Designing for moisture management and air holdout within a wall system can be a complicated business. Climate, region, code requirements, and advancing building product technologies all influence the specification process. Consider, too, that while the industry races to design tightly sealed wall systems that walls must also be able to “breathe.” The type of cladding material chosen for a project not only affects the building’s overall aesthetic, it also plays a central role in how the rest of wall system should be designed to best protect the structure from the elements.
There are several cladding options on the market today, from stucco to fiber cement boards, and none of them are completely impervious to the effects of water penetration. A well-designed wall system will account for this by incorporating strategies for managing bulk water and water vapor, such as a weather resistant barrier (WRB). Knowing how a building’s cladding system will interact with the WRB (sometimes referred to as housewrap) will help you design a wall system that works in harmony to protect against mold, rot, and other moisture-related issues.