Ventilated Façade (Rain Screen)
Rain screen is a new building solution with a growing importance in modern architecture, not only for technical features, but also for it's aesthetic appearance. This ventilated façade system relies upon the fixing of terracotta or ceramic tiles on an aluminium substructure, previously fixed to the construction façade. The horizontal joints between tiles are left open to the cavity area of the cladding zone allowing for ventilation. Rain screen is fast to assemble and requires no wet trades, in comparison to traditional construction.
The principle behind rain screen
The variation in air density between external and internal temperatures induce a funnel effect, giving rise to a consistent, upward airflow within the cavity. This continuous flow of air offers several, distinct advantages;
The key to achieving a continuous airflow within the cavity is consistent and accurate dimensions, which is extremely difficult using traditional wet trade forms of constructing building façades. A rain screen system is an open joint cladding system, designed around the principles of air behaviour within the cavity. Past experience has shown that the airflow within the ventilation cavity in an open joint system is more consistent and beneficial than in a closed joint system, even under the effects of wind pressure or suction and during heating or cooling of the air.
Modern day application
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The ventilated façade solution combines both the mechanical properties of extruding terracotta or ceramic and the aesthetic benefits of cladding material. An increasingly larger number of architects use this technique not only in refurbishment, renovation and conservation projects but also in new constructions where rain screen provides unpaired aesthetic benefits, design flexibility and production of practically any shape and form.
Ventilated façade is a modern construction solution for new buildings and refurbishment projects. The system is targeted for schemes that need a secure, aesthetically pleasing wall cladding solution that can be applied to all types of buildings, including;
- Residential
- Offices
- Shopping Centres
- Hospitals
- Industrial
Rain screen is an extruding terracotta and ceramic product using a mixture of natural clays, manufactured to the exacting standards of the 21st Century. This provides a unique range of standard and bespoke terracotta recurs and glazed finishes available in large, medium and small format sizes, making it the perfect façade solution for modern architecture.
Advantages of rain screen
topThermal Insulation
topIn summer, the ventilated cladding provides the building with a natural thermal shield, which protects against heat gain from direct solar radiation. The constant ventilation keeps an ambient temperature within the cavity on the external side of the insulating panel.
A ventilated façade has the additional benefit of providing the walls of the building with a high thermal inertia, which is the ability of the wall material to conduct and store heat and make optimum use of both cold and warm climates. In summer, this results in the form of a retarded heat wave, so that solar heat stored inside the external wall travels slower. This means that during the day, heat will penetrate through the internal walls at a reduced rate, giving cooler internal temperatures. At night time however, when ambient temperatures are lower, the rooms are gently warmed by the stored heat.
In winter, the opposite effect occurs when heat within the building is stored for longer and the length of the external walls cooling time is increased. The final result is a more even temperature range, adding comfort and wellness inside the building where a type of a permanent micro climate is produced.
Energy saving
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The energy balances calculated for buildings with ventilated façades suggest they can reduce the power consumption by up to 25% when compared with traditional buildings without thermal insulation.
This also translates into a considerable increase when calculated over the typical 60 year life of a building. The thermal benefits of ventilated walls clearly reflect the economical benefits of lifetime heating when compared with traditional construction.
Acoustic insulation
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Rain screen helps reduce sound transmission, providing an acoustic insulation at no extra cost. In fact, curtain walling increases the acoustic absorption properties of the original wall by up to 6 dB, equal to a 50% reduction of the noise level within the building.
Moisture prevention
topThe natural circulation of airflow within the cavity helps to evaporate any moisture present due to either condensation or capillary action.
Weather protection
topA ventilated façade provides a perfect long-term protection for the building against wind driven rain water and weathering agents, such as rain, ice and snow. These are one of the main causes behind exterior deterioration of any construction. Research shows that no significant rain or snow infiltration occurs into the cavity on ventilated façades fixed to the building by means of open-joint technique, even if exposed to a strong wind pressure.
Rain screen also provides protection against meteoric water, an important feature in terms of reducing the frequency of maintenance cycles, adding life and extended durability to the building.
