Developed mostly over recent years to help refurbish several building types, rainscreen facades are valuable materials that benefit buildings in several ways. They provide value in both aesthetics and functional areas, with modern versions featuring lightweight materials but strong, durable results.
At QC Facades, we offer a wide range of rainscreen façade materials, from aluminum honeycomb panels to glass rainscreens and several other high-quality options. One major feature of modern rainscreen facades that has helped them become so popular and useful: Ventilation, which is now a big buzzword among architects and contractors everywhere. Let’s go over the benefits of ventilated rainscreen facades for any building.
General Efficiency
For starters, ventilated façade designs incorporate airflow space between the actual façade and the structural wall. While this has several specific benefits we’ll get into, the first is a simple energy efficiency improvement. This mostly comes through enhanced thermoregulation areas found through this additional layer of protection.
Easy Repair or Replacement
In addition, ventilated rainscreen facades are separate, stand-alone building elements that are not truly attached to the structure of a building. This means that if you choose to upgrade facades at a later date, or if natural wear-and-tear requires some basic repairs at some point in their lifespan, these services will be simple and easy to carry out. In turn, buildings using these materials can maintain their finish for years into the future.
Lower Stress on Primary Exterior Surfaces
In the generations before rainscreen cladding was commonly used, the primary exterior surfaces of a given building were virtually solely responsible for handling protection against the elements. Wind, rain, hail and other potential weather events could pound a building’s exterior, which often wasn’t built for this sort of thing and would wear down quickly.
Today, though, these surfaces can be easily protected using rainscreen cladding. They can do so with ventilation options that improve several other areas, as we’ve mentioned.
Acoustic Performance
Did you also realize that ventilated rainscreen facades, such as several of our aluminum options, can actually improve building acoustics as well? This is due to their air cavity, which insulates the inside of the space from outside elements and can create a strong indoor acoustic area as a result.
Hanging Panels and Aesthetics
Finally, for those ventilated rainscreen façade products that also use hanging panels, such as our QC300 panel, the aesthetic benefits are not to be overlooked. These hanging panels can be formed into geometric, attractive building designs where the panels appear to hang in midair on their own, defying the laws of gravity and creating an exciting appearance for all who look on the structure.
For more on the benefits of ventilation within rainscreen facades, or to learn about any of our products or services, speak to the staff at QC Facades today.