What Is a Drainage Plane?

Controlling rain or exterior water is one of the most important factors in the construction and design of commercial and residential buildings. Drainage planes are layers of water-resistant materials that carefully cover the house exterior and integrate with flashing to give a drainage path from the roof to the ground. Drainage planes are made during the construction and design of building enclosures for controlling the rain. The penetrating rainwater is controlled by the drainage plane, and then the water then travels either outwards, away from the building, or downwards.

Drainage planes are water-resistant materials that are positioned behind the cladding. These kinds of planes are constructed and designed to drain water that passes via the cladding. The drainage plane is interconnected with door openings, windows, and the flashings of the building to offer drainage of water to the outer part and away from the building.

The materials that form the drainage plane are designed and installed in an overlapping manner so that the water can drain down and out of the wall. The drainage plane is also known as a water-resistant barrier.

Drainage planes in commercial buildings are also called air barriers. Gravity is the driving force behind all the drainage planes. The drainage plane installers will fix the plane behind the exterior cladding on the walls of the house to keep water out of the building.

A drainage plane is a key feature that boosts the durability of a building. The planes will make your building impervious to the elements and safe from water that tries to get in. It is important that drainage planes are designed properly to protect your building from damage.

Westerly Restoration provides building envelope integrity inspections and restoration in Surrey, BC and the entire Greater Vancouver area. If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about building envelopes or restoration, please call us at (778) 881-2877 or use the convenient form on our Contact page.