Protect the walls
EIFS sheathing has a gold alkali-resistant surface coating and a patented water-resistant core. According to its maker, the Dens-Glass Gold has 50 to 100% greater flexural strength than ordinary sheathing and is fire-resistant. It comes with a 10-year warranty. Its surface is made from inorganic glass mat, not paper like other sheathing, and may be installed in both vertical and horizontal applications. More than 250 million square feet of Dens-Glass Gold have been installed worldwide, at hotels, schools, shopping centers, hospitals, and department stores.
G-P Gypsum Corp.
Reader Service No. 203
Positive drainage
EIFS incorporates a grooved foam insulation board that allows positive drainage of incidental water that may enter the system through various penetrations on the wall. Therm PB-Drain GF also features a redundant weather barrier, with a polymer- modified base coat and acrylic finish serving as the primary barrier and a layer of 15# felt as a secondary barrier.
Pleko.
Reader Service No. 207
Built in heaven
St. Mary's Catholic Church in Rockledge, Fla., needed a waterproof barrier to protect its walls against heavy summer afternoon showers. W&J Construction Corp. of Cocoa, Fla. chose EIFS NeXT, which applies vertical ribbons of adhesive that allow incidental moisture to drain away through weep holes at the bottom. The church's cupola was completely assembled through fish coat and then hoisted 65 feet up to the top of the church to rest on its red iron frame.
Sto Corp.
Reader Service No. 208
New-old downtown
Downtown Pleasant Hill, in the San Francisco Bay area, is a mixed-use redevelopment project with townhomes, a hotel, a civic center, restaurants, parking, and a multi-screen movie theater. Vila Construction Inc. of Richmond, Calif., applied the Water Master Commercial EIFS, which allowed them to round the edges of buildings, stagger elevations in and out toward the street, and use brick and tile for accent purposes, creating an old, historical downtown appearance. Of the 330,000 square feet of EIFS installed, 48 different colors were used on 15 different buildings.
Parex.
Reader Service No. 205
Wind breaker
The 70-year-old Beacon Towers high-rise apartment building needed to improve its energy efficiency and moisture protection. The problem was so severe that 30 of the 100 units were left vacant. The owner, the Seattle Housing Authority, chose the Outsulation Plus System to cover 50,000 sq. ft. of existing pre-cast concrete cladding. According to the project's general contractor, Triple D Contractors, Bellevue, Wash., this product was specified because of its resistance to wind, as winds in the city have been known to reach up to 100 miles per hour in the winter.
Dryvit
Reader Service No. 202
Around the bend
Exterior wall system for harsh environments in high-traffic commercial and institutional buildings is made of a 100% acrylic polymer base coat, which repels water, and a cement board for puncture resistance. The Cement-Board Stucco bends to a 6-in. minimum radius to be used for curved surfaces as well.
Senergy & National Gypsum.
Reader Service No. 204
