What Makes MTI Rainscreen Building Envelope Drainage Plane Systems Better?

There are many reasons, but let’s focus on three: 
1. An effective rainscreen building envelope drainage plane (drainage mat) moisture management system must get the water out quickly.  Even a small amount of water left in the rainscreen building envelope for a period of time can lead to mold and rot. 
2. Does the company you are dealing with now manufacture the rainscreen drainage plane and other rainscreen building envelope moisture management products (e.g. weeps and weep screeds) they are selling?  Do they offer a system, or just drainage plane (drainage mat)?  Do they work with you to design a custom rainscreen drainage system for your unique project? 
3. The price - MTI costs less!  MTI has a full range of rainscreen building envelope moisture management products including an economy drainage plane (drainage mat) model, Gravity Cavity™ rainscreen drainage plane, made from the same recycled material as our Sure Cavity™ rainscreen drainage plane. View the MTI Solutions movie to see how our rainscreen building envelope moisture management products work and where they can be used.

Is It a Rainscreen Drainage Plane or a Rainscreen Drainage Mat?

In the world of rainscreen building envelope moisture management, two product types seem to compete for market dominance—the drainage plane and the drainage mat. In reality drainage plane and drainage mat products attempt to fill the same role, the elimination of entrapped moisture from the rainscreen building envelope through the creation of a permanent, predictable space between the rainscreen veneer and the backup wall.

MTI markets its Sure Cavity™ and Gravity Cavity™ vertical rainscreen drainage plane products as drainage planes. We could just as easily call them drainage mats as most other companies do; however, the term “mat” (as in drainage mat) tends to take on a horizontal connotation and MTI feels horizontal drainage is more relevant to a “weep.” Our rainscreen drainage plane (drainage mat) products are vertical planes designed to take water from a high point to a low point and out the bottom the rainscreen building envelope quickly giving you the optimum rainscreen moisture management system available.

The websites of most rainscreen drainage plane | drainage mat manufacturers (and resellers) define their drainage mat products as a core of entangled filaments. In theory a drainage mat of entangled filaments can create a space behind a veneer and in front of the backup wall. But there are two inherent problems with this type of material. First, these entangled fibrous drainage mat products can be compressed, reducing the volume of the space behind the veneer and creating the potential for waviness on the veneer’s facade. Second, entangled fibers are not conducive to rapid drainage. That’s why they make good scrub pads—they hang on to some of the water and the soap! View Animation of Fibrous Drainage Mat Issues.

MTI is the only manufacturer of rainscreen building envelope drainage plane (drainage mat) and weeps that feature “True” Channel Technology. These channels conduct water in a straight line downward; the fastest route out of the building envelope. Our rainscreen building envelope moisture management products don’t compress under pressure, yet they install just as quickly and as easily as other roll-on products. We also are the innovator of an attached spunbond fabric layer on our drainage plane products that keeps the channels clear of masonry and other debris. And unlike the fibrous drainage mat products, our channels promote better air movement in the rainscreen building envelope.

So whether you call it a drainage plane or a drainage mat, the key element in rainscreen building envelope moisture management is predictability. MTI drainage planes, weeps and accessories – The Better Choice in Rainscreen Building Envelope Moisture Management!

The Only “True" Channel Rainscreen Drainage Plane Systems

MTI’s premiere rainscreen drainage plane systems and related rainscreen moisture management accessories are designed specifically for removing entrapped moisture from the rainscreen building envelope.  They did not start out as a scrub pad or upholstery filler or anything else unrelated to rainscreen building envelope drainage.  Unlike other rainscreen drainage plane (drainage mat) products on the market today, Sure Cavity™ and Gravity Cavity™ rainscreen building envelope drainage plane products are the only ones with True Channel Technology. Designed by a former mason and recognized rainscreen building envelope moisture management expert, all MTI rainscreen products install easily and remove moisture from the building envelope quickly.   MTI drainage planes have “true” vertical channels that move the water quickly from top to bottom. The channels are protected from clogging with a breathable fabric, and the recycled drainage plane material is perforated to add cross-ventilation and to keep it from becoming an ill-placed vapor barrier.  Finally, MTI drainage planes are strong.  They won’t compress under pressure, making them the ideal drainage plane behind most veneers. Independent testing results and ICC-ES ESR#2044 and CCMC 13540-R Evaluation Reports on our Sure Cavity™ rainscreen drainage plane support these claims.  Sure Cavity™ is the only rainscreen drainage plane (drainage mat) product on the market today that has both an ICC-ES and a Canadian CCMC Evaluation Report!