Exterior Insulation and Finishing System (EIFS) is a rock on cladding system that provides exterior walls with an insulated finished surface and waterproofing in an integrated composite material system.

There are five main components:

  1. Insulation board, made of polystyrene or polyunsaturate foam.
  2. A specially formulated adhesive and/or mechanical attachment of the insulation to a substrate.
  3. Glass fiber reinforcing mesh.
  4. A durable, water-resistant base coat, which is applied on top of the insulation that functions as the weather barrier.
  5. An attractive and durable finish coat — typically using acrylic co-polymer technology — which is both colorfast and crack-resistant.