Decorative Cladding

The traditional solution to keeping rainwater out of buildings has been to provide walls that are fully sealed against the weather by the use of barriers, joints and sealants. Unfortunately the failure of such walls due to material degradation, poor workmanship and unexpected building movements has been far too common an occurrence. Ventilated rainscreen facade cladding offers a solution which utilises the natural wind airflow to control rainwater and prevent it from entering the building.

The concept of a rainscreen cladding façade offers a relatively simple solution to the problem of keeping rainwater out of buildings and although there are several variations, the principal concepts are:

• The careful design of ventilated cavities that use wind pressure to dissipate the energy of driven rainwater
• Properly designed drainage paths which collect and direct the water away from the cavity

Today, ventilated facades are applied worldwide because they enable architects to meet every requirement in any climate. By creating a two leaf construction for the external wall, the ventilated air space between the cladding and the construction serves to maintain a healthy indoor climate. The effectiveness of a rear ventilated cladding system is maintained even under unfavourable internal or external atmospheric conditions, e.g. in the textile industry, swimming pools, breweries etc. No other wall construction is currently able to fulfil the growing requirements for protection against heat, dampness, noise and fire.

Penetration of rain is minimised and condensation is drained out through ventilation inlets and outlets. The ventilated air space serves multiple functions. The air in the cavity will circulate due to air pressure and thermal differentials over the height of the building. In a cold climate this causes condensation at the rear of the cladding to dry. In a warm climate the moving air will cool the inner layers of the construction thus reducing the demand for cooling energy.

Ventilated cladding systems have a space between the cladding and the outer wall – an ideal location for insulation materials. Rain water and condensation are removed naturally by air flowing through the cavity – so that the insulation material remains in good condition and remains effective over time.

The continuous circulation of air in the cavity between the inner structure and the outer cladding skin helps moisture to evaporate and keeps the building dry and well-insulated, greatly minimizing the possible development of mould and mildew.

In today’s building designs there has been a distinct move to a more dynamic and modern appearance of homes, places of work, public and private buildings; with clean lines and fresh facades. The range of decorative cladding that VIVALDA distributes allows unlimited creative opportunities for designers to produce aesthetically interesting projects more in line with the modern trend in architecture by moving toward smoother lines and brighter colours. This is evident in the appearance of façades, fascias, soffits, gables, eaves and window panels finished with decorative cladding because it not only produces a great look, but offers an economic and maintenance free exterior

VIVALDA’s portfolio includes all the major cladding brands such as Trespa, Equitone, Cembrit, Steni, Parklex, FunderMax Exterior, Formica, Werzalit, Rockpanel and Prodema which are manufactured from various natural materials and finishes, providing a wide choice of product options including cement bonded particle boards, high pressure laminate, stone aggregate and fibreglass.