C o n s t r u c t i o n Te c h n o l o g y U p d a t e N o .

1 7

Pressure Equalization in
Rainscreen Wall Systems
by M.Z. Rousseau, G.F. Poirier and W.C. Brown
A pressure-equalized rainscreen (PER) wall is a multiple-line-of-defence approach
to rain penetration control. This Update defines pressure equalization and
discusses the various elements that must be incorporated in a PER wall to
minimize rain penetration due to air pressure differentials.
Rain can enter only if a combination of the membrane.1 The pressure-equalized rain-
following three conditions are present: rain screen (PER) wall design is one of these
water deposited on the wall, holes and multi-defence approaches. It is based on the
cracks offering water leakage paths inwards open rainscreen principle,2 which aims to
and a force or a combination of forces to control all forces that can drive water into
drive water inwards. Strategies for rain the wall assembly, i.e., air pressure difference,
penetration control must entail the control gravity, surface tension, capillary action,
of one or more of these contributing factors. and rain drop momentum. Of these forces,
Various approaches to rain penetration air pressure difference is often a dominant
control are currently used in the building one with the potential to drive a considerable
industry. These range from single-line-of- amount of rainwater into the wall assembly.
defence assemblies (commonly called face- This Update therefore focuses on the control
seal walls) to multiple-defence assemblies of air pressure difference across the rainscreen,
such as those that incorporate a rainscreen, and the particular elements of wall assemblies
a drained air space and a water-resistant instrumental in obtaining such control.
Defining Pressure
Equalization
The pressure equalization
concept is simple: when
the outside air pressure
is transferred to an air
space behind the exterior
cladding, the cladding is
exposed to a near-zero
pressure differential. In
practice, the wall assembly
must comprise three
components (Figure 1):
a rainscreen (i.e., vented
cladding), a compart-
mented air chamber and
an air barrier system.
The air chamber com-
partments must be small
enough, the air barrier
system must be airtight
Figure 1. Components of a PER wall assembly
 enough, and the area of the venting
through the rainscreen must be large
enough to allow sufficient air to move
in and out of the compartments under
the applied air pressure. In a nutshell,
the strategy lies in the control of airflow
within and through the wall assembly.
In theory, pressure equalization
means a zero air pressure differential at
all times across the rainscreen, i.e., a
complete elimination of the driving
force for pressure-induced water pene- Figure 2. Example of wind-induced pressure differential
tration. In practice, however, perfect measured across an exterior wall system (Brown et al.
pressure equalization across the rain- Field Testing of pressure-equalized rainscreen walls.
screen at all times is neither achievable ASTM. STP 1034, 1991.)
nor necessary for adequate rain pene-
rainscreen and delimiters to divide the air
tration control (the wall assembly must be
chamber into a series of compartments.
designed to tolerate the entry of a small
Recently, IRC performed some experi-
amount of water without damage).
mental laboratory studies to characterize
Preliminary studies indicate that for practi-
these features for various generic wall
cal purposes, “adequate pressure equaliza-
systems. In a project jointly sponsored by
tion” for rain penetration control may be
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
defined as not more than 25 Pa pressure
(CMHC) and several wall system manufac-
differential across the rainscreen.
turers, IRC used its unique dynamic wall-
testing facility to study the relationship
Dynamic and static air pressures between the three components (listed
on the rainscreen above) as a function of the physical charac-
Static (steady over time) air pressures on wall assemblies are teristics of different wall assemblies sub-
generated by mechanical systems and stack effect while jected to static and dynamic air pressures.
dynamic pressures (fluctuating quickly with time and loca- Specimens of precast concrete panels, brick
tion) are caused by wind (Figure 2). Recent IRC research veneer/stud wall assemblies and exterior
indicates that dynamic as well as static air pressures must insulation and finish systems (EIFS) were
be considered when addressing wind-driven rain and the examined for their pressure-equalization
pressure-equalization performance of a wall assembly for performance. Some were also subjected to
rain penetration control.3 Under dynamic pressures, the rain penetration tests.
ability of the assembly to respond quickly to the outside
fluctuating pressure load is critical for adequate pressure An air barrier system
equalization; this time constraint is not an issue under sta- The performance of the air barrier system
tic loading. The IRC research showed that wall assemblies affects the ability of the wall assembly to
respond differently to dynamic and static loading, resulting achieve pressure equalization across the
in different design requirements for the wall components, rainscreen. The air barrier system in place
particularly for the venting of the rainscreen and the com- within the wall significantly reduces the
partmentalization of the air chamber. flow of air through the wall assembly, and
therefore greatly contributes toward reducing
the air pressure differential across the rain-
Wall Components for Pressure screen. Under dynamic-pressure conditions,
Equalization recent IRC studies indicate that excessive
The following three basic components must flexibility of the air barrier system will result
be present in a wall assembly to minimize in fluctuations in the volume of the air
rain penetration due to air pressure differ- chamber compartment. These fluctuations
entials (Figure 1): adversely affect the potential for rapid pres-
• an effective air barrier system, sure equalization across the rainscreen.
• an air chamber and Under static-pressure conditions, the leakage
• a rainscreen. of the air barrier system is the determining
These components must have properly factor for sizing the venting requirements.
designed features such as vent holes in the These findings emphasize the need for an air

