Weather-resistant barriers (WRBs), also known as building wraps or housewraps, are one of the best building materials for controlling water, either through blocking rain from entering the wall cavity, allowing moisture vapor to move and escape the wall cavity, or draining bulk water away from the wall assembly.
The placement of expansion joints within floors, walls, ceilings, and roofs provide the wherewithal to stabilize large buildings from experiencing structural stress under changing conditions. However, there are some nuances to selecting the correct material for a building.
A new study from the Alaska University Transportation Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, recently reported on R-values measured on insulation removed from below-grade applications in harsh climates. This supplements data from two previous similar research projects. All the three studies reported the in-service R-values per inch of extruded polystyrene (XPS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation installed under roads and airport runways with the time in-service ranging from one to 31 years.
Metal can be formed into several shapes, sizes, colors, and textures to meet almost any aesthetic. If specified correctly, the assembly will last for the life of the building with very few issues. Three broad categories—composites, insulated metal panels (IMPs), and single-skin—of metal rainscreens are widely used.
The term rainscreen refers to a building system fulfilling one of the main functions of an exterior wall—to screen out rain and keep a wall dry. While at one time that system would have encompassed moisture control alone, the complexity of exterior wall assemblies now requires a more integrated approach. Multicladding aesthetics with the benefit of continuous control layers are achievable with new rainscreen system designs.
