[Greenbuilding] EIFIS as Air Barrier
Eli Talking
elitalking at rockbridge.net
Wed Apr 3 14:58:03 CDT 2013
Hello wise list.
Since the accepted practice for Exterior Insulation Finish System (EIFS) is
to have a drain dry plain such as stucco building wrap to the interior side
of the rigid insulation, it strikes me that the foam can not be an affective
air barrier. The drain dry capability requires access to exterior air. The
stucco wrap itself can be an air barrier if installed perfectly. However,
winter air might make this cold, increasing vulnerability to condensation.
Extra infiltration from imperfection could facilitate drying at a expense of
heat loss. Does this increase infiltration to the interior. It seems to me
that an affective air barrier that is in full contact with non permeable
insulation, such as foam should be on the interior side of the drain dry
plain. Do any of you have direct experience with this issue such as a
blower door test. I have an associate that wants to use EIFS.
One possibility is to have minimal rigid insulation outside the drain dry
plain to install the finish and the real continuous impermeable thermal
barrier to the interior side.
Thoughts?
Eli
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