2
 barrier system within the building envelope, rigidity of their boundaries (i.e., air barrier
as called for in the 1995 edition of the system, rainscreen and lateral delimiters)
National Building Code of Canada.4 are the determining factors for estimating
An effective air barrier system has low the venting requirement of the rainscreen.
air permeance, structural strength, and con- However, in wall systems without a clear
tinuity over gaps, joints and interfaces.5 air space, preliminary experimental work at
The air barrier system must be designed to IRC suggests that their pressure-equalization
resist air pressure induced by mechanical performance is very specific to their partic-
ventilation, stack effect and wind while ular design, and that the data available can-
still limiting air leakage. The system must not be extrapolated to generate guidelines.
also be rigid enough to sustain these air The air chamber needs to be divided into
pressures with a resulting deflection that smaller, separate compartments.2 Remember
can be accommodated within the wall that since wind pressure is dynamic, the
assembly. These air pressures must be pressure induced on the building façade
transferred to the structure of the building. varies not only with time, but also with its
location on the façade. For example, the
IRC’s Canadian Construction Materials Centre (CCMC) air pressure induced by wind can be fairly
developed an evaluation protocol to assess the “effectiveness” uniform near the centre of the walls, but
of air barrier systems.6 It covers requirements for maximum steep gradients (variations) can develop
allowable air leakage rates for air barrier systems for walls of towards the building edges and the roof line.7
low-rise buildings, structural air pressures (static and This spatial variation in pressure can
dynamic) and material durability. CCMC’s allowable air induce lateral airflow within the chamber
leakage requirements for air barrier systems are a function of unless it is divided at suitable intervals.
the water vapour permeance of the outermost non-vented The compartmentation of the air chamber
layer of the wall assembly. In any case, the maximum air into smaller air compartments reduces the
leakage rate allowable by CCMC for the air barrier system in range of wind-induced pressures sustained
exterior walls of low-rise buildings is 0.20 L/(s·m2) at 75 Pa by each of these compartments, resulting in
pressure differential. a better potential for pressure equalization
across the rainscreen.
In the 1960s, Garden2 suggested that
An air chamber compartments be smaller at locations of
The air chamber is located between the large pressure variations (such as building
rainscreen and the air barrier system. Wind edges and parapets) and larger in locations
pressures induced on the rainscreen are of smaller pressure gradients, such as in the
transferred to this space as air is displaced central portion of the façade. Based on
between the outside and the chamber these premises, Garden suggested that
through the vent holes located in the rain- compartment height should not exceed 6 m
screen. The air chamber can consist of a (about two stories) while compartment width
clear air space or other adequate options. could be up to 6 m in the central portion of
As an example, in a recent IRC experimen- the façade and about 1.2 m at building
tal study, one wall assembly with an air edges and parapets. Recently, Canadian
chamber made with a geosynthetic dimpled research involving wind tunnel studies8
plastic sheet with a geotextile bonded to has been initiated for the development of
the dimples provided similar pressure more definitive guidelines on compartment
equalization performance to that of the sizes over the building façade for PER wall
assembly with a clear air space. In some systems. These studies confirm that Garden’s
wall systems, specially designed insulation rule-of-thumb about the locations on a
materials are intended to provide the façade that are most in need of of compart-
required air chamber for pressure equaliza- mentation is valid; the need for small
tion purposes: the air chamber may be compartments at parapet level is also
formed as a grid of narrow channels within stressed (Figure 3).9,10
the insulation material, or the air chamber The compartment delimiters close in the
can be housed within the insulation material top, bottom and sides of the compartment.
itself when its physical properties provide These delimiters need to be somewhat
the required “air permeability.” In general, impervious to air and properly connected
for dynamic pressure equalization, the to the rainscreen and to the plane of air-
volume of the air compartments and the tightness of the air barrier system in order

