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Community and Q&A

Rainscreen with gapped panels

GJPehl | Posted in Green Building Techniques on

Hello Again GBA’ers

We have a design for a ventilated rain screen ventilated with mixed cladding materials. This will be exterior to 6″ of foam board insulation. One of the materials is Equitone, and the manufacturer recommendation calls for 3/8″ gap between panels, they supply a butyl tape to face the furring strips, both to provide a dark color on the reveal and to provide a moisture barrier on the face of the wood furring strip. The panels are very long, and there will be long horizontal gaps.

Two questions:

1) This arrangement leaves only the edges of the wood furring exposed for drying, is that sufficient?

2) So the gaps will be exposed to moisture (rain and snow), and so I would assume that some of that moisture will wick down into the crack, possibly dripping down onto the lower furring strip. Should I be concerned about liquid moisture in the rain screen gap?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or guidance!

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Replies

  1. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #1

    Gerald,
    As long as the rainscreen gap is well ventilated -- with air inlets at the bottom, and air outlets at the top -- I wouldn't worry about the rain entry. This will work.

    Aesthetically, however, I am not a fan of gapped siding with visible cracks. But there is no arguing aesthetics.

    -- Martin Holladay

  2. GJPehl | | #2

    Thanks so much Martin- you and your crew are an absolute treasure. It's a particular treat to have an answer be uncomplicated :-)

    The rain screen gap is 3/4 with inlet on the bottom and outlet at the top.

    We like modern design influences, so that's where the gapped panel comes in- here's a link for a somewhat similar application:

    http://www.houzz.com/photos/43645317/Edgewood-contemporary-exterior-vancouver

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