Stucco

In the past, stucco was strictly a Portland cement based product that was prone to cracking and flaking, that made regular maintenance a reality on any structure in was applied on. The reinforcement behind the stucco was metal and once the life-span of the metal was reached, nothing remained to bind the wall surface together. Regular painting was also required to keep the surface attractive. The basic look of the older stucco system and the absence of the moldings we now have to complete the projects, made stucco something that was used, for the most part, on commercial or institutional buildings.

All of that has changed now with the invention of the EIFS (exterior insulated finishing system). The EIFS system starts with the application of insulation sheets over all wall surfaces on the subject property. The insulation is available in various thicknesses ranging from 1″ to 4″ and sometimes even more, depending on the specifications required for a specific project. The insulation not only provides a significant improvement in the energy efficiency of the structure, but it also creates new completely level and plumb walls resembling a brand new building. Once the insulation is complete, a fibre-mesh is applied. By comparison to the metal mesh from the past, the fibre-mesh never rusts, is very light weight and can be made to lie completely flat against the wall. The mesh is then covered with layers of polymer-modified cement to conceal the mesh and even all surfaces. Stonecrafters’ polymer-modified cement is such an amazing breakthrough in cement technology that even fully cured in can be folded in half without cracking.  It’s was we call our “Cement That Bends”.  With incredible properties like this the structure wall can expand and contract at tremendous rates and still have no impact on the exterior walls.