Construction Technology Update No. 17 3

 Area of small
compartments at
building edges
and parapet

the larger the volume of air that has to be

Area of larger
compartments in displaced in and out of the compartment to
the centre
obtain adequate pressure equalization across
the rainscreen; hence, the larger the total
area of venting. The more rigid the assembly,
the smaller the venting area required. The
volume/venting ratio of the wall assembly,
i.e., the volume of the compartment divided
Figure 3. General pattern for façade compart- by the effective cross-sectional area of the vent
mentation holes, is a critical characteristic of the assem-
to create the required lateral boundary. bly for achieving dynamic-pressure equal-
Information on the performance of any ization. Again, IRC’s limited experimental
material and assembly for that purpose is work suggests that chamber compartments
scarce at the moment. In principle, wall of small volume and high rigidity (such as
components in place for other purposes, the specimen illustrated in Figure 4) should
such as metal shelf angles, can act as have a volume/venting ratio of 50 m or less
delimiters. Rigid sheet metal and foam (i.e., venting RS ≥ volume COMPARTMENT /50 m).
plastic insulation strips could likely be Chamber compartments larger in volume and
used as delimiters, as long as they can be less rigid (see specimen in Figure 5) should
made relatively airtight and can be installed have a volume/venting ratio of 25 m or less
to sustain the lateral air pressure loads. (i.e., venting RS ≥ volume COMPARTMENT /25 m).
In other words, the smaller the volume of
the compartment and the more rigid it is,
Any effective rain penetration control strategy should the less venting required.
assume that some rain will enter the wall at some time dur- For static-pressure equalization across
ing the service life of the wall assembly; that water must be
disposed of quickly. The inner surface of the compartments the rainscreen, the effective venting needed
must be water-resistant, and the compartment must be depends on the leakage characteristics of
drained at the bottom with the use of a flashing. the air barrier system and, to a lesser
extent, of the compartment delimiters: the
larger the total leakage openings of the air
A rainscreen barrier system, the larger the venting area
A rainscreen is the first line of defence has to be. This pressure equalization design
against wind-driven rain, and as such is characteristic is generally referred to as the
subjected to all forces leading to rain pene- venting/leakage ratio of the wall assembly,
tration through its openings and imperfec- i.e., the effective total cross-sectional area
tions. Pressure equalization across the of the vent holes divided by the equivalent
rainscreen minimizes water entry into the leakage area (ELA) of the air barrier system.
wall due to one force, air pressure differen- Limited laboratory experimentation at IRC
tial. For pressure equalization to take suggests that, for static loading, the effective
place, the rainscreen must be vented; that total cross-sectional area of openings in the
is, holes must be present in the rainscreen rainscreen should be at least 20 times that of
so that enough air can be exchanged the air leakage area of the air barrier system
between the outside and each compartment (i.e., venting RS ≥ 20 x ELAABS).
of the air chamber. Two major issues arise The vent holes must be designed to let
concerning the venting requirements: the in air, not water; i.e., the openings must be
amount of venting needed for adequate shielded from direct rain entry. This
pressure equalization under static and shielding reduces the free area of the vent-
dynamic pressures, and the placement of ing openings and needs to be accounted for
the venting for each compartment. in the estimation of the effectiveness of the
How much venting venting provided.
Under dynamic-pressure conditions, the In general, for a wall with a properly
rainscreen venting requirements are mainly functioning air barrier system, the venting
driven by the volume of air in the chamber required for dynamic pressure equalization
compartment, the resistance to airflow at across the rainscreen will likely be larger
the vent holes, within the chamber as well than that for static pressure loading. In
as between the compartments, and the any event, after estimating both venting
rigidity of the wall assembly. Indeed, the requirements, the larger of them should be
larger the volume of air in the compartment, selected for the design of the vent holes

