Benefits of Using a Rain Screen System

Rain screens, while common in Europe and Canada, have just now begun to emerge in the common practice of the American architecture/design community. A rain screen system affords architects, designers and builders numerous benefits in moisture-management and energy-efficiency, including:

• Weather-resistant barrier support mechanism keeps moisture away from the wall assembly
• Water vapor behind cladding and insulation can escape by means of evaporation, avoiding mold
• Helps reduce hot and cold air and thermal movement through the wall, reducing energy costs
• Enables double-insulation, within the stud cavity and more effectively on the exterior of the wall
• Promotes water drainage by channeling moisture to the outside of the wall assembly by means of flashing and the force of gravity
• Air space between exterior cladding and drainage plane helps drainage and facilitates drying
• Provides great design flexibility, works with numerous cladding options for simplified detailing and transitioning between cladding materials
• Reduction in the buildings dead load by use of lightweight cladding options versus traditional building materials (i.e. brick veneer, etc.)