A rainscreen is a space created behind the cladding of a building that allows air movement for drying, allowing any water that gets through the cladding to be able to fall down and out of the assembly. On this build, the challenge is that we have multiple different cladding types, so we have to vary the thickness of our rainscreen assemblies in order to make those claddings line up where the architects deem necessary. The rainscreen battens are 12 in. on center, which is required for our stucco application, and are about 1 in. thick. To create our closure at the bottom of the wall we are using Cor-A-Vent SV-3 and 5 Rainscreen Siding Vent.

One of the nice things about the Cor-A-Vent siding vent is that it comes in different sizes so we’re able to pair up the 3/8 -n. size and then the 5/8-in. size and stack them together. You’ll notice that we have a piece of blocking on every other batten, which allows us a solid attachment point for a metal trim detail that installs with the stucco later on.

This material in particular is made out of a corrugated plastic and it has a fiber scrim on the bottom to keep out insects and debris. It works with any of the standard job-site tools including a razor knife, tablesaw, or chop saw, and is installed with a nail or screw (or a cap staple in some circumstances), so it’s easy and intuitive to work with on a job site.

The reason we keep coming back to this product is because we’ve tried all sorts of different methods of closing off these rainscreen cavities over the years, and they all end up being both tedious and ineffective. The Cor-A-Vent has been a trusted material for us because it solves the problem, it’s readily available, it’s cost-effective, and it does what it’s supposed to do.

For more information about the Cor-A-Vent products and what they can do for your jobs, visit www.cor-a-vent.com.

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• Rainscreen Systems for Stucco
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