Replies

1. 
   webted | Jun 06, 2009 07:00am | #1

   I specified a rain screen for the siding on my house over here in Redmond. Here's a pic. at the midpoint of one wall (tight knot here).

   
   

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   Edited 6/6/2009 11:41 am by webted

   
1. 
   webted | Jun 06, 2009 06:45pm | #3

   Here's a better sized picture.

   Edited 6/6/2009 11:45 am by webted

2. 
   sapwood | Jun 07, 2009 12:12am | #7

   Can you comment on the Jumbo Tex moisture barrier that is on your structure? We are in the design phase for a studio/shop on Bainbridge Island. We were going to spec 30 pound felt, but would the Jumbo be a better choice?And to etherhuffer: We also like the clean contemporary look and it certainly seems easier to achieve through the use of a rainscreen. We are planning on using cedar fence boards for most of the structure and either fiber cement or rusting steel for some areas. I haven't read of any downside to using a rainscreen. Have I missed something?

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 07, 2009 06:35pm | #9

   The only complaints I have heard is bug/bee intrusion.

   Since I have an older 70's house that used poor insulation, I was also considering adding foam board as well, but not sure how that would work.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

1. 
   fingersandtoes | Jun 08, 2009 07:47am | #12

   Everyone is posting pics of nice siding, but unless I'm missing something there is nothing about the siding that makes it any more "rainscreen siding" than any other type of cladding.

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 08, 2009 08:29am | #13

   I digress. Most of the rainscreen designs locally that I have seen are felt/vertical nailers/smooth hardie.     The photos are just in line with the look being done on a lot of rainscreen work.  If we ran a photo of cedar lap siding, there is indeed no way to know if its hung away from the sheathing or placed directly on it.

   My interest is because the method and look both appeal to me. I have a 70's house, no backpriming on the cedar, wind and sun from the south. The rainscreen design would be nice to allow air circulation behind the siding. Less chance of more rot, less heat build up in the summer. Most of the cement board I have worked with holds paint really well, given the right primer, so that would also be a plus. If I have to strip my old cedar down to the wood, I still have sun/wet to deal with, so starting over might be even less total labor than paint prep. Its then a matter of materials cost.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

2. 
   fingersandtoes | Jun 09, 2009 05:03am | #15

   Got it. I still thought we might be talking about some new specifically made siding that had built-in rainscreen. I really like the siding examples that have been posted too. I have seen some similar ones used on recent commercial buildings that have transformed their exteriors into very interesting experiences. I hope you do go with something similar on your place.

   Rainscreen is all about the details. Most of the variations having to do with venting. Commonly the bottom has screen folded over the strapping to stop bugs but allow air flow. Venting at the top is most efficiently done by leaving it open to the attic which increases airflow through the wall, but most codes do not allow this for fire spread reasons. I have seen some rainscreen walls that just use a drip flashing at the bottom and rely on the wall drying to the outside through the siding -  something that cement based siding does very poorly.

   Our code mandates rainscreen use on all residential structures, but defines it as a cladding which is in contact with the wall over less than 8% of its area. This means that board and batten reversed, (with the batten on first) and corrugated steel siding meet code with out any strapping at all.

   I would imagine that the price premium that Webted encountered is due to rainscreen being the exception for buildings in his area. The time and materials to apply it to a typical house shouldn't add more than $500 to the cost of siding.

