Black paint with 1×4 rain screen system?
I am building new single family residential for myself in Austin, TX (Climate Zone 2B). Some details I plan on doing:
– Zip-R3 sheating, providing an external R3 layer of poly-iso insulation behind the sheathing board
– Hardie Board and Batten Siding
– A rain screen system with 1x4s as vertical strapping
– Cor-A-Vent SV5 for bug screens
– Silver colored metal roof, also installed over 1x4s
– A pretty air tight home, with foam insulation and Zip system liquid flashing around Windows and covering penetrations
I really want to paint the house black for aesthetic reasons, but am worried about energy efficiency. Do you think the rain screen system will provide enough of a thermal gap?
Some additional context: I am software engineering that decided to build his own house, so I don’t really have background in building.
Thanks for any and all help!
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Replies
Hi user-7655319 (it would be nice to get your real name).
I have not researched this topic in any depth, but I have read that siding color is insignificant in terms of solar heat gain in a well-insulated home (maybe more significant in an uninsulated home). And yes, your rainscreen detail will make it even less so by cooling the back side of the siding. However, because dark siding does retain more solar energy than lighter colors, there is an effect on the siding material. You can learn more about that in this article: Choosing Black Siding
Hi Brian, thanks for the reply and the link! My name is Brock, I just joined so I missed setting up a screen name. I updated my profile to set it to brock_bouchard.