Field performance of rainscreeen wall assemblies in coastal BC
Peer, L. B.
2005 10th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology, Ottawa, May 12-13
Peer, L. B., (2005), "Field performance of rainscreeen wall assemblies in coastal BC", 10th Canadian Conference on Building Science and Technology, Ottawa, May 12-13.
Abstract:
This paper presents the results of a five year investigation into the behaviour of rainscreen wall assemblies on wood framed low-rise buildings in British Columbia's Coastal climate. RJC instrumented 33 buildings in Greater Vancouver and Victoria since 1999 to monitor the performance of cladding systems over a 5 year period. The results indicate generally sastisfactory performance of the claddings in providing moisture protection for underlying w ood structure
The results of the monitoring confirm that the minimum repair solution proposed in the Vancouver Building Bylaw, the ˇ®strapping' wall over an otherwise unmodified wood framed and sheathed structure, functions adequately to protect the framing and sheathing from moisture damage. Differences in exposure, orientation, and wood species are all reflected in the data typical seasonal moisture contents ranging from 12% to 20%. Walls protected with more robust assemblies such as air vapour barrier membranes with external insulation behaved predictably b etter with typical moisture contents rarely exceeding 15%.