Phone: 715.848.8677 / Toll Free: 800.848.1820
Rainscreen

Rainscreen

HEALTHY WALL SOLUTIONS

Protecting Your Investment

The best way to solve damaging moisture problems within your building’s walls is to prevent it. Unlike traditional construction methods which trap moisture, rainscreen, when properly designed and applied, provides an uninterrupted, weather-resistant barrier to keep wall cavities dry and healthy.

Armed with a wealth of first-hand field experience and access to the most current technological resources available, W.J. Higgins & Associates provides innovative solutions for exterior wall and rainscreen design services.

Our unparalleled expertise provides:

  • Greater design freedom
  • Greater flexibility in construction scheduling
  • Increased longevity with a virtually maintenance-free exterior
  • Greatest building value for your dollar
Traditional Construction Rainscreen Advantage
Sealed joints:
  • Leaching around weathering caulking
  • No drainage for wall cavity condensation
  • Wall cavity is not accessible
  • Thermal movement can cause joint stress
Open joints:
  • Clean lines; no leaching
  • Encourages drainage
  • Wall cavity is easily accessible
  • Allows for thermal movement
Veneer must act as weather barrier, placing some restrictions on design possibilities Veneer is independent from weather barrier, allowing design flexibility without compromising weather-tightness
Vapor barrier is interrupted at various interfaces (windows, floors, columns, etc.), compromising effectiveness Non-permeable air barrier interfaces with window assemblies for 100% weather-tighness
Dewpoint within batt insulation compromises R-value, deteriorates insulation in unvented cavity If dewpoint occurs, it falls within insulation and exterior of the weather barrier and is ventilated to allow for quick evaporation
Scheduling: Since exterior veneer is the weather barrier, this must be completed before interior finish work can safely proceed Scheduling: Construction can proceed on all interior finishes before exterior veneer is in place
Maintenance Costs:
  • Sealants need replacing approximately every 10 years
  • Ineffective insulation increases dependence on mechanical systems (discontinuous)
  • Air infiltration as identified in ASHRAE guidelines
Maintenance Costs:
  • No sealants to replace
  • Optimum insulation performance decreases dependence on mechanical systems (continuous)
  • “Zero” air infiltration
Figge Art Museum – Davenport, IA
Designed a low-cost, dual plane facade utilizing “industrial” type construction materials. Noteworthy is the “structure-free” 4,000 square foot Wintergarden Window opening and code-compliant glass copings.
Architect: Herbert Lewis Kruse & Blunck
Design Architect: David Chipperfield