Over the years, I've had a number of companies as clients that make and install signs. Most of the signs are used for commercial applications (stores and hotels) and they are usually made of metal and plastic but occasionally they'll even make one out of EIFS. Either way, they sometimes ask me how to attach their signs to EIFS walls. If you've ever purchased a custom sign, they are not cheap, so it's not a dumb question. Here are some guidelines on how to deal with signs. These notes relate to design considerations, as well as installation issues.

First, you can go to New Orleans right now and have a good time, at least in the popular tourist areas, which look like nothing ever happened. But if you drive a little way from those restored areas, it's a different story. There are blocks and blocks of abandoned single-story houses and there are shopping areas that look fine, except a lot are not open. These buildings are in the areas that were flooded and stayed submerged.

Lately I’ve been working with some cast stone products and have found that product to be a good complement to EIFS in terms of dealing with the damage-susceptible edges of EIFS. This month’s column gives some examples of how cast stone can be used with EIFS.

This month’s column gives you a checklist of things to keep in mind if someone wants an alternate price or prefers the other cladding. This list will be handy if you are working with a designer or owner who needs guidance when making a switch.

Large rust stain streaks can be created by an almost invisibly small piece of iron, located in the EIFS finish. They can become amazingly big and very noticeable. In the midst of a huge blank EIFS wall, such streaks can really standout, which can result in irate building owners who want you to redo the whole façade. That level of repair is hardly necessary and the following information on rust streaks on EIFS can help you fix the problem and keep the owner calm.

In multi-story wood frame residential construction, the various floor levels are usually constructed as a series of platforms, one at a time, on top of each other. The horizontal framing at the floor line has its grain running parallel to the ground.

This is the first of a two-part series about common EIFS questions. My Web site www.eifs.com generates a lot of e-mail and phone inquiries. Usually they are basic questions from people looking to learn more about EIFS. Over the last 30 years of working with EIFS I’ve seen or heard of almost anything that can be done with EIFS.

In North America, EIFS is pretty much a single type of design, namely expanded polystyrene insulation adhesively attached to the supporting wall, and a thin, synthetic, two-layer, glass fiber mesh-reinforced coating system. 

If you spend any time working with specifiers, end-users, designers and contractors who are involved with EIFS, you’ll find out right away that the environmental friendliness (“eco-friendliness”) of EIFS is a hot topic.

One of the most popular design features of EIFS is its ability to mimic other materials. This includes being a stone, concrete or stucco look-alike. This feature of EIFS is widely used for many reasons, including its attractive appearance, light weight and low cost.

Firestopping is an especially important topic for EIFS, due to the system’s unique multi-layered form of cladding construction. 

Expanded polystyrene insulation and polyisocyanurate foam polyiso are the two main insulation types used in EIFS in North America. Overseas, many other types of insulation are used to make EIFS, such a mineral wool and “glass foam.”

Everyone’s heard of Stonehenge in England-the weird stone blocks in the middle of a field. But who has heard of Foamhenge in Virginia? It is a full size replica of the real Stonehenge made of EIFS. Who could dream up a cooler name?

No doubt you are aware that the quality of EIFS is very dependent on the contractor. One way to ensure quality is to monitor the process of installing the EIFS as it is being installed.

Every American I know wants to visit Australia. It’s sometimes called “The Land of Milk and Honey” and it is. Next to Canada, Australia is more like the U.S. than any other country I can think of.

EIFS is like any other building material in the sense that it is well-suited for some uses and not for others. This column is a compilation of my thoughts about where EIFS works well and where it does not, including some unusual specialty uses.

When EIFS was first introduced to the North American market, there were a lot of questions about its strength.

 I moved to Florida a few years ago. Construction is different down here. 

I began my multi-year involvement with LEED and the USGBC as an architect dedicated to the design of greener buildings at about the time the LEED v1.0 pilot program was coming to a close.

What do skin moisturizer, anti-malarial drugs and diesel fuel all have in common?

Under that greenery is hidden something very un-green, very dirty, and very big: Parking garages.

The latest Green Globes and LEED green building rating systems have introduced new building materials credits.

Since when did architects become responsible for ensuring occupant health resulting from exposure to building material ingredients?

An interesting anti-LEED movement seems to be gaining momentum among states that are opposed to the USGBC LEED rating system.

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy began work on the development of a voluntary national scoring system used to quantify commercial building’s energy efficiency.

Not too many years ago, hydronic floor heating systems were all the rage with the hip-green crowd.

Designing exterior wall assemblies that satisfy both energy and building code requirements is a challenge.

The variable refrigerant flow is starting to gain popularity in the U.S.

It’s no surprise that there are less expensive, less complicated alternatives to LEED.

“Green advocacy” is the very opposite of informed consent.

The greenest low slope roofing solution really sucks.

Hard work by Green Globes’ committee—and community—shows it’s only getting better.

Do embodied energies deserve greater attention now that buildings are becoming “greener”?

Used shipping containers: the new farming frontier.

Will passive houses gain more momentum in the U.S.?

Is there a future for coal fired power?

The energy saving contributions of thermal mass are well known but not always implemented in an ideal way.

Don’t be fooled, a rainscreen is much more than a cladding system that works well under wet conditions.

In part one; rainscreen and open joint cladding systems were discussed. Part two will focus on test standards determining the performance of cladding systems designed for the rainscreen principle.

Level up productivity with tools that enhance well-being and your body.

MarinoWARE has released its new website. The new website includes updated design and content, enhanced tools, an organized resource library and new industry pro pages.

On Oct. 17, American Industrial Partners announced its definitive agreement to acquire PPG’s U.S. and Canadian architectural coatings business, which generated $2 billion in 2023 revenue.

The organisation, which has 160 employees, says it is still trying to understand how staff will be affected

The new members come from a range of charities, including Save the Children UK and Versus Arthritis

The two organisations employ a total of more than 450 people

The funds will go to support the organisations’ work in tackling food poverty

The findings come from Third Sector’s inaugural Charity Employer Index

Dame Julia Cleverdon spent 17 years as the chief executive of Business in the Community as part of a long career in the voluntary sector

SIA OSDP version 2.2.2 resolves errors that had appeared in the short-lived 2.2.1 update and introduces proper supervised input states, addressing previous issues.