The first Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) was installed in 1969. From that point until the mid-1970 EIFS was primarily installed on commercial projects.
As compared to Residential projects, Commercial Projects had a number of quality control features in place, including:
- The major involvement of architects or engineers
- Use of extensive details and specifications
- Submittals, Mock-ups and Quality Control requirements
- Experienced and bondable EIFS installers
- Presence of proper detailing and flashings
- Typically, steel, masonry and/or concrete construction
- Use of commercial windows with higher performance requirements and testing
- A final installation inspection and punch list is created to correct deficiencies
This amounts to a low risk and minimal opportunities for problems for early EIFS installation. By the mid-1980s use of EIFS was becoming popular on residential construction.
Residential Projects typically lacked the checks and balances available on commercial construction. This resulted in:
- No design professionals
- Minimal construction documents
- No submittals, mock-up or quality control programs
- Smaller lesser experienced EIFS installers and sub-contractors
- Improper or totally absent details and flashings.
- Typically, wood framing (with moisture sensitive substrates)
- Use of residential grade windows.
- Absence of any final inspection and punch list to correct deficiencies.
Thus, in residential there were huge opportunities for moisture intrusion problems to occur.