Smartboard Building Products Inc.

For the best smartbrd.com experience, you need to install Adobe Flash Player.
Click here to update your system with the latest Flash Player.

Rainscreen

Smartboard Building Products and Rain-Screen Principle

There is no doubt of the benefits of the tried and true rain screen principle in the building envelope. Many documents and tumultuous amount of research has been done, not only on construction materials, but in the past years have focused on building envelope as well, so much so that it is indeed a science in itself. There have been also as much documentation outling justifications of alternative wall systems but often fall short on performance because of lack of control of moisture migration resulting in eminent performance failures.

In the following information, you will find many research articles and notes from many very established agencies and authorities that should put into perspective the concept of rain screen and how this construction practice is important to achieve durable and sustainable wall systems. Smartboard has endeavored to address all, at the very least, most of the performance concerns that has plagued us to date.

The rain screen principle not only addresses control of one of the most common perpetrators of building envelope but one of the most damaging elements of any construction material, water.

The following documentation details some of the more common applications and the do’s and don’ts of construction of wall assemblies. It doesn’t matter who you read or what position or what school of thought you take on construction, the common elements are in the articles:

  1. Reduce the moisture load on the cladding
  2. Minimize the number and size of holes in the cladding
  3. Manage the driving forces across the cladding.
  4. Understanding climatic zones and conditions.

The figure 1 below, from the Canadian National Research Council, outlines the very basic rain screen principle. Further documents get into more expnantion and clarification of this principle.

Click on the following to download PDFs

Facts & Fictions
Principle in Design
Understanding Rainscreen
Designing Rainscreen Walls
Control of Surface & Concealed Condensation
Rainscreen & Single Family Homes
Solve Moisture Problems


roof assembly download architectural brochure download brochure download brochure