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» Canadian Architect - Understanding EIFS
When you have reviewed the issues you will see why -
The Korax RainScreen Panel™
Incorporating the Korax RainScreen Panel™ into any system is the most effective method of managing moisture in exterior wall assemblies because of the the incorporation of a rain screen. By doing so, water entering the wall assembly from the exterior, or reaching the cavity from the interior, is diverted out through weep holes or dried out by the circulating air through venting.
Water from the exterior can enter any cladding column shortening from cracks caused by deflection of the main structural elements, thermal deformation, movements that occur between dissimilar materials etc. Moisture can also enter the assembly through penetrations in the air vapour barrier assembly or accidental damage to the air vapour barrier during occupancy. When this moisture reaches the dew point it will condensate.
In both cases the assembly must discharge the water to the environment if the wall assembly is to maintain its integrity and continue to be utilized in the function for which it was designed. Failure to dry the wall assembly will cause deterioration to the structure and may also cause related problems such as; mold, increased maintenance costs and damage to the appearance of the structure. If water and moisture remain in the wall assembly, the life expectancy of the structure will be drastically reduced.
Until now, the most effective way to provide for moisture management in exterior walls was the masonry veneer or cavity wall. No such system existed for stucco applications, or rubble masonry.
The introduction of the RainScreen Panel™ makes it possible to construct a true rain screen wall assembly utilizing a stucco finish system made with cementitious, modified polymer or acrylic stucco.
The design of the RainScreen Panel™ prevents any water that penetrates the cladding system from bridging the air space of the wall assembly by incorporating a cavity. Horizontal and vertical voids are incorporated into the panel to ensure that there are effective water and moisture drainage channels throughout the compartmentalized wall. By design, the vertical channels of the panel force the diversion of water downwards, therefore preventing it from penetrating into the assembly and causing damage. The shape of the upward sloping nodes of the panel are designed to prevent water from traveling across to the inner area of the wall assembly forcing the water downwards towards the base flashing which then expels it to the atmosphere through the weep holes.
The contact area is less than 20% of the panel and its thermal efficiency is of the order of 60% of that of a solid panel of equal thickness.
Figure 1 shows the rain screen panel developed by Korax Technologies. The main feature of the panel is the shape and direction of part of the panel which comes into contact with the assembly behind it.
Although it can be made using a variety of materials, to match other manufacturers components, the use of Type 1 insulation is the most cost effective at this time. The overall thickness is 38mm of which 26mm is solid and the remaining 12mm forms the cavity and the sloping basses.
The panel can be used in conjunction with a variety of existing systems such as EIFS systems, cementitious stucco applications, rubble masonry walls, metal siding, basement walls, roofs, vinyl siding, etc. Figures 1 to 5 are typical details for such applications. The details for using this panel are exactly as the details used in masonry veneer and masonry cavity wall construction.
Any residual moisture that may remain in the cavity will evaporate as air enters the assembly through the weep holes and circulates through the vents. This performance makes the Stucco RainScreen Panel™ a true rain screen assembly because the water is effectively screened out of the wall assembly and therefore prevents moisture and water damage from occurring.
Because the Korax RainScreen Panel™ does not allow water to cross the cavity, and because there are no mortar dropping into the cavity it can be argued that it will behave better than a masonry veneer.
Click any figure to enlarg the view
Stucco RainScreen Panel™ is a trademark of Korax Technologies Inc.
Stucco RainScreen Panel™ Canadian patent #2249509 l US patent #629862