4 Construction Technology Update No. 17

 (see box “Estimating required venting”).
These guidelines do not provide an
absolute figure for the venting requirements
for all situations but rather an order of mag-
nitude to aim for during the design of pro-
totype wall assemblies.
Where to vent
Within a compartment, all the vent holes
should be at the same height. The common
approach has been to distribute the open-
ings uniformly across the bottom of the
compartment in order to obtain a mean
pressure in the compartment close enough
Figure 4. Example of a rigid assembly with a chamber of to the outside pressure anywhere on the
small volume outside face of the corresponding rainscreen.
Placing the vent holes at the bottom of the
Exterior Interior
compartment provides the added benefit
that the vent holes can also provide uni-
form drainage of the compartment.
Air barrier system
– plywood (13 mm) fastened Wind tunnel studies at the Boundary Layer
to wood stud frame Wind Tunnel Laboratory at the University of
Western Ontario have shown that gathering
all the openings horizontally on the corner of
the compartment furthest from the edge of
Air chamber the building tends to pressurize the compart-
– air space (25 mm)
ment. This approach may offer an extra mar-
Rainscreen
– brick veneer (89 mm) and vents
gin of safety with respect to rain penetration
control, particularly at building edges and
parapets exposed to steep pressure gradients.
Further investigation of this new development
and its practical applications is warranted.11
Section
In PER walls, vent holes are installed in the
Figure 5. Example of a flexible assembly rainscreen to allow air to move in and out of
the air chamber under the applied air pres-
sure load so that the air pressure differential
across the rainscreen is minimized. These
Estimating required venting openings are not intended to induce the “ven-
tilation” of the chamber, that is, to get a flow
Here is a simplified example to illustrate the steps of air coming in at the bottom of the compart-
for estimating the effective venting required for ment and coming out at the top, or vice versa.
static and dynamic pressure equalization across In fact, it is quite the opposite: in order to
the rainscreen: control rain penetration due to pressure
Let us assume a rigid assembly (such as the wall differential across the rainscreen, there must
assembly of Figure 4), with an air leakage rate of be little airflow through the chamber. For
this reason, all vent holes should be located
0.1 L/s/m2 at 75 Pa corresponding to an Equivalent at the same height level of the compartment.
Leakage Area (ELA) of 28 mm2. The compartment
volume is estimated to be 0.04 m3.
For static loads: Summary
Venting RS (m2) ≥ 20 x ELAABS (m2) Control the airflow. An effective PER wall
Venting RS (mm2) ≥ 20 x 28 mm2, that is, 560 mm2 minimizes the amount of water that can
For dynamic loads: enter the wall assembly, limits how far water
Venting RS (m2) ≥ volume COMPARTMENT (m3)/50 m can get into the assembly and provides a
drainage route back outside to reduce the
Venting RS (m2) ≥ 0.04 m3/50 m, that is, 800 mm2 length of time the water remains in building
Compare the static and dynamic requirements, and materials. A PER wall design aims to control
select the larger value; in this particular example, all forces acting on a wetted cladding surface.
that is the dynamic venting requirement of Air pressure difference across the exterior
800 mm2 for that compartment. cladding is considered a significant force in
driving rain into the wall. To control this

