Rainscreen ventilated facades, definition and types
Definition ventilated facade
Ventilated facades are a constructive system that has consolidated and become very popular among architects and contractors, mainly because of their high quality, their aesthetic possibilities and their numerous advantages regarding thermal and acoustic isolation.
The ventilated facades system consists of:
- Support wall
- An isolation layer anchored or sprayed onto the support
- A cladding layer joined to the building by means of an anchored structure, in most cases made of aluminium.
Between the isolation material and the final exterior cladding their is an air chamber that creates a natural ventilation by the so-called “chimney effect”, thereby maintaining the isolation material dry and achieving a major saving in the energy consumption.
It is considered to be the most efficient system to solve general isolation issues in buildings, eliminating the thermal bridges and condensation problems.
If you are thinking of refurbishing a building, request for further information first on our facade cladding systems.
Why do we use ceramic material
Because we have to build with the idea that it must last for a long time, and rainscreen ventilated facades are manufactured in ceramic material, specifically, extruded porcelain stoneware that is coloured throughout the entire surface, with a natural or glazed finish in a wide range of colours and fired at a temperature of 1200ºC.
The leading European laboratories certify the physical characteristics of this material:
Types of ventilated facades
If we had to classify the types of facades we could differentiate them by the type of material used, by the different areas on the same facade, by the textures, systems, etc. Each company has its own categories, although in general, and as a basic guideline, we could speak of:
Type of finish
- Ceramic facades can be of various types, terracotta and porcelain tiling, this latter is much more resistent.
- Stone facade: marble, slate, granite…
- Metallic facades: polished aluminium, zinc…
- Composite material facades: polymers, plastics, woods…
- Glass facades
- Wooden facades
Another classification is by type of finish
- Mass or natural colours: the entire piece is made with the same colour, it does not have an enamel coating on the surface.
- Enamel colours: enamel is applied to the piece before being fired, this enamel can be matt, gloss or with special effects.
- Inject: by means of digital printing technology, multiple designs are applied to the piece imitating stone, wood…
- Smooth finish
- Textured finishes relieves and protrusions are created on the pieces, for a greater variety in building designs.
According to the type of mounting of the panels to the wall
- With chemical fitting anchor.
- With mechanical fitting anchor.
- With fitting anchor on guides.
- With anchorage on aluminium structure.
