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Discussion Forum

EIFS vs Dryvit

FastEddie | Posted in General Discussion on September 23, 2008 08:31am

What’s the difference?  I know eifs is rigied foam sheets covered with fiberglass screen and acrylic goop.  Is Dryvit the same applied over plywood without the foam?

“Put your creed in your deed.”   Emerson

“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.”  T. Roosevelt

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  1. User avater
    boiler7904 | Sep 23, 2008 08:50pm | #1

    Dryvit is a brand name of EIFS.  It's kind of like Kleenex - really a brand name but everyone uses it to describe the entire industry.

    Sto makes products that can be applied over Cement Board if you don't need/want the insulation.



    Edited 9/23/2008 1:53 pm by boiler7904

    1. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Sep 23, 2008 10:11pm | #2

      What's the latest word on Dryvit and others? 

      Have they overcome whatever problems they've had when applied on masonry foundations and wood framing?  

      Do you know the maximum R-value possible?

      1. User avater
        xxPaulCPxx | Sep 24, 2008 12:08am | #3

        My BIL had Dryvit installed, so I did a bunch of research on it. It looks like to key to the early problems of this and other similar products was...FLASHING DETAILS!!!To the surprise of no one who has an interest in fine homebuilding.The problems happened when there was either no rainscreen or the rainscreen was blocked at the bottom because they didn't use the correct flashing piece.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CAAlso a CRX fanatic!

        I don't feel it's healthy to keep your faults bottled up inside me.

        1. Hudson Valley Carpenter | Sep 24, 2008 01:04am | #8

          Thanks Paul,  Glad to hear that it's been resolved, so I can consider it as an option.

        2. DaveRicheson | Sep 24, 2008 02:18am | #9

          I did the same thing. A ton of research and then calls to local area contractors.

          After looking at four different residential jobs, I upped the anti and started calling commercial installers. Only one of then would even give me a quote, and it was off the financial chart. The commercial job I did look at, however was excellent on the flashing details. The residential jobs were pretty much lacking the drainage plane and back wrap details required for EIFS installs.

          I gave up, and am going to plan B.

          1. jeffwoodwork | Sep 24, 2008 07:22am | #10

            what's plan b?

          2. DaveRicheson | Sep 24, 2008 01:04pm | #11

            Hardi siding

  2. Lansdown | Sep 24, 2008 12:21am | #4

    System: Exterior Finish & Insulation System (aka. synthetic stucco)

    Brands: Dryvit, Sto, Parex, etc.

    1. FastEddie | Sep 24, 2008 12:28am | #5

      So maybe I'm thinking about eifs vs defs, or whatever it's called without the foam layer."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

      "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      1. Lansdown | Sep 24, 2008 12:35am | #6

        DEFS : Direct-applied Exterior Finish SystemI believe Sto and Dryvit both make products for this system too.

  3. MSLiechty | Sep 24, 2008 12:38am | #7

    Heres an article worth reading.

    http://www.wconline.com/Articles/Column/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000229521

    EIFS: A PRODUCT?

    Here’s a true story: I’ve received a number of email purchase orders over the years, wanting me (a technical consultant!) to ship them “2,000 square feet of EIFS.” Usually this type of “I have no clue” request comes from some well-meaning but ignorant functionary in the purchasing department of some huge international trading company that happens to Goggle onto my website, http://www.eifs.com. They think that EIFS is a product, but EIFS are systems. They do not come as a complete ready-to-use unit that is put in place, like a nail flange residential window. EIFS are created at the job site from a group of raw materials (or in a prefabricated panel factory). They can be created in countless variations, not to mention user-selected personal options like color and texture. So, there is no such thing as a “standard” EIFS. This versatility is one reason EIFS is popular.

    This flexibility of design has a big effect in determining at what point a particular system is not EIFS, or ever was EIFS. In effect, it’s easy to make hybrid quasi-EIFS systems that are not quite EIFS.

    Consider the product pictured on this page, which is considered to be EIFS in some countries. Note the special EPS foam, the thick “mortar” layer with EPS beads in it, the metal reinforcing, the base coat, the extra coating layers, and so on. What should one call this product? I call it expensive. It is not any standard type of EIFS.

    In North America, the most common, basic, definition of EIFS is: A multi-layer system consisting of a layer of foam plastic insulation applied over a continuous substrate, and over which is applied reinforced thin synthetic coatings. While there are many variations in EIFS designs, this is the definition of basic, standard EIFS.

    ML

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