5
 force, the air barrier system, the air chamber Remember: PER walls ≠ pressure equal-
and the rainscreen must be designed and ization. PER walls are not only about pres-
built to work together to control airflow. sure equalization across the rainscreen. Other
Achieve dynamic and static pressure forces are at work as well, not the least of
equalization. Dynamic pressure equaliza- which is gravity; their control is part of the
tion across the rainscreen requires different PER wall strategy for rain penetration control
wall characteristics than static pressure in exterior walls. One should assume that
equalization. For dynamic pressure equal- some rain will enter at some time during the
ization, the rigidity of the compartment service life of any wall assembly; that water
boundaries, the volume of the compartment must be disposed of quickly. Drainage of the
and the area of rainscreen venting are the air compartment is an important feature; prop-
determining factors. For static pressure erly detailed and sloped flashings and drainage
equalization, the airtightness of the air channels are necessary for that reason.
barrier system and the area of rainscreen
venting are important. M.Z. Rousseau is a research officer and
W.C. Brown is a senior research officer in the
Build an effective air Building Envelope and Structure Program of the
At this stage of knowledge barrier system. A good National Research Council’s Institute for Research
advancement, the comprehen- air barrier system is a key in Construction.
sive design of specific pres-
component of a durable, G.F. Poirier is an evaluation officer with IRC’s
sure-equalized rainscreen wall
functioning wall system Canadian Construction Materials Centre.
systems for a given building
configuration and climatic in more than one way.
exposure should be supported The tighter and the References
1. Chown, G.A., Poirier, G.F. and W.C. Brown. Evolution of
by additional research and test- more rigid the air barrier Wall Design for Controlling Rain Penetration. Construction
ing. At the design stage, a pro- system, the less venting Technology Update No. 9, Institute for Research in Construction,
National Research Council of Canada, 1997, 6 p.
totype wall assembly can be required to obtain 2. Garden, G.K. Rain Penetration and its Control, Canadian
tested under environmental dynamic and static pres- Building Digest No. 40, Division of Building Research,
conditions representative of sure equalization across National Research Council of Canada, 1963, 4 p.
3. Poirier, G.F. and W.C. Brown. Pressure Equalization and the
those that the building enve- the rainscreen. Control of Rainwater Penetration under Dynamic Wind
lope is expected to experience. Loading, Construction Canada, March/April 1994, p. 45-47.
Laboratory studies under con- Compartmentalize the 4 National Building Code of Canada 1995. Canadian
trolled static and dynamic air chamber. The Commission on Building and Fire Codes, National Research
Council of Canada, Ottawa, 1995. NRCC 38726.
pressures and wind tunnel locations on a building 5. An Air Barrier for the Building Envelope, Proceedings of
studies can be performed to façade exposed to wind- Building Science Insight ’86, Institute for Research in
evaluate the pressure equaliza- driven rain that require Construction, National Research Council of Canada, 1989,
24 p. NRCC 29943. http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/bsi/86_E.html
tion response of compartments, pressure equalization to 6. Air Barrier Systems for Walls of Low-rise Buildings:
and assist in finalizing the achieve rain penetration Performance and Assessment. Institute for Research in
design in that respect. control include building Construction, National Research Council of Canada, March
1997, 40 p. NRCC 40635.
edges, parapets and 7. Dalgliesh, W.A and W.R. Schriever. Wind Pressures and Suctions
architectural projections. Consequently the on Roofs. Canadian Building Digest No 68. Division of Building
Research, National Research Council of Canada, 1965, 4p.
air chamber needs to be divided into smaller 8. Inculet, D. and D. Surry. The Influence of Unsteady Pressure
compartments at these locations while larger Gradients on Compartmentalization Requirements for
Pressure-Equalized Rainscreens. Canada Mortgage and
compartments are usually sufficient in the Housing Corporation, June 1996.
centre of the façade. 9. Skerlj, P.F. and D. Surry. A Study of Mean Pressure
Gradients, Mean Cavity Pressures, and Resulting Residual
Introduce sufficient venting in the rain- Mean Pressures across a Rainscreen for a Representative
Building. CMHC Report, September 1994. Canada Mortgage
screen at the bottom of the compartment. and Housing Corporation, Ottawa.
Traditional drainage openings in current wall 10. A Study of Mean Pressure Gradients, Mean Cavity
systems may not be sufficient to provide the Pressures, and Resulting Residual Mean Pressures across a
Rainscreen for a Representative Building. CMHC Research &
necessary venting for pressure equalization. Development Highlights Technical Series 96-207, Canada
Dynamic pressure equalization likely requires Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Ottawa.
11. Inculet, D. and D. Surry. Optimum Vent Locations for
more venting of the rainscreen than static Partially-Pressurized Rainscreens. CMHC report BLWT-
pressure equalization. The vent holes must SS30-1997, September 1997, 183 p.
be designed to let in only air, not water, so © 1998
they must be shielded from direct water entry. National Research Council of Canada
July 1998
ISSN 1206-1220

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practical information distilled from recent construction research.

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