Stucco / EIFS
A century-old exterior system, installed for another thirty years of reliable service.
Stucco is a cement-and-aggregate exterior coating that has been on Canadian homes for a century. EIFS — Exterior Insulation and Finish System — is the modern cousin: a foam-board insulation layer mechanically fastened to sheathing, mesh-and-base-coated, then finished with an acrylic top coat. Both are repaintable, repairable, and last decades when installed properly.
What separates a twenty-year stucco job from a five-year failure is everything you cannot see in photos: the flashing around openings, the weep screeds at termination points, the joints behind the cladding. We open up a corner before we quote.
A look at the finish.
Common questions.
The questions we hear most often on stucco / eifs estimates.
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How long does exterior stucco last?
Both traditional cement stucco and EIFS have 40–60 year service lives when the flashing, weep details, and substrate are done correctly. Most premature failures are flashing-related, not coating-related — which is why we open up a test section before we quote.
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What is the difference between stucco and EIFS?
Traditional stucco is a cement-and-sand coating over metal lath on a weather barrier. EIFS adds a foam-board insulation layer between the sheathing and the finish, raising the wall's R-value and eliminating thermal bridging. We install both — the right choice depends on the wall, the climate goal, and the budget.
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Will it crack?
Hairline shrinkage cracks can appear in the first year on any cementitious finish — that is normal. Structural cracking comes from skipped expansion joints, unflashed openings, or movement that exceeds the system tolerance. All three are preventable in the design and detailing phase.
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Can you match an existing stucco texture and colour?
Yes. We take a finish sample, test on a hidden section, and tune the spray-or-trowel application until the patch reads as part of the original. We do this on heritage and partial-repair work weekly.
Get your free stucco / eifs estimate.
In-person assessment, fixed-scope written quote, one business-day reply. No subcontracted leads, no sales loop.
(647) 830-5170 →