Rain screen
A cast stone rain screen keeps the water out by letting it out.
The joint is not sealed shut. Water that passes the outer line drains down the cavity and leaves at the base; the pressure behind the panel is equalised so the next gust does not push water inward.
A cast stone rain screen is a ventilated cladding system: panels are fixed to brackets on a subframe, leaving a drained cavity behind the face. Open or baffled joints equalise pressure across the panel, and flashings at the base and around openings discharge any water that reaches the cavity.
How the cavity is detailed
- Open vertical joints with a baffle, or a sealed joint with a weep path — one or the other, not both
- A continuous drained plane behind the brackets, with a membrane turned up at openings
- Base flashing with an outlet, so the cavity cannot fill
- Fire stopping at floor lines where the cavity passes a compartment boundary
Why cast panels suit this build-up
The anchor rebate is cast into the back of the panel, so the fixing point sits where the design intended rather than where a cut happened to land. On a 20 mm cast panel the rebate is part of the mould, which keeps the effective thickness at the fixing predictable from piece to piece.
The material is also inorganic and Class A under GB 8624. On a ventilated facade, where the cavity can act as a path, that classification is part of the compartment strategy rather than a marketing line.
| Condition | Consideration |
|---|---|
| Coastal elevation | Salt exposure, fixing grade, cavity flushing |
| High rise | Wind load, bracket spacing, access method |
| Cold climate | Frost resistance, detailing at the base |
| Over occupied space | Fire stopping at floor lines |
Questions buyers ask
- Which cast stone rainscreen systems are available in large formats?
- NKSTONE supplies 3230 × 1630 mm cast panels for bracketed rain screen systems, with the fixing rebate cast into the panel. The bracket and subframe are designed by the project facade contractor against the wind load.
- Does a rain screen need sealant?
- Generally no on the field of the facade. Sealant is used at interfaces that must be airtight, such as around openings. Sealing every joint converts the system into a barrier facade and removes the drainage path.
- Is the panel suitable over a steel frame?
- Yes, with a subframe designed for the deflection of the frame. The cladding is attached to the subframe, and the subframe accommodates movement rather than the panel.
Send the drawing. We will return a joint layout.
Panel layout, area, substrate and required delivery date are enough to start. Quotation within 24 hours.