02/13/2001 P&Z Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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EIFS News Articles • • • 7of10 http://www.eifsinfomet/eifs-news.htm damage is usually confined to less than 5% of the sheathing, which means that the large majority of moisture problems are manageable and can be repaired at a reasonable cost. During the past two years, NAHB has been working with consumers, manufacturers, insurers and other interested parties to try to negotiate a settlement so that most of the monies expended would be devoted to fixing houses for home owners rather than paying legal fees. Also, HAHB and the NAHB Research Center have been working with EIFS manufacturers (such as Dryvit Systems, Inc. and Sto Corp.), Zurich Insurance (formerly known as "The Maryland ") and building code officials to develop repair methods that cost effectively retrofit barrier -EIFS so that water entering behind exterior cladding does not become trapped and has an avenue of escape. These methods are currently being field tested and are expected to be available in the marketplace some time next year. Anyone with technical questions about EIFS should contact the NAHB Research Center. The Research Center offers the following publications about EIFS: "Moisture Testing Guide for Wood Frame Construction Clad with Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems "; "Quality Control Considerations for the Installation of Drainable EIFS "; and "Water Intrusion and Remediation of Wood Frame Houses with EIFS." EIFSIDEFS News, Sprint: 1999 Building Industry Reacts To Barrier EIFS Moisture Intrusion Issues Amid growing concern over the barrier EIFS problems, building code bodies, insurance companies and building material manufacturers have all taken action. In response to the growing number of reports of barrier EIFS moisture intrusion damage, a number of developments have occurred within the building industry over the past 18 months. Class action lawsuits, filed against EIFS manufacturers, are currently in litigation; two of the three major code bodies in the U.S. have revised their EIFS acceptance criteria; Maryland Casualty, a leading home building insurance firm, no longer insures barrier EIFS -clad homes; Marvin Windows no longer offers warranties for any of its products when installed on barrier EIFS walls; and a growing number of builders, specifiers and home and building owners are opting for water - managed stucco -look exteriors over barrier systems. Legal Action Class action lawsuits are currently in litigation against barrier EIFS manufacturers. Plaintiffs and defendants in the suits are working on a settlement. If no settlement is reached, the case is scheduled to go to trial in July, 1998. Building Code Revisions Two of the three major code bodies in the U.S. are revising their EIFS acceptance criteria and the third is reviewing the situation. The International Congress of Building Code Officials (ICBO), which primarily covers the Western U.S., now requires that all EIFS construction must include a water barrier applied behind the system to provide a drainage plane for intruding moisture. The Building Officials and Code Adminstrators (BOCA), which covers primarily the Midwest and Northeast, is also requiring a water barrier behind all EIFS construction, unless specific testing is conducted or that details and penetration be drawn by a registered design professional. The third major U.S. code body, Southern Building Code Congress International (SBCCI), is currently 1/9/2001 9:42 PM