If you love the look and feel of real lumber as much as we do, then you understand how significant it is for us to be able to actually recommend a composite product to our many valued lumber customers! The benefits of Fiberon Cladding include a solid manufacturing process with exceptional quality control as well as short lead times and natural-looking grain patterns and coloring. We discussed those things in Part 1. Now we’ll get into the nitty gritty details.
Fiberon Specifications
Fiberon composite cladding boards come in three lengths: 12 inches, 16 inches, and 20 inches. The edge has an ⅛” radius on all 4 edges. To help you compare these composite boards to natural wood, the MOE (stiffness) is 456,000 psi, and the MOR (bending strength) is 3500 psi. When it comes to stability, Fiberon boards move across width and length with shifts in temperature and moisture levels, across the lengths and widths of each board.
As long as you follow installation instructions carefully, a limited warranty applies. Residential Warranties include a 25-year performance limited warranty, a 20-year finish limited residential warranty, and a 20-year warranty against cracking and delamination. Commercial Warranties include two 10-year warranties: one against cracking and delamination as well as a limited warranty relating to performance and finish.
Rainscreen Cladding Systems
The concept of a rainscreen system is far from novel; they were first used by the ancient Romans. The basic concept of a rainscreen involves creating an air gap between an inner wall and an outer wall, allowing the moisture that collects on the outer wall to drain out the bottom, without touching the inner wall. In order to be effective, the vapor barrier needs to be at least ⅜” wide. The gap between boards in the outer wall also creates a pressure differential, essentially creating a convection drying system. Exterior cladding is more than simply water resistant, shedding moisture instead of absorbing it, but it also creates convection that causes the cladding to dry quickly.
Rainscreen Cladding Recommendations
Fiberon cladding includes an effective, 4-part rain screen system that includes exterior sheathing, a weather-resistive barrier, drainage plane for management of both air and moisture, and a durable, low-maintenance cladding layer. The drainage plane is a minimum of 10mm or ⅜” thick and neutralizes the capillary action to allow gravity to drain any moisture.
Rainscreen cladding requires a fastening system, and many manufacturers offer possibilities. Instead of suggesting one particular system, we recommend a customized combination of furring and fastener, designed with the needs of your specific project in view. Fiberon cladding can be paired with almost any fastening system on the market.
