Exterior Insulated Finishing Systems (EIFS) have not changed a great deal for some time and have some inherent weaknesses, mostly from impact.  GigaCrete PlasterMax is well known for its high strength, indent and impact resistance and a natural for the EIFS industry.  Typical EIFS coatings are thinner than regular stucco and consist of layers of acrylic polymer coats over a mesh.  The mesh does several things including adding tear strength to the finish and evening out the application thickness, desirable during the installation of the coatings.  Most EIFS finishes consist of a base coat applied over the substrate, then the mesh embedded followed by another base coat and then one or more finish coats containing the final textures and color.  GigaCrete is developing a super strong base coat with higher indent and impact resistance than competitors currently have in the marketplace that can then be coated with a final color/texture coat available from other EIFS coatings companies.   ASTM compressive strengths show in excess of 8,000 psi and thickness changes are made by utilizing different sized notched trowels in a one coat, two pass application.  The goal is to take a relatively damage prone EIFS coating and make it as tough as possible, keeping it Green in the GigaCrete style and improve the performance levels in the EIFS industry.  The new base coat may be offered to other EIFS coatings manufacturers under license.  This thin coat concept is also scheduled for fire testing over ICF interiors replacing gypsum board and getting the costs down below our current 3/8″ (9mm) one coat PlasterMax-ICF Base Coat, currently slightly higher than drywall costs installed.  If we can hit the same price as drywall installed, we will have the ICF market in our pocket says Andrew Dennis the founder of GigaCrete.  Gypsum board over ICF has been a problem for a lot of projects, some of which build with CMU blocks just to avoid using gypsum board.  Cost is always an issue so getting the installed coatings lowered is a major effort for the Company whilst maintaining our Green position and fire ratings.  Intertek will soon be testing the new thin coat applications.