The façade of a house is considered its calling card. Properly executed exterior gives the building style, effect, attractiveness, and forms the initial assessment of the house and its owner by an outsider.
What is the purpose of finishing the facade of a private house
Protection from adverse atmospheric effects. Finishing materials are designed to protect the facade design from snow and rain, to prevent weathering and blowing, and limit the damaging effects of solar ultraviolet radiation.
Insulation. In the majority of variants of finishing the external facing layer is executed on the mounted on a wall of a facade insulating layer. Sometimes the finishing materials themselves (e.g., sandwich panels) are equipped with insulation to prevent or reduce heat loss in the house. In this option, the high price of finishing materials is compensated by a reduction in heating costs.
Noise isolation. Any type of facade finish promotes reduction of the strength of the noise from the outside, in the presence of an insulating pad this effect increases significantly. Certain types of finishing plates and panels are equipped with special sound-absorbing layers and coatings.
Additional advantages of finishing facade: masking irregularities of the walls and facilities laid on them, facade maintenance is facilitated, giving the building a uniform design style, the availability of local repairs. More info here.
Finishing types
The range of proposed facade materials in different variations of manufacturing is difficult to enumerate – there are even exotic, in the form of reeds or bamboo. Therefore, first you should pay attention to the main, proven in practice, confirmed by certificates and guarantees types of finish.
Decorative siding
Siding is commonly referred to as cladding panels, fastened together and fixed in various ways to the facade surfaces. Products available for independent installation, equipped with ventilation perforated holes, resistant to corrosive processes, equipped with auxiliary elements to improve speed and quality of installation.
Metal
The main reason for the demand for metal siding: the strength and resistance of the panels to aggressive external influences of almost any nature. Another important point – the aesthetic, decorative appeal of the material.
Pros: Metal siding is made of thin sheet galvanized steel. Additional protection against corrosion is an external coating of panels with pural, plastisol or polyester. Much less common are copper and aluminum siding.
Cons: Material produced in accordance with construction norms and standards, practically has no disadvantages. But for the consumer is very significant one fact: the price of trim (strips, soffits, corners) and fasteners for a complete installation is comparable to the cost of the siding.
Vinyl
Pros: Polymer siding is popular for several reasons:
- the relatively low price;
- the possibility of independent installation;
- the variety of shapes, parameters and colors;
- the sufficiency of the characteristics to protect the facade of the external weathering;
- inexpensive finishing elements and fasteners.
Cons: The disadvantages include:
- high probability of loss of color saturation under the action of ultraviolet rays;
- loss of strength and ductility under frost;
- Lack of resistance to combustion.
Fiber Cement
Siding is based on the cement binder and reinforcing fibers are not as attractive externally as its metal and vinyl counterparts, because it is rarely seen directly on the facade of a house. The main purpose of the material – decoration of the socle part of the building. Fibre cement lamellas are often used for external cladding garages and ancillary facilities, where the requirements for appearance are not very high. Installation of panels is performed according to the general scheme for all types of siding.
Facade plaster
The use of plaster for facade finishing is considered a traditional solution, effective and relatively inexpensive. Plaster layer protects the facade of the house from snow and rain, allows you to level the corners, and increases the soundproofing characteristics of the structure.
Ready plaster mixes consist of a base and a set of additional components, determining the specific purpose, individual and decorative properties of the material.
There are several types of stucco decorative mixtures according to their base material:
- Acrylic. They are made on the basis of the resin of the same name and are available in ready-made form. Scope of application: finishing walls on the insulation layer, also works well the mixture applied to the concrete surface.
- Mineral. On the cement-sand base with the addition of mineral and polymeric fillers. Economical, suitable for all types of plaster work.
- Silicate plaster should be considered as a variant of mineral mixture with liquid glass added to its composition. It is used for application on porous heat insulation.
The mixture based on silicone resin is perfectly plastic, durable, and decorative. There are virtually no disadvantages, but the price of the material is very high.
Popular stucco textures (lambskin, mosaic, crown molding, etc.) are formed by applying fillers of various fractions in mixes and using special rollers, sponges, and trowels for application.
The durability of the plaster layer is influenced by several factors that should be considered when choosing a decorative plaster as the main option for facade finishing:
- Stucco is sensitive to critical cold and seasonal drastic temperature fluctuations, the mixes are limited in the number of freeze/thaw cycles.
- Near roads with heavy traffic, plastering the facade is not recommended because of the inevitable dust and exhaust pollution.
- The closer the structure is located to a body of water (river, lake, sea), the more carefully you need to choose a plaster mix, paying particular attention to the characteristics of water resistance.
Facade panels
The term “facade panel” includes all types of siding, sheet, piece and roll materials of medium and large sizes, sheets of wood-polymer composites, glass, metal, wood, as well as combined sandwich panels.
In common parlance, facade panels are often called flexible products made of PVC or other polymers. Important advantages are their low cost, ease of maintenance and decorative effect. Coverings in the form of panels are easy to install on the facade of the house, are designed for long term use, have an attractive appearance by imitating natural materials, not bad protect exterior from most types of adverse external influences: from temperature, atmospheric, mechanical. Panels also perform additional sound and heat insulation functions.
Facade panels are mounted directly on the walls or on a specially constructed frame – each type of material is supplied with detailed instructions, allowing you to perform the installation yourself.
Facing brick
Facing brick is a classic facade finish. A smooth wall of geometrically accurate pieces, laid without a seam or, conversely, with a figured contrasting seam – no need for additional decoration.
According to the technology of manufacture there are four types of bricks for facade cladding:
- Ceramic is made by the technology of plastic molding with firing.
- Hyperpressed is made by non-firing pressing under pressure. Ideal material in terms of geometry, strength, density.
- Silicate bricks are cheaper than other types because of the use of other raw materials: lime and sand, the performance characteristics are also the lowest.
- Clinker is a premium brick of the ceramic group.
Advantages: Bricks are made with cavities of different shapes or without them, are painted in different colors and shades, have standard sizes and shapes or parameters due to technical conditions. The texture is especially important for facing – bricks are superior to many other materials in this respect.
Disadvantages:
- labor-intensive and slow masonry process;
- the large weight of the material, which requires strengthening the foundation;
- high cost.
Wood cladding
Residential building facade can be clad with wooden materials, provided that they are treated with fire retardant and other protective compounds. In this case, the house will look beautiful, expensive, original, and the facade will be reliably protected from various kinds of negative natural and mechanical effects. Basic materials for the device of wooden facade:
- Planken. Board, processed on a planer on all four sides. Mounted on the wall vertically, horizontally or diagonally. Facade Board must not have locks because of the swelling of the wood with the consequent breakage of tongue and groove joints. Impregnation with antiseptics, waxes, other compositions performed after the installation. The best wood for planken – larch, but many other species are possible.
- Bakelite plywood. Water-resistant material is used in moderate climates. Recommended for cladding the facades of frame houses, but with the obligatory finishing three-layer coating of paint.
- Thermo-wood. Boards treated with hot steam in the factory conditions, no longer react to changes in humidity, reduced water absorption of wood – these factors are very important in the facade cladding.
In addition to these three basic types of wood products, imitation planks, burnt planks, facade laths and some other options are used.