   Edit: Not something you would use, but one of my favorite buildings. Walking inside it on a sunny day or outside at night it is remarkable.

   http://www.quartierdesspectacles.com/files/places/23/place_picture.jpg

   Edited 6/8/2009 10:10 pm ET by fingersandtoes

   Edited 6/8/2009 10:10 pm ET by fingersandtoes

2. 
   webted | Jun 08, 2009 10:44pm | #14

   I'm not sure on that one, the GC made the call. I had the work specked out with 1/2" treated plywood for the furring strips. There is a belly band ~6' up (Miratek) and then it's stucco above that, for all of the walls except the one in the picture. I believe the Jumbo Tex choice was largely driven by the stucco application, although Tyvek/Typar etc. wouldn't have been my first choice anyway because of the known compatibility problems with cedar. FWIW, I paid about $700 - $800 extra to have my T&G cedar put on a rain screen wall. It's just shy of 200 lineal feet, with two gable ends (one is in the picture), which means limited scaffold/ladder work. Outside of additional labor, the other problem with rainscreen siding is trimming out your doors and windows. We went with aluminum flange windows (no jamb extensions) and flashed them to the main wall (before the WRB). After that, the felt was applied, then the furring strips and then the 5/4 trim (set on furring strips). Search out a rainscreen topic on my screen name and you should be able to find a very helpful PDF guide to BC provincial rainscreen details that someone (westcoast?) posted.The siding is just starting to go up on the other two sides of the house. It's alternating bands of 1 X 6 and 1 X 4 clear grade cedar T&G. The 1 X 4 bands have a V-groove down the center, which gives it the look of a pair of 1 X 2 bands. Overall, it's a very sleek look that makes me quite happy - but poor! I generally think rainscreen siding application makes a lot of sense, but I don't know that it would be so necessary for a traditional lapped siding (although the western red cedar alliance recommends rainscreen for all applications). In our case, we wanted the sleeker look of T&G, which made the rainscreen application more important.-t

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 24, 2009 08:54pm | #16

   I have been all about looking at more of these siding jobs. What was your product for the horizontal wood? I was also wondering about bevel, as the top edge of the wood siding would let water sit. Do you rip a bevel at all on those?http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

2. 
   fingersandtoes | Jun 06, 2009 07:53am | #2

   Sounds interesting, but is the exposed fastener siding specifically for rainscreen construction, or is it just installed as a rainscreen in that situation?

3. 
   shtrum | Jun 06, 2009 11:04pm | #4

   If these examples are similar to what you mean, you might do some research.  It's still not used that much here.  Some research about a year ago found a company in Germany that used concealed fasteners, but the one company in the states used exposed. 

   If you go with exposed, be careful.  It looks good from a distance, but can be cheesy up close.  A way around it is to paint the fasteners the same color as the boards.  Can get a very cool look with different colors if it's done right.

   The product also seems to work best with a large field.  If there's a lot of windows, it gets choppy.  If you see an building you like, i'd ask the architect/builder directly for their experiences and/or sources.

    

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 06, 2009 11:25pm | #5

   Here is a photo of what I am thinking. It looks like smooth Hardie or cement board. This was a multi panel install. More commonly I am seeing short horizontals with a screw at each corner, and a metal grommet below, like an auto or snap fitting, in stainless. Some paint over, some prepaint the panel then install, so you have a cool modern look.http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 06, 2009 11:29pm | #6

   Here is another one I found. Very cool. (if you like modern, and we do)http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

1. 
   shtrum | Jun 07, 2009 04:55am | #8

   Tried to find this example earlier but had a kid to get to a birthday party. 

   It's a community center in Chicago with a limited budget.  A winning competition entry that was completed in 2007.  The sheathing is cement panels, and the fasteners were painted to match each color so they disappear.  Seems similar to what you're after.

   Tried to get the firm i was at last year interested in using them (even ordered samples), but no go.  It's an intriguing product, but just not used very often.

   http://www.architectmagazine.com/industry-news-print.asp?sectionID=1006&articleID=456450

    

1. 
   etherhuffer | Jun 07, 2009 06:36pm | #10

   Whoa! That is sooo cool.

   Thanks for the pics!http://www.etherhuffer.typepad.com

2. 
   DanH | Jun 08, 2009 03:17am | #11

   Looks like they didn't stir the paint very well.
   As I stood before the gates I realized that I never want to be as certain about anything as were the people who built this place. --Rabbi Sheila Peltz, on her visit to Auschwitz