Roofing & Exterior
Give the Wall a Way to Drain and Dry
Siding pressed tight to the wall holds water against the sheathing in a climate that never really dries out. A rainscreen — a furred gap behind the siding — lets water drain out and air move through, so the wall dries instead of rotting. In the Northwest, it's one of the highest-value details there is.
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Signs to watch
Is this you?
Your walls stay damp and can't dry out
Siding installed flat against the barrier in this climate traps water and holds it there. Without a gap to drain and vent, the sheathing stays wet long enough to rot — the difference between drying out and staying soaked is a fraction of an inch of air.
Sheathing rot behind sound-looking siding
A wall can look fine from the street while the plywood behind it turns punky. No drying path is the usual reason — water that got behind the siding had nowhere to go but into the wood.
You're re-siding and want to do it once
The rainscreen gap can only be built while the siding is off. Adding it during a re-side is inexpensive; retrofitting it later means tearing the new siding back off. This is the window.
Premium siding you want to protect
Cedar, fiber-cement, and engineered cladding all last dramatically longer when they can dry from the back. Hanging expensive siding tight to the wall is spending real money on a shorter service life.
Your options
Furring, drainage, and drying — matched to the wall
A rainscreen is a deliberate gap between the siding and the weather barrier, created with vertical furring strips or a drainage mat depending on the cladding and the wall. That gap does two jobs at once: it gives any water that gets past the siding a clear path to drain out at the bottom, and it lets air move up the back of the siding so the wall dries. We screen the top and bottom of the gap so it drains and vents without inviting insects or rodents in, fur out the openings so windows and doors sit proud of the new plane, and set the cladding attachment to land in solid framing through the furring. The gap depth and furring layout depend on your siding — wide cedar boards, fiber-cement lap, and panel systems each want a different setup. We'll tell you honestly which of your walls truly benefit and which don't need it.
The method
How we do it
- 01
Assess the wall and the cladding
With the siding off, we check the barrier and sheathing, then figure out the right rainscreen for your specific cladding — furring strips or a drainage mat, gap depth, and how the windows and doors need to be furred out to match.
- 02
Fur out, screen, and detail the openings
Furring set into solid framing, insect screening at the drainage openings, and windows, doors, and trim extended so they sit correctly proud of the deeper wall. The barrier and flashing are checked and made continuous before anything covers them.
- 03
Hang the cladding on a wall that breathes
Siding attached through the furring into structure, with the drainage gap protected top and bottom. You end up with a wall that drains and dries — the reason a good re-side in this climate lasts.
Straight numbers
What a rainscreen adds, and why
A rainscreen adds material and labor over hanging siding flat to the wall — furring or drainage mat, screening, and the extra detailing to fur out every opening. On a re-side it's a modest percentage of the total, and in this climate it's money we'll almost always tell you is worth spending, because it's the detail that most extends how long the siding above it lasts. We quote it in writing as part of the bid so you can see exactly what the gap costs. It only makes sense during a re-side, when the wall is open — retrofitting one otherwise means removing siding that's already up.
Where we do this work
Rainscreen Installation & Upgrades: straight answers
What is a rainscreen, and do I actually need one in the Northwest?
It's a small drainage-and-drying gap between the siding and the weather barrier, made with furring strips or a drainage mat. In a wet climate it lets water that gets behind the siding drain out and lets the wall dry instead of staying damp against the sheathing. It's not mandatory on every wall, but here it's one of the highest-value details there is — and we'll tell you honestly which of your walls truly benefit.
Can I add a rainscreen without replacing my siding?
Practically, no — the furred gap sits behind the siding, so building it means the siding has to come off. That's why the right time is during a re-side, when everything's already open. If your siding is sound and staying, we'd rather focus on flashing and drainage details that can be improved without pulling it all down.
Won't a gap behind the siding let bugs and rodents in?
Not when it's detailed right. We screen the top and bottom of the drainage gap with insect mesh so the wall still drains and vents but pests can't get in. An unscreened gap is a mistake; a screened one is just an intentional, protected drying path.
Does a rainscreen work with cedar, fiber-cement, and panel siding?
Yes, and each wants a slightly different setup. Cedar and other wood cladding benefit the most because they can finally dry from the back; fiber-cement and panel systems each have furring and gap details we match to the product. We size the gap and lay out the furring for your specific siding rather than using one recipe for everything.
Get the rainscreen installation & upgrades conversation started.
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