What is the difference between rainscreen, drainable housewrap and flat housewrap?

One of our most frequently asked questions is what is the difference between a rainscreen, drainable housewrap and a flat housewrap? The answer all comes down to the gap.

A rainscreen like any from the Slicker family provides a ¼ in gap behind your cladding. A ¼ in gap is considered a “big gap” for drainage and drying performance.

Drainable housewrap like HydroGap provides a 1 mm gap behind your cladding. The 1 mm gap is considered a “small gap” for drainage performance.

And finally, flat housewrap like FlatWrap HP is a WRB with superior water holdout compared to many common housewraps, however it does not provide an additional gap for removal of water behind the cladding.

For a more in-depth look at the differences between the products, check out our video below:

https://youtu.be/2-RPDxp8lzs