IMETCO® EvolutionT Complete Rainscreen Wall System Anticipates Moisture Problems

The design of exterior wall assemblies using the rainscreen principle takes a leap forward with the introduction of the IMETCO® Evolution™ Complete Rainscreen Wall System, an integrated assembly that delivers high-performance energy efficiency, sustainability, and longevity for a wide variety of structures.

Rainscreen design, time-tested successfully throughout Europe and Canada, acknowledges that traditional face-sealed exterior wall design doesn’t fully prevent moisture penetration. The same can be said for previous iterations of rainscreen assemblies.

The operating principle for the new IMETCO Evolution Complete Rainscreen Wall System is that “a wall system should be designed with the anticipation that some water and vapor will penetrate the exterior cladding and, as a result, the system can manage it quickly and effectively,” says Frank Resso, director of R&D and business development at IMETCO. “In other words, the new Evolution wall system provides an exit strategy for when, inevitably, vapor penetrates the cavity.”

The IMETCO Evolution Complete Rainscreen Wall System includes four basic components:

• A metal façade ranging from solid zinc panels that will last more than a century to some of the best aluminum products on the market. Panels are available in a wide variety of profiles, materials, and colours to fit any design objective–with custom profiles also available.
• A one-inch air cavity that promotes air flow via the chimney effect to rapidly dry itself out. The cavity is created by perforated horizontal hat-shaped subgirts–requiring no vertical subgirts–with minimal fasteners, a design that results in negligible thermal bridging to a loss of less than five per cent.
• The continuous insulation is non-combustible, water resistant, and vapor permeable, making it an ideal drainage plane. A high-density board designed specifically for this wall system, it features one of the most impressive materials in the building industry: stone wool, a naturally occurring byproduct of volcanic activity first discovered in Hawaii.
• A water-resistant vapor permeable air barrier that stops the flow of air while allowing controlled diffusion of water vapor, which is particularly important in regions where seasonal temperatures and humidity fluctuate.

The IMETCO Evolution Complete Rainscreen Wall System is “rainscreen made simple.” It is a single-supplier, all-in-one system, made of the highest quality materials available and backed by a single-source warranty. For more detailed information, please visit IMETCO.