Barrier or Drainage EIFS

[MPdesign]

How do you tell the difference between Barrier and Drainage EIFS while on site?

[Tom Raymond]

Drainage EIFS has a drainage plane, through wall flashing at penetrations and a weep screed at the bottom.

Barrier EIFS (over wood substrate) has mushrooms growing behind it.

If this is the strip plaza from the aluminum window thread it's probably barrier EIFS over CMUs. It will most likely be just as wrong as the window install, but robust enough to handle the little bit of moisture it'll see (wide overhangs, short kneewalls, high frequency air changes-both controlled and from opening and closing doors).

[Marc]

Atlanta is likely warm enough that barrier EIFS over CMU might not be much of a problem compared to the same over wood-framed. CMU gives the moisture a way out. This assumes the CMU is structural.

Marc