When selecting an external façade system, understanding the differences between rainscreen cladding and curtain walling is essential, particularly for architects, specifiers, and main contractors aiming to balance performance, compliance, and design. While both systems contribute to a building’s external envelope, they differ significantly in how they are constructed, how they perform, and where they are typically used.
In simple terms, rainscreen cladding is most often used to finish and protect solid external walls, whereas curtain walling is a fully glazed system that acts as the external skin of a building. Each solution has its strengths depending on the project’s architectural intent, location, and building type.
What Is Rainscreen Cladding?
Rainscreen cladding is a type of external wall system made up of two layers: an outer cladding panel and an inner structural wall, with a ventilated cavity in between. The outer layer is designed to protect the building from direct exposure to rain, wind, and snow, while allowing moisture to drain or evaporate through the cavity behind it.
This system improves thermal performance by allowing space for insulation and helps reduce moisture-related issues. Rainscreen cladding is popular for its weather resistance, energy efficiency, and wide range of design finishes and materials.
Components Of Rainscreen Cladding Systems Include:
- Cladding panels: The outer ‘skin’ serves as the first barrier between the building and the elements, shielding the building from wind, rain, UV exposure, and so on. Panels can be made from various materials, including timber, metal, and composite layers.
- Support framework: A subframe or framework anchors the cladding to the building’s structural external wall. The framework itself is usually lightweight but robust, designed to support the entire system while maintaining stability under load and flexibility in windy conditions.
- Insulation: Many rainscreen cladding systems include an insulating layer situated behind the ventilated cavity. This enhances the building’s thermal efficiency and reduces heat loss in colder months.
- Ventilated cavity: The air gap between the cladding and the insulation is key to managing moisture ingress into the building. The space allows water to drain away and air to circulate, increasing evaporation and reducing the risk of condensation clinging to the building.
Why Choose A Rainscreen Cladding System?
The main benefit of rainscreen cladding is the weather protection it offers to the building, defending the external structure against rain and wind pressure. The insulated layers and the ventilated cavity can also improve energy performance and thermal regulation, reducing long-term heating and cooling costs.
What About Curtain Walling?
Curtain walling is a non-structural external façade system, typically made from lightweight aluminium frames and large glazed panels, designed to hang from the building’s structural frame. Although it does not carry any structural load beyond its own weight and environmental forces, thermally broken curtain walls provide essential resistance against wind, rain, and air infiltration.
Its primary appeal lies in its aesthetic value, allowing for expansive glass façades that give buildings a modern, sleek appearance and enhance the flow of natural light into interior spaces.
When specified with appropriate glazing, curtain wall systems can also improve a building’s thermal performance by allowing passive solar gain during colder months. However, careful consideration is needed to manage solar overheating in summer, which could otherwise increase the demand for cooling systems.
Components Of Curtain Wall Systems:
- Aluminium framework: This forms the skeleton of the system, supporting glass panels and transferring loads (such as wind) back to the main building structure. The depths of these framing members change depending on the spans between fixings, the windload applied to the screen and the weight of the glass panes.
- Glazing panels: One of the defining design characteristics of curtain wall systems is their large spans of glass. The glass specification is chosen very carefully for its thermal performance, light transmission, solar gain factor, and sound transmission characteristics.
- Sealants and gaskets: These humble but crucial components ensure a watertight and airtight seal between the panels and the frame, maintaining insulation and preventing leakage.
Differences Between Rainscreen Cladding And Curtain Walling
While both rainscreen cladding and curtain walling are widely used external façade systems, they serve different purposes and offer distinct structural, performance, and aesthetic benefits.
Rainscreen cladding is a system of panels mechanically fixed to the outside of a building’s structural wall. The cladding sits away from the substrate, creating a ventilated cavity that improves thermal performance and allows moisture to drain and evaporate; a key advantage in wet climates. One of the main benefits of rainscreen systems is their ability to accommodate additional insulation within the cavity, which can lead to better energy efficiency.
In contrast, curtain walling is a non-load-bearing glazed façade system that is typically hung from the building's structural frame and spans multiple floors. It is designed to resist air and water infiltration while allowing natural light to penetrate deep into the building. Although both systems are weather-resistant, curtain walling typically incorporates integrated drainage within its frame rather than relying on a ventilated cavity.
From an aesthetic standpoint, curtain walling offers large expanses of glass, delivering a sleek, contemporary appearance that is often favoured for high-rise offices, commercial buildings, and urban developments. Rainscreen cladding, by comparison, offers greater flexibility in design and material choice, from metal and terracotta to fibre cement and natural stone, making it suitable for a wider variety of architectural styles, from modern to traditional.
Next Steps
To discuss rainscreen cladding systems and thermally broken curtain walls with one of our experienced team members or to discover the benefits of each for your project, please click here to message Advanced Glass today.
