Most homeowners are not trained to be able to do a proper assessment. They also do not have the proper equipment, which are necessary for a detail inspection so that you can take rectification actions on the areas affected. Better that than having to deal with damaged areas that you had not detected previously.

For Professional EIFS inspectors doing an assessment on EIFS, they are able to perform non-destructive inspection using sophisticated equipment such as the electronic moisture detection equipment called the “Tranmex Wet Wall” meter, which can determine the moisture content within the walls of your house. A more detailed inspection will include the usage of infrared thermography to inspect the EIFS to determine which areas are damaged by moisture.  This is a very accurate method and some inspectors will combine both systems to get an accurate report for your entire house. But to be even more certain of the extent of the damage, a more invasive inspection should be performed. Your inspector can insert electronic moisture meters into the insulation of the EIFS to check the actual moisture levels. After such a detailed inspection, your house inspector will be able to advise you on how to proceed. Whether you can even repair the EIFS damages will depend on the extent and cost of damage.

Taking care of the repairs caused by EIFS will be the first step to getting your house back in to shape. Next, you would also want your inspector to assess the causal factors leading to the damages. Is it due to an improperly installed EIFS or was it due to other reasons. This will also be critical so that you can decide whether you want to seek legal recourse. EIFS litigation have been quite common over the last 10 years and there are many EIFS lawyers and legal agencies whom specializes on helping homeowners with EIFS problems. Your legal advisors will be able to help you assess whether you can recoup your losses from your homeowner insurance policies or whether you should seek to claim your damages from the builder or agencies responsible for the damage.

So if you are a homeowner or trying to buy or sell a house insulated with synthetic stucco or EIFS, you should always get a professional house inspector and if your house is affected by EIF related water damages, then the next step would be to decide whether to repair or replace your house. The next logical step would then be to seek legal recourse for your EIFS damages.

Since the 90s, there were a lot of homes that were built using EIFS as it is very easy to install and the appearance is very appealing. It was also touted to be able to save energy, as it is able to retain the heat within the house very well. Actually if the installation of the EIFS was done properly, the EIFS should be able to last and not cause water damages. However many installations were done with less than adequate care with the EIFS being sealed with simple caulking and not with metal joints as specified by the manufacturers of EIFS. This allows water to leak in and get trapped inside the EIFS. The moisture is a perfect breeding ground for termites and eventual water damages to the house. It is akin to millions of termites covering the house and eating it up bit by bit. Sometimes the damage is so bad, the entire house needs to be torn down. EIFS repair may not always be possible.

If you have an EIFS home and you have water damages, you would need to first assess whether your case is directly caused by EIFS. You should contact the American Society of Home Inspectors who will be able to help you to get a certified home inspector to test the damages, as specialized testing equipment are required for EIFS testing.

As more publicity for homes with water damages caused by EIFS surfaced over the years, more and more homes have been discovered with water leakages and damages. There are times that the owners discover the damages when the flooring break up under their weight when they walk over the termite infested flooring. With more discovery of damages caused by EIFS, there have been many litigation EIFS cases by single-family owners and even class action lawsuits.

If you would like to understand whether if you qualify for relief under a class action lawsuit, you should call the Attorney General for your state. The Attorney General will be able to examine your case and provide the assessment on your case and can also tell you whether there is a class action lawsuit in your state. Once certified that your situation is EIFS related damage, your case will be monitored and tracked at the Attorney General.

EIFS damages are also not covered by homeowners insurance policy as in general, wet rot is excluded from coverage. Damages caused by mold and mildew are not covered and if you have such damages, you should first get a certified inspector to determined whether your EIFS was installed properly. If your homeowners insurance denies coverage for your damages, you can then make a claim against the Liability insurance of the builder who had installed the EIFS on your house. Seek proper legal help for your EIFS problems so that your most important asset, you house, is protected.