I "sprung" the EIFS metaphor onto Eug in the Mayor Ford thread, I didn't realize that there'd be an anti-EIFS spinoff thread where Eug winds up being the cramped, constipated Joe-Blow-mediocre epitome of what the anti-EIFS argument is battling against...