Exterior Cladding

There are many different types of exterior cladding systems, each of which is made up of many different components.  Types of exterior cladding systems include:

• Stone or synthetic stone veneer
• Stucco
• Brick veneer
• Concrete
• EIFS (Exterior Insulation Finishing System)
• Wood and cementitious siding
• Vinyl and aluminum siding

Generally, most exterior cladding systems that are visible to the eye are “moisture-managed” systems.  This means that the system is designed so that some water will get behind the exterior material that is visible to the naked eye (brick, stone, siding).  However, the system is also designed to include a weather-resistive barrier behind that exterior material on top of the wood framing and the exterior sheathing materials.  If installed properly, any water that gets behind that exterior material will run down the weather-resistive barrier and drain out at certain specifically-designed locations (known as “weeps”).  Proper integration of the exterior cladding system materials is essential to ensure water is managed and kept away from the building’s framing and sheathing and out of the home’s interior.

Common exterior cladding defects include:

• Missing building paper or building wrap
• Improperly nailed siding
• Improperly lapped or terminated building paper or building wrap
• Missing or improper sheet metal flashing where dissimilar materials abut one another
• Stucco or masonry without proper weep holes at bottom termination
• Exterior cladding with inadequate separation from, or buried in, landscape materials or concrete
• Lack of control joints in stucco or masonry
• Failure to seal plumbing and other penetrations throughout the exterior cladding system
• Poor integration of cladding materials with roofing and window systems