Rainscreen cladding

Rainscreen Cladding

Rainscreen cladding - a construction facade system which consists of the subframe and different finishes like the ceramic tiles, reconstituded stone boards, ceramic granite based on a natural stone, high pressure laminates, composite aluminium panels or fibre-cement board.

Rainscreen cladding description

Rainscreen cladding is the attachment of an outer skin of rear-ventilated cladding to a new or existing building. The system is a form of double wall construction that uses an outer layer to keep out the rain and an inner layer to provide thermal insulation, prevent excessive air leakage and carry wind loading. The outer layer breaths like a skin while the inner layer reduces energy losses. The structural frame of the building is kept absolutely dry, as water never reaches it or the thermal insulation. Evaporation and drainage in the cavity removes water that penetrates between panel joints. Water droplets are not driven through the panel joints or openings because the rainscreen principle means that wind pressure acting on the outer face of the panel is equalised in the cavity. Therefore, there is no significant pressure differential to drive the rain through joints. During extreme weather, a minimal amount of water may penetrate the outer cladding. This, however, will run as droplets down the back of the cladding sheets and be dissipated through evaporation and drainages [Tegral official website [http://www.tegral.com] ] .

Advantages

By insulating the structural wall externally the following benefits are achieved:
*thermal bridging is eliminated because there are no interruptions caused by floor slabs
*temperature fluctuations are minimised due to insulation on the outside
*interstitial condensation is prevented as vapour pressure and wall temperature restricts condensation to the ventilated cavity
*heat from the sun is dissipated so that the temperature is dispersed in the cavity and ventilated through openings [Tegral official website [http://www.tegral.com] ]

References

External links

*Examples of the rainscreen cladding at [http://www.polconstruct.com/external_wall_insulation Polconstruct] .

*Envelope Engineering Consultants using rainscreen in Seattle [http://www.bee-engineers.com]