Direct Applied Exterior Finish Systems

1 Direct Applied ExteriorFinish Systemsby Dorothy B. Roberts, CEOP leko Products, Applied Exterior FinishSystems are relatively new wallcladding Systems utilizing polymerbased products with various sheath-ing boards which function as a sub-strate. These Systems generally do nothave an insulation component; al-though, in one case, the substrate alsoserves as Applied Systems were notdeveloped to compete with EIFS, butto enable manufacturers of syntheticsystems to broaden their markets byeffectively competingwith other wallcladdings such as wood or vinyl Systems also offer the trainedapplicator an additional market forhis geographic areas where insula-tion is not a critical factor these sys-tems are generally very cost customer pays less than for a fullEIF system , but still receives thebenefits of durability, weatherability,crack resistance and an attractive,textured Finish .

2 Decorative accents suchas quoins and moldings are a of the cost advantages,these Systems are particularly usefulfor:--Residential construction--Rehabilitation--Modular housing--Signage--Soffitts-Small commercial and strip shop-ping centersThe selection of system to be usedshould be based on the recommenda-tions of both the sheathing boardmanufacturer and the Finish attention should be paidto any limitations placed on the use ofthe substrate board by the manufac-turer. These include freeze/thaw zones, winter degree days, moisture con-trol, exposure to the elements priorto being covered with Finish and substrate sheathingboards for Direct Applied Systemsare:--Cement boards such as Harditex,Durock and Eterspan--Georgia Pacific Dens-Glass Gold--Polyisocyanurate boards such asCelotex Quick-R and Atlas R-Board(Also serves as insulation.)

3 Direct AppliedSystems cancompete with otherwall claddingssuch as wood orvinyl grade plywoodDirect Applied Finish Systemsrequire scrupulous attention to suchdetails as the protection of all ex-posed edges and applying diagonalmesh reinforcement at comers ofwindow and door openings to mini-mize settling cracks when using Dens-Glass Gold and Direct Applied Systems donot have insulation which can be raspedto achieve a smooth level surface, thefinished appearance will depend onthe structural framing support of thesubstrate board and the applicator sskill in handling joint addition, the base coat and fin-ish coat must be the full thicknessrecommended by the Finish joint treatmentsvary. Some sheathing board manu-facturers require butted joints andothers open joints with embedded jointsealant. Again, the manufacturer sinstructions must be followed toachieve good example, Dens-Glass Goldpanels should be butted tight with aminimum 4" reinforcing fabric (fiber-glass or polyester) covering the jointand embedded in a water resistantjoint bedding material (such as Pleko sElastomeric Joint Sealant).

4 The edgesmust be carefully feathered to achievea flat surface. (See Fig. A)Harditex sheathing has taperededges to facilitate smooth joints. Thesealso require tape reinforcementembedded in joint has recently introducedQuick-R Blackore. This up-datedversion of its polyisocyanurate foamsheathing has carbon black filler whichthe manufacturer claims effectivelyblocks radiant heat flow, therebyproviding higher R Blackore must be attachedto the framing members with a spe-cial washer through which the fas-tener is installed. When using Quick-R as a sheathing substrate for Direct54 September 1991/Construction DimensionsFigure A: Applying a Direct Applied Exterior Finish system to Georgia Pacific s Dens-Glass Gold(courtesy Georgia Pacific)Construction Dimensions/September 199155 Applied Systems , framing membersmust be corner braced according tolocal , joints must be butted andcovered with manufacturer does not rec-ommend Quick-R for use in geographicareas with more than 6000 WinterDegree Days.

5 Under some conditions,a vapor retarder is Lakes is a project which wascompleted in 1986 with Quick-R andPleko Structure Finish . It is still per-forming as a substrate for DirectApplied Systems is not suitable forgeographic areas which experienceconstant expansion and contractionof heavy moisture conditions. In drydesert areas successful application havebeen in place eight years using anelastomeric joint sealant, a heavy dutysealer over the entire board and Pleko sflexible Structure of the manufacturers of thesheathing boards currently being usedin Direct Applied Systems require abase coat over the entire results can be obtainedwhen joints are treated as part of a fullmesh system embedded in the basecoat covering the entire with all wall cladding Systems ,care must be taken that all openingsin the system are properly best results on some of thesesheathing boards are obtained whentextured finishes are used.

6 These tendto hide joint transmissions, wavy boardsor poor framing. Fine finishes are notrecommended over boards such asDens-Glass Gold or Harditex as ex-cessive Finish material must be usedto cover joint transmission. If a finefinish is used, a similarly tinted sealeris advised prior to the application ofthe is very difficult to obtain a totalmonolithic appearance using a finefinish with these Systems without sometrace of building codes apply to TypeV construction. At its April Evalu-ation Committee Hearing, ICBO began the process of drafting accep-tance criteria for Direct AppliedExterior Finish Systems . ICBO refersto these Systems as DEFS. NeitherBOCA nor SBCCI have addressedthis issue , the national trade associa-tion for the Exterior Insulation Fin-ish system industry, has taken theposition these Systems , by definition,are not included in that industry be-cause no insulation is used.

7 However,the majority of EIMA members doprovide materials for one or more ofthese conclusion, there is a place forDirect Applied Systems within thesynthetic wall cladding industry. Whereprice competitiveness is severe and/or the need for insulation is not criti-cal, Direct Applied Systems providethe aesthetics and weatherability thecustomer has learned to appreciate infull , these Systems are lessforgiving than EIFS. A good qualityjob depends on careful adherence tothe instructions of both the sheathingboard manufacturer and the finishsystem Annual Meeting Set for November 6-9 atLa Mansion del Rio, San AntonioWilliam Kasik, Chairman of theExterior Insulation Manufac-turers Association Marketing Com-mittee, announced that the annualassociation meeting will be heldWednesday evening through Satur-day noon, November 6-9, 1991, at LaMansion del Rio, San Antonio.

8 Our theme this year, said Kasik, focuses on EIMA--Shaping Today. Our program willfollow through on this theme withseparate panel presentations of notedarchitects and highly respected EIFS contractors discussing the needs ofthe industry. A separate presentation will bemade concerning the chemistry of EIFS products today and in the future, whichwill be prepared by highly regardedindustry chemical full day of sessions will be de-voted to the interests of applicators,distributors and the members of vari-ous plastering bureaus. EIMA wantsto let all of these individuals aroundthe country know that they plan towork together to be successful todayand in the 21st committees of the associa-tion will gather at this meeting andgive their annual reports at the Satur-day morning Tamburrini, President ofEIMA, said, We are going all out todevelop a program that will be ofinterest not only to the manufactur-ers but equally important to the plas-tering contractors of the nation aswell as important vendors to ourmanufacturers.

9 We believe that thesethree groups must continue to worktogether to grow our association sothat, as our product line becomesmature, we do not lose any of thetremendous marketing impact of ourfirst two decades. A golf tournament will be heldduring the 3-day session. Further in-formation can be obtained fromEIMA s Executive Director, EugeneZ. Fisher, 2759 State Road 580, Suite112, Clear-water, FL 34621; Phone(813) 726-6477; or FAX (813) 1991/Construction Dimensions