When the EIFS class action lawsuits were hot & heavy, a local newspaper writer did a 2 pg expose starting on the front page of the Sunday paper on the problems AND the fact hundreds of local home owners were getting screwed out of thousands of dollars in un-needed repairs BECAUSE it was NOT being installed properly. AND the story interviewed 2-3 well heeled home owners locally AND told how thru the services of a well trained EDI inspector they discovered maybe over $40,000 dollars of problems in their fairly new HIGH DOLLAR homes. Within 2-3 weeks there was so much shit hitting the fan in my area that the HBA, many code depts, major EIFS manufacturers and the bigger 5-6 installation contractors locally put together a 3-4 month long task force geared to helping clean up the problems. They also invited 2 of the main EDI certified EIFS inspectors in this area to set in on the task force meetings.
One thing that came up immediately was with over 60 city’s, townships, etc in my metro area the vast majority of the AHJ’s were not looking at how EIFS or Stucco were being installed OR if they were installed per the manufacturers guidelines BUT were leaving that to the builders or the installers AND most of them were installing it the way OLD CHARLEY showed them 10 yrs before that during their 2-3 day training sessions … In short a total joke!!
After that story hit the paper several other newspapers, TV stations, etc started doing follow up media pieces on this subject. Real Estate offices started calling on the 2 EDI inspectors asking them to do 1 hr “lunch & learn” presentations on EIFS, etc. Then attorneys from citys as far away as 200 miles away started calling the EDI inspectors wanting to hire them for expert witness type work or inspections on EIFS … Bottom line, bad installs can pay an inspector MUCH better than good installations.
There has been a lot of good advice in this thread.
Yes, I call out the defects no matter the local custom. When I call out these defects, I will also make mention of the possible consequences so my client has a better understanding of the potential problems. (some call this writing harder). Then, I will provide them with some additional literature and a recommendation.
There were several concerns with the installation of the adhered stone cladding; whereas the installation did not appear to be compliant with the manufacturer installation instructions or best practice guidelines for most prominent adhered stone manufacturers. Improper installation may cause further damage, such as but not limited to moisture-wicking, thermal cracking, water intrusion, structural damage, loss of adhesion, and material failure. Improper installation may also void the manufacturer’s warranty.
The following deficiencies and concerns were observed: substandard expansion gaps and missing backer rods around fenestration. Missing weep screed and inadequate clearance from grade.
We’ve found, especially on new builds, that when we run into defects like this (and there are plenty!) the builder does sometimes state that “that’s how we always do it” or “it passed codes”. Usually, we just say it wasn’t installed per manufacturer’s installation guidelines (I know in this case you don’t know the manufacturer) and if the builder has a letter from the AHJ/manufacturer allowing deviation from the installation instructions we’ll be glad to add that to the inspection report. Oddly enough…they haven’t found one yet. They have replaced a lot of AMSV siding though! Write hard and make no apologies.
