PaperStone Rainscreen
PaperStone Rainscreen is an elegant solution to the problem of moisture penetration of exterior walls. The goal of a rainscreen is to manage water rather than try to completely seal it out with methods and materials that will eventually fail. A rainscreen is an engineered system of exterior wall cladding in which a cavity is created between the outer covering and the inner structural wall.
A rainscreen made with PaperStone has an inherent advantage over rainscreen systems that use other materials as the outer surface. Its phenolic composition absorbs virtually no water. It is also easily mounted with a unique vented bracket system designed to work with a solid surface.
How does it work?
Water may get behind the exterior siding by mechanical force, pressure differentials or capillary action. Once there it must be dried out or it sets the stage for corrosion, rust, mold and mildew growth and over time cause premature damage to the building.
A rainscreen works by separating the interior surfaces of the wall (those surfaces that are insulated and structural) from the exterior surfacing material (conventional wood siding, stone, brick, engineered materials, vinyl, etc). This is accomplished by several methods, all of which rely on a narrow air space or cavity between the two surfaces that is wide enough to prevent capillary action from drawing water across the gap along supports or mounting brackets, and when water has infiltrated the space, provide for venting and drainage.
PaperStone rainscreen is made with a natural phenolic resin and 100% recycled paper that is virtually impervious to water. As a result it sheds it quickly on the outside reducing infiltration. For water transported by mechanical forces behind it, the venting and draining holes in the mounting brackets quickly expell or evaporate the moisture.
The PaperStone rainscreen is a pressure equalized rainscreen. This is a system that prevents migration into the inner wall by removing the pressure differential behind the outer wall, making it equal the pressure on the outside surfaces.
