Wind barriers

 

What is a wind barrier?

A wind barrier also referred to as a rain barrier, is the secondary climate screen that must be used behind any kind of light weight facades.

The light weight facades can be made of wood, steel, cultured stone, slates, stucco or similar, however, important for all these construction types, is that they must be closed off after installation from any kind of sunlight that could shine on to the wind barrier membane.

If the façade is a so called open façade, where the joints in the façade are open, then a special kind of wind barrier has to be used. The same applies if the façade is made from glass and you need a wind bar-rier behind this transparent façade.

Why use a wind barrier?

The wind barrier has a function of acting as the secondary climate screen, where it must protect the insulation material from moisture that condensates on the backside of the exterior wall.

Furthermore the wind barrier must also be diffusion open in a degree that allows any kind of trapped vapour inside the insulation material from passing through the membrane so it may condensate on the exterior wall backside or just simple be ventilated away.

The general thumb rule is that a ratio of 10/1 is use as a minimum, where the 10/1 refers to that the wind barrier must be 10 times more diffusion open than the vapour control layer.