EIFS is one of those substrates that most cleaning contractors don't like to tackle. It can be difficult to clean, and easy to damage. The trick is let the detergents do the work. Use only low pressure, do not get to close, and try to stay away from using brushes on it. Perhaps a good high concentrate truck wash soap, would be your best bet. Try to stay away from high caustic or butyl based cleaners, as they can do damage to the elastomeric coatings. If they are required make sure to dilute them properly. Many people use bleaches on them. Be careful with bleaches they can fade the color, and if left on for to long they can leave a chalky residue. Bleaches work very well as a follow up quick app. to remove any green, that the soaps could not remove. But Britenol HD is fairly inexpense and does an excellent job removing mildew stains, with up to 5 times longer lasting results. Cleansol BC from EaCo Chem works well at removing the carbon stains from the EIFS. If you are dealing with more of a specialty stain, such as metal oxide stains, water stains, leaching, clay, and so on, their product SafeRestore and sometimes Britenol HD can be most effective. If they are particularly difficult stains, a 1 2 step may be required (Acid then Alkaline, then rinse) Just remember never mix bleaches with acids (saferestore and britenol are acids) ShoreBest also makes good EIFS cleaners as well. Prosoco makes EIFS Clean N Prep, but isn't really that great. I have removed many stains from EIFS that several specialty contractors said were impossible to remove. They laughed at me and told me I didn't know what I was doin, they had come up against it to many times and nothing had ever worked. They stopped laughing when it looked like new when we left. That type of thing has happened on several different jobs. I would once again suggest www.eacochem.com

Gutter Clean & Power Wash
Hickory NC

 

If you don't have much experience in pressure washing surfaces like this I would highly recommend hiring a professional pressure washing contractor.

 

Yeah, if you don't know what your doing you can really mess things up. Stay away from it if you are not a professional. I have seen lots of messed up EIFS jobs from other contractors work. You can also have long range damage, that may not be immediately noticed. Be careful, pay attention to what you are doing. And if you don't know what your doing...don't do it.

Gutter Clean & Power Wash
Hickory NC

 

EIFS Cleaning

From time to time EIFS finishes may need to be cleaned to remove dirt, mildew, tar or algae that can make even the most architecturaly sound building look like crap. A good cleaning will bring back the curb appeal that EIFS is famous for and is fundamental when preparing for recoating or resurfacing.

In my twenty years of working with EIFS as an applicator, business owner and home owner I've found that the best way to clean EIFS is easy as pie and anyone can do it.

Tools Required & Materials Required:
• Soft-medium bristle brush
• Garden hose
• Trisodium phosphate detergent
• Household bleach
• Clean, warm water
• Clean empty buckets

Procedure:
1. Depending on the size of the area to be cleaned and how dirty the surface is the tools used for cleaning will vary, for example:
a.) hand cleaning with a soft-medium bristle brush for small areas less than 100sq'.
b.) a garden hose for areas larger than 100sq', and
c.) a low psi pressure washer for areas larger than 500sq'

2. EIFS Cleaning Solution:
a.) 1-2 cups trisodium phosphate (TSP) detergent
b.) 1 gallon of warm water
Add 1/2 to 1 quart of bleach to remove algae (green stains) or mildew (black stains). The bleach kills micro-organisms that create the algae or mildew on
the finish.

3. Apply the cleaning solution to the wall surface by brush or spray and let it soak for 15-20 minutes. Lightly scrub the area with a soft medium bristle scrub brush. (If you need to use a pressure washer make sure the pressure is set at 200-500 psi, and keep the nozzle several feet from the wall.)

4. After the EIFS cleaning solution has soaked the surface, rinse thoroughly with clean water, allow to dry and presto. A clean wall.

 

We have cleaned EIFS and Synthetic Stucco substrates, and our work has impressed a number of large of commercial/industrial contractors, some of them with over 50 years experience. Like I said try to stay away from brushing (you are dealing with a sensative surface that you are not wanting to aggrevate), if you are using Cleansol BC and/or any other super concentrate truck wash of like nature, dilute it 10-1 to 15-1. And in some cases you can go a little stronger. just be careful. We have an industrial grade bleach (15% sodium hypochlorite) which we also stick in the mix if needed. 20% or about (downstreaming it works fine)...basically as needed. However, we typically try to stay away from bleach, it can be really nasty, besides with Britenol HD, and Saferestore, you can achieve far better and longer lasting results. Here are some pics, the one with the courthouse was a test, some spots are cleaner because we were trying different detergents, cleansol BC with a little bleach was the most effective and economical. (repainting was a part of the contract, so bleach wasn't to big of an issue) The chimney (synthetic stucco slurry) with the rust bleed (it also had copper oxide stains) was cleaned with a 1-2 step process using Saferestore and Cleansol BC. no brushing was used on either job. Only very low pressure.

Gutter Clean & Power Wash
Hickory NC