Back-Ventilated Rainscreens Offer a Sustainable Solution to Weather Protection for Washington DC Metro Buildings

A properly installed, ventilated rainscreen allows air circulation and water drainage between the exterior of a commercial building and the weather-resistant barrier underneath, promoting weather protection, thermal advantages, and mold prevention.

Any commercial project can benefit from the installation of a rainscreen, but it is especially recommended for buildings in climates with a regular rain. The initial investment in this feature helps save money for building owners in the future by providing energy efficiency through thermal protection as well as the prevention of problems associated with moisture and water damage such as rot, mold, etc.

Energy-Saving Solution for Temple Sinai
For a recent construction project, Temple Sinai, which has a licensed and accredited child development facility in Washington, DC, teamed up with Scott-Long Construction for a two-story addition to the existing building, consisting of meeting rooms, gathering spaces, a new elevator, and main entrance. Not only would the addition of a rainscreen improve the drying capacity of the exterior facade, but it creates an environmentally friendly, energy efficient solution with high thermal performance.

Scott-Long sourced the top-of-the-line construction material for this project and worked with Cladding Corp. On this project. Cladding Corp. has provided rainscreen cladding services for over 20 years, focusing on scientific principles and elements required to create an effectively designed back-ventilated rainscreen assembly.

“We are honored to be involved in the historic Temple Sinai project in Washington, DC,” said David Stutts, president at Cladding Corp. “The fiber cement panels in a rainscreen application will provide numerous benefits, including moisture control, facade preservation, thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, and increased energy efficiency, just to name a few. Swisspearl, the manufacturer of the fiber cement panels, was the pioneer in this type of building material and invented it in 1895.”

A Leader in Award-Winning Construction

Our company, Scott-Long Construction, was excited to work with Temple Sinai for this project, bringing our commercial construction expertise that has earned numerous excellence awards from Associated Builders and Contractors.

Thanks to this expertise and the use of high-quality materials in the rainscreen assembly, Scott-Long executed a complex installation:

  • ECO Cladding’s non-combustible subframe platform of adjustable bracket and rail systems provided the ability to interchange multiple cladding materials on the same elevation.
  • These systems from ECO Cladding provided thermal compliant substructure components for energy performance.
  • Swisspearl’s fiber cement panels were air cured over a 28 day period, saving energy and reducing internal panel stress relative to autoclaved products.

Scott-Long enjoys pairing our award-winning expertise with the highest-quality construction materials to deliver the best possible outcome for every project. Temple Sinai will now benefit from having a durable, weather-resistant exterior facade that will protect the building so they can focus on what matters most.

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