Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) is a general class of non-load bearing building cladding systems that provides exterior walls with an insulated, water-resistant, finished surface in an integrated composite material system.

Stucco is a material or a Coating made of aggregates, a binder and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture. Stucco may be used to cover less visually appealing construction materials, such as metal, concrete, cinder block, or clay brick and other.

A layer of boards or sheets or of other wood or fiber materials applied to the outer studs, joists, and rafters of a building to strengthen the structure and serve as a base for an exterior weatherproof cladding. Typically contractors use Plywood, OSB, Exterior Grade Gypsum Board as Sheathing.

Sealant is a substance used to block the passage of fluids through the surface or joints or openings in materials, a type of mechanical seal. In building construction sealant is sometimes synonymous with caulking and also serve the purposes of blocking dust, sound and heat transmission. Sealants may be weak or strong, flexible or rigid, permanent or temporary. Sealants are not adhesives but some have adhesive qualities and are called adhesive-sealants or structural sealants.

Refers to thin pieces of impervious materials such as Aluminum, Copper or Plastic installed to prevent the passage of water into a structure from a joint or as part of a weather resistant barrier (WRB) system.

Any material, such as Tyvek or StuccoWrap or any other plastic sheeting, which is impervious to water; used in walls and other areas to stop moisture from entering and thus prevent condensation. Also called a vapor barrier. There are also Liquid Moisture Barriers available now.

Thermal insulating properties of the object. R-values are used in describing the effectiveness of insulation and in the analysis of heat flow across assemblies. For example: R Value of Foam is 3.8 per Inch (1.5" = 5.7 and 2" = 7.6 R Value).

A building envelope is a physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment of a building including the resistance to air and water. Can be defined as the resistance to inward or outward air leakage through unintentional leakage. The components of the building envelope - windows, doors, roofs, walls, and air infiltration.

Backer rod, also called backer material or back-up rod, is a flexible foam product used behind caulking to increase elasticity, reduce consumption, force the caulking into contact with the sides of the joint creating a better bond, determine the thickness of the caulking, and define the cross-section hour-glass shape of the caulk. The backer rod also acts as a bond breaker to keep the caulking from sticking to the bottom of the opening—called a three-sided bond—with the caulk only adhering to the sides of the opening in an hour-glass shape it can flex more easily and is less likely to tear. Backer rods can also be used to reduce consumption of the caulking by filling part of the joints.