When designing a project along coastal shores, the need for durable exterior siding that is tough as nails and weather resistant cannot be underestimated. The sea's punishing winds, corrosive spray and storm surges will attack a structure's exterior cladding system without respite. Nobody knows this, or the ways of the sea, better than the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard.
When the USCG Station in Indian River Inlet, Delaware was slated for renovation, the Department of Defense appointed a project management team whose responsibilities included overseeing the new station's design, engineering and purchasing of labor and materials. Upon reviewing options for the building's exterior siding acquisition, the team members agreed that the coastal project required the strongest and most rugged cladding available.
After serious deliberation and careful research, they selected Ipe hardwood siding for its low maintenance durability and long-lasting beauty. The new cladding was installed using with the Climate-Shield Rain Screen Wood Siding System.
Interestingly enough, Ipe hardwood was not one of the DOD's original siding choices. The original USCG specifications, written a decade before the project's completion, called for Teak or Mahogany siding. However, when the project management team discovered that Ipe hardwood siding was unequivocally the most durable, top-performing wood siding amongst its competitors - at the lowest life-cycle cost - it was no contest.
Ipe's unparalleled density, sophisticated coloring and graining, and natural resistance to fire, rot and insects made it the stand-out exterior cladding choice. While the other wood species were feasible options, they could not outperform Mataverde Ipe hardwood siding or present a more budget-friendly solution.
To further reduce the life-cycle and maintenance costs of the project (while increasing the building's strength and weather resistance) the siding was installed using the patented Climate-Shield Rain Screen System. This revolutionary system allowed for quicker installation and reduced labor costs while opening the door to the unique vertical siding design.
With a traditional rain screen installation, wood furring strips are used to connect the siding to the structure’s exterior walls or sheathing. (Builders and architects dislike this outdated method because it is time consuming, expensive, problematic and narrow in its design capabilities.) The wood furring strips rest flat against the building envelope and airflow is significantly diminished.
As a result of stagnant airflow, accumulated moisture can become trapped and this creates the idyllic environment for moisture and rot. Adding insult to injury, a moist moldy environment encourages wood boards to warp and buckle.
The Climate Shield® Rain Screen System™ has revolutionized the traditional furring strip installation method. Its patented marine-grade aluminum alloy clip replaces the need for furring strips entirely and facilitates airflow and water drainage between the hardwood siding and exterior wall. When installed with stainless steel screws, the rugged aluminum clip is designed to resist galvanic reaction. Threat of rust and deterioration is consequently eliminated, making this pressure-equalized rain screen system both easy to install and difficult to infiltrate.
The American made Climate Shield Rain Screen System was the only option that offered the unique capability to install the DOD's wood siding in any direction - vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
Their Rehoboth Beach station design features a stunning vertical installation that is handsome yet understated. The curved bartizans (overhanging turrets) and open spiral staircases are featured on both levels of the building, at each corner. The tight radius of their curves would have been impossible to install with furring strips or other manufacturer's rain screen clips, however, Climate Shield's unique design allowed the 1 x 4 Mataverde Ipe Siding to handle the task with ease.
The Climate-Shield wood siding profile creates a slight overlap between siding boards so no additional milling is required. At the Coast Guard Station, their 1 x 4 Ipe hardwood vertical siding boards easily handled the bartizan's compact radius.
The final result is a seamless and sophisticated installation. We know that the our shores will be surveyed from this fine building for many decades.
To find out more about Ipe Hardwood please visit www.mataverdedecking.com.
You may also enjoy the following Mataverde links:
View Mataverde Photo Galleries
Request a Complimentary Rain Screen Quote
Learn About the Climate Shield System
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