Who is responsible for water intrusion and resultant damage?
Builders, EIFS applicators, architects and manufacturers have all been sued for damages resulting from water intrusion behind EIFS. While each situation must be evaluated on its own merits, many common elements exist. Frequently, EIFS installation is defective because proper sealants have not been installed or applied properly and/ or flashings (which divert water away from joints) have been installed improperly or not at all. This allows water to intrude through joints around windows, doors and other penetrations and through joints where roof or deck lines meet the EIFS. Responsibility for defective application lies with the builder and subcontractors such as the EIFS applicator or roofer responsible for aspects of the EIFS application. Homeowners have successfully argued that the manufacturers are liable for damage because EIFS is a inherently defective because it does not anticipate foreseeable water intrusion and does not provide a system to protect the sheathing and drain the intr
