WHAT'S EIFS? EIFS ("Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems", aka "synthetic stucco") is an exterior building wall product and is a system of materials. EIFS provides insulation, weatherproofing and a finished surface in a single integrated product. There are various types of EIFS and several ways of installing it, but EIFS is usually applied onto the outside face of exterior building walls, in a series of steps, by professional plasterers, using hand tools. The installation steps are: Attach the Insulation. Attach rigid foam insulation boards (white, in drawing above) to the building wall (gray, above) using an adhesive or mechanical anchors or both. Apply the Base Coat. Apply a paste-like adhesive (blue, above) to the insulation, using a trowel, and embed fiberglass reinforcing mesh into