Q. What is the best way to attach gutter downspouts to a house with EIFS?
Q: We’re building a three-story house with plywood sheathing that will be covered with EIFS. Because the house has 9-foot ceilings, the horizontal sheathing joints don’t fall near the band joist area. The EIFS rep says we have to plan for joist shrinkage by establishing a control joint, and he wants us to cut through the plywood sheathing at the floor line. I think the plywood sheathing is structurally important, and I’m reluctant to cut the sheathing where it ties the floors together. What should we do?
