EIFS (synthetic stucco) - MoistureFree Warranty

[jcarson3]

Hello, I bought a house with EIFS about a year ago and the MoistureFree Warranty is about to expire. Can somebody tell me what is the point of buying these warranties? Every year, they force you to pay a certified Stucco repair company to inspect it and fix any problems or potential problems that they find. If I am going to have to do that every year, what is the point of paying $1000 a year for the warranty? Thanks for any comments.

 

[handyguys]

I suppose they need to pay for all the lawsuits some how.

If it were me - I would bank the $1K/year into savings. Don't spend it on a flat screen or anything. Hire your own inspector repair specialist to do a thorough inspection and keep it maintained. Use the $1000 per year saved in case you end up with a more major repair.

You run the risk of having a bad inspector or improper repairs. I suppose the warranty will cover things if thats the case. Keep records of these inspections too. They will help you sell the house in a similar way the warranty helped sell the house to you.

 

[inspectorD]

The basics are just the start of this conversation.
My opinion...reside your house with something else if it is a stick framed home.
For some really good info try www.thestuccoinspector.com
Mike knows alot about this material, and has an honest opinion.

 

[ClaireJeepChick]

Hello, I bought a house with EIFS about a year ago and the MoistureFree Warranty is about to expire. Can somebody tell me what is the point of buying these warranties? Every year, they force you to pay a certified Stucco repair company to inspect it and fix any problems or potential problems that they find. If I am going to have to do that every year, what is the point of paying $1000 a year for the warranty? Thanks for any comments.

I would say you're not using the warranty correctly. Why are you doing one year renewals? MWC offers terms up to five years that provide a significant discount (example, five year warranty starts at $3295). That is a small cost compared to having to pay to fix a moisture intrusion issue. They also write warranties on all types of exterior claddings, not just EIFS.

My understanding is that if you let the coverage lapse, THEN you have to pay for repairs to put it back into place. While under warranty if high moisture is found, then you file a claim. In addition to getting the area where water is getting in fixed, they will reimburse you part of the inspection fee. I don't know any company that would let you just renew coverage without checking currnet conditions.

I would suggest you call MWC and have them go over the warranty with you. There is a long section in the back of the terms and conditions that gives you examples of "what if?" situations and how the coverage would be applied.

*Sidenote - I know for a fact that MoistureFree does not use the same company for inspection and repairs. That's a wolf watching the hen house situation. All companies they use are third party and ultimately chosen by the homeowner. You should NEVER use the same company for Repairs that Inspected your home. It's a serious conflict of interest. *