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- Open rain screen systems allow water to pass: Your house is only as good as the house wrap. Most companies that manufacture house wraps cringe at the thought of you installing an open rain screen system and more than likely do not recommend and in the future may not warranty it. Watch this video for how big a difference it makes.
- Better insulation: You will get better insulation with your house with a close rain screen
system as those gaps allow heat to pass through during cold weather. During summer months the sun beats down between the gaps and heats your house more so than a closed rain screen system that acts as a complete shield. - Ease of install: It is much easier to install a closed rain screen system as there is a system with clips involved with installation where every gap is already preset for you. In an open rain screen system is on you/contractor to make sure that gap spacing is the same throughout. Also you will need at least two or more people to hold up the board as one person secures it to the wall.
- Critters: Having ¼” open gaps every board allows critters to crawl into the back of your rain screen and live there. In a closed cladding system you can have bug screens at the top and bottom to minimize the amount of bugs that pass through. You can’t do that in an open cladding system so it is a free for all for bugs and small rodents.
- Aesthetics: Referring back to number 3, a closed rain screen system has a clipping system to install the product and therefore it is seamless and screwless on the surface of the siding face except at the very tops or sides. In a open siding system you will have to screw into the face every so often creating visible screws almost 30 something times per board.
In conclusion, there are many reasons why a closed rain screen/siding/cladding is better than a open rain screen/siding/cladding system. The main five reasons are that an open rain screen system allows water to pass and could cause trouble to your house in the future as rain waters hit against your house day in and day out. There is better insulation with a closed system as heat isn’t getting out in the winter and isn’t coming in during the summer. Another is the ease of install without having to chalk and measure every gap and having to have two or more people hold up the board while you install. The next thing is that you will have critters easily coming in and out of the back of your siding system as the gaps are huge. The last is the look of the cladding system. You will get a much more clean look on the wall and much more about the wall and not the screws that are on the surface of the cladding system.
Find out more about closed rain screen systems at NewTechWoood.com
