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Walls

Ventilated cavity

A ventilated cavity is the air gap behind the cladding of a wall, created by battens, that lets moisture drain and dry out.

Also known as air gap, rainscreen cavity, ventilated air gap, drained cavity, counter battens

Battens fixed over the wind barrier hold the cladding away from the wall, typically by 20–30 mm. Rain that gets behind the cladding runs down and out, and air moving through the gap dries the wind barrier and the back of the cladding.

The cavity is open at the bottom and top, protected by insect mesh. This rainscreen principle is what lets timber-framed walls stay dry for decades in wet climates.

Related terms
BattenA batten is a thin strip of timber fixed across a roof or wall to carry tiles, cladding or a ventilation gap. CladdingCladding is the outer skin of a building, such as timber boards, panels, render or brick slips, which protects the wall from the weather and gives the facade its look. Wind barrierA wind barrier is the layer on the outside of the insulation that stops wind blowing through it while letting moisture escape.
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