Making Steel Framed Buildings Impenetrable
Water can penetrate the exterior walls of steel framed buildings during driving rains.According to the Internet, there are certain parts of the country that experience more rains than the average. The top 5 large US cities where it rains on over 130 days per year are Rochester, New York (167 days); Buffalo, New York (167 days); Portland, Oregon (164 days); Cleveland, Ohio (155 days) and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (151 days). The best way to prevent water from penetrating the walls of steel framed buildings is to install rainscreen cladding systems.
The main purpose of a rainscreen cladding systems is to keep steel framed buildings dry by eliminating the tendency of rainwater penetrating the wall system. As a result, there is no need for caulking, gout or sealants.
Rainscreen systems accommodate most types of construction including steel framed buildings. They are designed as a rear ventilated, open jointed rainscreen cladding, which provide for an insulation layer located on the outer face of the building shell. Based on tests, they are durable, strong, can manage water penetration well, fire and impact resistant and with low maintenance needs.
Rainscreen cladding forms the “outer skin” of steel framed buildings. Serving as a building façade system, a rainscreen cladding system usually consists of a sub-frame and various finishes such as brick, ceramic tiles, brick tiles, terra cotta, ceramic granite, metal panels, composite aluminum panels, natural stone, wood cladding products, etc.
The sub-frame’s rails and fixing brackets are bolted onto the internal wall of steel framed buildings before the cladding panels are installed. The system is designed so that cladding panels are kept at a distance from the internal insulated walls, creating a wide ventilated cavity between the two. This space allows air to circulate, creating a “chimney effect” so that when water enters the cavity, it quickly evaporates. As a result, the cavity is free of moisture and mold.
Rainscreen cladding systems are best used in commercial, industrial and residential steel framed buildings.
