Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) are exterior
wall-cladding systems that consist of an insulation board
covered with an integrally reinforced base coat and a
textured protective finish coat. Portland cement may be used in these systems, but their application and suitability are not covered in this guide. Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems Design Handbook (Robert 1997) provides useful information on this class of product.
The use of one-coat portland cement-based plastering
systems and other such proprietary portland cement-based
systems are acknowledged; however, they are beyond the scope of this document, which addresses only traditional
two-coat or three-coat portland cement-based plastering
systems. Alternative nontraditional and proprietary portland cement-based plastering systems are addressed in special reports, such as those written by the International Code Council (ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. 2006). One-coat systems and other proprietary systems typically rely on a proven performance history within the environment and region they are intended to be used and, where required by code, proprietary products may have special approval via a published Evaluation Services Report that specifies the installation procedure and allowed locations for its use.
Swimming pool plastering is considered an alternative
nontraditional form of portland cement-based plastering in
this guide. While many aspects of this guide are relevant to swimming pool plastering, information specific to swimming pool plastering can be found in reports by the Portland Cement Association’s Portland Cement Plaster/Stucco Manual and the National Plasterers Council’s Technical Manual.