After reading this article, you’ll be able to give an answer if anyone should happen to ask, “What is a rainscreen cladding system?” Recognizing the various components of an architect’s design provides the details that go into any construction project. Any building, large or small, is exposed to the weather every day, with no relief. A rainscreen cladding system protects the backing wall of a building from the overwhelming force of the weather. That protection offers various benefits to the building, helping to prevent moisture from getting inside and causing possible damage.
What Is A Rainscreen?
The exterior wall detail, where the cladding is positioned in order to create a gap for moisture to drain and evaporate, is called a rainscreen. Although polycarbonate cladding doesn’t carry the full responsibility for keeping rain away, it serves a valuable function in the life span of a building. Exterior wall cladding materials should be durable, impact resistant, and of superior quality. Polycarbonate is a material that meets all these criteria.
Commercial wall cladding or rainscreen cladding not only shields the building’s backing wall, but also supports fire safety, thermal performance, and even the building’s appearance. That’s quite a lot of multitasking for one structure, but Danpal’s polycarbonate cladding is up to the challenge.
How Ventilation Improves The Performance Of Wall Cladding
A rainscreen cladding system has a cavity in between the cladding material and the load-bearing wall that permits the air to circulate constantly. The continuous air circulation reduces humidity and condensation that come from inside and outside of the building. Thanks to this feature, potential water moisture that could penetrate the cladding joints is removed. The ventilation extends the lifetime of the exterior wall cladding, just as the rainscreen cladding’s protection gives the building a longer life span.
Translucent Wall Cladding Combines Esthetics And Performance
Translucent exterior wall panels are comprised of polycarbonate microcells that create a naturally diffused light which opens the door to a brilliant array of colors that enhances the visual appearance of a building. The light grazing panels, which are fixed in place with concealed joints, unattractive features of a building can be concealed. Even as the translucent wall cladding is looking pretty, it’s still doing its job of sheltering a building from dampness and damage that weather can cause.
Energy Efficiency And Exterior Wall Cladding
Rainscreen cladding needs to remain dry in order to protect insulation from getting damp. If insulation is wet, energy can be lost. Rainscreen cladding systems are another line of defense for energy efficiency because of the air cavity and its continuous ventilation. Known as the “chimney effect,” this natural convection process lifts up the warmer air during summer weather and brings cooler air into the cavity. In the cold winter weather, the air in the cavity isn’t warm enough to be lifted, so the insulation layer keeps heat inside. Maintaining a steady, comfortable internal temperature eases the need for air conditioning in the summer, improving energy efficiency methods and saving money. Did you know that an effective rainscreen cladding system can lower your utility bills between 30 percent and 40 percent? That’s an impressive amount of savings, and when you consider that this moneysaving wall cladding is also helping the environment by reducing the amount of energy wasted, you realize just how much you’ll benefit by choosing Danpal’s exterior wall cladding materials.
But that’s not all! A rainscreen cladding system does all this, and in return, requires minimal maintenance. Over time, the money that you spend on installing the translucent exterior wall panels returns to your wallet in terms of energy costs that are saved, maintenance that isn’t needed, and the long life span of the system itself. Haven’t you waited long enough? It’s time to contact Danpal to install a rainscreen cladding system!