I've got a house that is approx 15 yrs old. Its exterior finish is
"stucco".

I just started reading some of the horror stories about the EIFS
materials and water damage. How can I identify (without ripping the
side off my house), whether I have a traditional stucco exterior, or an
EIFS?

Also, this issue came to the fore as I began to look at replacing
windows in the house. Can anyone elaborate on whether full window
replacements are an option with a stucco exterior? I've heard that a
full window replacement (including frame) means ripping off several
inches of the stucco around each window in order to lay down the
nailing flange. Is this reality?

Its really ashame that a 15 year old house needs windows replace already.
Sigh. If EIFS you may want to have it cut back to reveal the nailing flange
for the window. That would allow a thorough inspection of the framing around
the windows for rot and also ensure new proper flashing was installed. Then
the stucco or eifs would need to be patched. I would think this is probably
the most robust way to do the job. The downsides are 1, cost, 2, matching
the new stucco to the old for the repair.

Could the windows need replaced due to leaking and moisture caused by EIFS?

wrote in message
ups.com...
I've got a house that is approx 15 yrs old. Its exterior finish is
"stucco".

I just started reading some of the horror stories about the EIFS
materials and water damage. How can I identify (without ripping the
side off my house), whether I have a traditional stucco exterior, or an
EIFS?

Also, this issue came to the fore as I began to look at replacing
windows in the house. Can anyone elaborate on whether full window
replacements are an option with a stucco exterior? I've heard that a
full window replacement (including frame) means ripping off several
inches of the stucco around each window in order to lay down the
nailing flange. Is this reality?