EIFS and STUCCO Inspections

What is EIFS?

Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) is an insulating, decorative, and protective finish system for exterior walls that can be installed on practically any type of commercial or residential construction. While giving the appearance of traditional stucco, EIFS is actually a multi-layered wall system that consists of separate components including insulation board, reinforcing fiber mesh, base coating, and a finish coating.

When do you need an EIFS inspection?

• If you are buying a building with EIFS installed If you are thinking about litigation for EIFS Construction Defects
• If an EIFS clad building has a musty odor inside
• If the EIFS has stains on or around windows
• If there are cracks in the EIFS around windows
• If cracks have appeared in the EIFS on walls with no windows
• If you have a multi-story building with EIFS
• If you have water infiltration problems in an EIFS clad building
• If you have not had an EIFS maintenance inspection in the last year

What Does an EIFS &STUCCO Inspection Include?

Our EIFS and Traditional Stucco Inspections consist of a three part inspection, including a Visual Inspection, Infrared Thermal Imaging Inspection, and Intrusive Moisture Analysis.

The first part is a visual inspection of the stucco. During the visual inspection, cracks in the stucco are documented, as well as bulging areas, discoloration and other areas of concern. The second part of our inspection is an Infrared thermal imaging survey. Infrared technology allows us to detect areas of the stucco that have thermal anomaly characteristics of moisture penetration without damaging/penetrating the stucco itself.

Once the visual inspection and Infrared thermal imaging inspections have been completed, Gratton Infrared offers intrusive moisture testing to confirm areas of suspect moisture penetration using a Delmhort BD-2100 Moisture Probe (3 1/4" and a 7") for the most accurate results.  Although we cannot determine the extent of the hidden damage, moisture readings can give us a clue as to the severity of the damage.

Once our three-part inspection is complete, we will have your report completed within 5 working days. We offer and strongly recommend annual stucco inspections in order to monitor the condition of the system and track annual changes.

Contact us today to discuss your EIFS & STUCCO Inspection needs.