Location: Lake Station, Indiana

Project: Exterior Insulation and Finishing System (EIFS) for a Commercial Building

Installation by: Primecoat Coating Systems of Indiana

Total Sq Ft: 3,000

When the team at Primecoat Coating Systems of Indiana met with their new client they realized that this building had the potential for using the latest in EIFS technolgy. EIFS is an Exterior Insulation and Finishing System designed to provide not only insulation but an aesthetic appeal to an existing wall system. Lets look at this project and its application process.

The building had masonry block walls with some wood framing. Its current situation was a fading and degrading brick exterior that needed to be removed. In addition to that, the principles of the property desired better insulation for their building. It was an easy choice to go with a vertical coating system called EIFS.

The first step in the exterior wall finish was the installation of the 2″ foam panels. A crew of two installed the foam to the masonry block in 2 1/2 days.  Next a crew of (5) began the scratch coat process. It is at this point that Primecoat Coating Systems of Indiana went with SureCrete’s WallSpray. WallSpray is an exterior wall finish that simplifies the installation process due to its premixed formula. This product also delivers zero VOC and has a 35% post consumer recycled content. If that was not enough, it simplifies installation due to its single component design. The crew began with (1) premixed bag and (1) measurement of water, mixed to a lump free consistency and began spraying it on the EIFS foam panel.

The installation team mentioned that they enjoyed using WallSpray as it was self-bonding and did not require the extra labor of rolling on a primer. In addition to that the  scratch coat, base coat and texture coat are all the same material!They also did not have to rasp the foam to within 1/8 of an inch o f level. SureCrete’s WallSpray can be troweled up to 1″ in thickness with no bonding or strength issues to overcome dents and elevation differences in the foam.

The scratch coat of WallSpray was applied with a Graco RTX 1500. This vertical coating was sprayed on until the material was to the verge of sagging. At this point  one of the crew members began to trowel in the 4 oz fiberglass mesh. This process gives added structural strength to the foam and aids in decreasing and in most cases eliminating the denting of the core foam panel.

Note: The manufacturer suggests that you make sure that no residue is on the panel before application. The material will stick to the residue but that residue can cause failures as it is not bonded well to the foam panel.

After getting the scratch coat applied to the whole building, they began spraying the base coat. This coat gives the base aesthetic appeal of design and hides the fiberglass mesh. Although the project did not require an integral coloring system, WallSpray can be integrally colored with (1) pre-measured color pack per bag of WallSpray. The final coat was the knockdown texture. This was also sprayed on and knocked down with trowels.

The last step was to provide color and the final waterproofing to the new exterior wall finish. For this they used a quality exterior paint from a local supply center.

Kirby Justesen, owner of Formco, had envisioned a building that was rustic and elegant. As he contemplated his design, he continued his research into “Green” concrete products and techniques that would make his facility cost effective and environmentally friendly. As he created the exterior shell of his building, he utilized a technique from the ICF world. Using a cast in place system, he created a wall that was 6 inches of concrete and 4 inches of foam. With the walls up it was time to figure out what to use to create his rustic dream.  Here are the areas that needed attention:

• Exterior Building Walls
• Interior Columns and Pillars
• Interior Floors
• Exterior Concrete Fence Walls

Exterior Walls:

The design was to take vertical concrete and create realistic looking rustic wood, stone slate and larger rocks. Their install team on any given day averaged about 5 members who had never applied decorative concrete in any fashion. As the project began in January 2008, they found themselves in the dead of winter. Realizing the potential for disaster they partnered with SureCrete Design Products to guide them with knowledge, technique and products. As they began installation they tented sections of the building and warmed the walls to a temperature above 40 degrees.

Formco’s building was in need of a quality vertical wall stamp material along with a sprayable ICF coating. Using a combination of SureCrete’s WallStamp and WallSpray, single component vertical mixes, and utilizing stamping tools from 3 different vendors they created their rustic masterpiece. After seeing installations of major wall stamp manufacturers, they realized WallStamp had superior adhesion and the ability to build out the material faster with less waste falling to the ground.

To ensure that the colors would be realistic, they went with a water based penetrating stain called Eco-Stain. The outcome was a natural color across the entire building that they could customize and was eco-friendly. They finished the project with a clear Water based sealer from SureCrete. Total sq ft vertically stamped was over 7,000.

Interior Columns and Pillars:

After realizing how easy it was to create realistic looking wood and stone on the exterior. The Formco team brought the same look and feel into the interior. Taking the same vertical wall stamp and their wood stamping tools, they transformed their plain columns, pillars and beams into masterpieces. Using color packs and Eco-stain the balanced the color and finished it with a water based sealer.

Interior Floors:

As Formco looked at traditional carpet, tile or wood floors they realized that these options were temporary solutions that would wear quickly and constantly be replaced. With “Green” still in their mind they turned to Densifing and polishing the 1^st floor.  On the second floor they used SureCrete’s SureSpray / Eco-Stain / and SureCrete Water Based sealer. In doing so they took these eco-friendly products and created large Spanish looking tiles. Utilizing a SureSpray base coat and custom tape they created the grout lines. Applying a 2^nd coat of SureSpray they stamped the desired pattern in and created an elegant floor upstairs.

Exterior Fence Walls:

With experience in form liners and their ability to create concrete walls, it was an easy choice of what to do on their exterior fence. With the detail that can be achieved by these form liners their only concern was using a coloring system that did not cover over the detail like paint would. Initially they had entertained the thought of acid staining. In keeping with their “Green” theme they went with SureCrete’s Eco-Stain. A water based stain that using technology of micronized pigments that penetrate deeply and use the porosity in the concrete to create the natural variegated stain look. With this stain being UV-stable they had over 29 colors to create a variety of shades and colors. To finish the project they sealed it with SureCrete’s 30% clear sealer.