Facing facade surfaces with natural wood is still one of the most common ways of exterior decoration of a house. And as alternative finishes appear, the range of possibilities for traditional cladding expands. But, regardless of the selected technology for finishing the facade with wood, the durability and aesthetic properties of the external protection will depend on the quality of installation work.
Wood requirements
Among the main advantages of wooden home decoration can be identified environmental friendliness and attractive appearance. On the other hand, wood is also the most problematic material, the operation of which can be associated with biological damage, susceptibility to burning and the natural destruction of the structure due to moisture. To minimize such effects, the facade finish with wood should initially be made of high quality material. When choosing, it is important to take into account indicators such as moisture coefficient, wood grade, defects and knots, as well as the quality of processing faces. The slightest damage to the structure in the future may become the focus of the development of mold or fungus, therefore, when purchasing skin elements, regardless of the format of their release, a thorough audit of the external condition of the products should be done.
Board cladding
This is one of the most popular and affordable methods of wood cladding. For such purposes, it is recommended to use lumber from pine, spruce or durable species of an exotic spectrum. As for the sizes, the length can be 4-5 m, the width is 10-20 cm, and the thickness is from 20 to 35 mm. The standard format for this skin is shown in the photo below. Finishing the facade of the house with wood in the form of a board is usually realized in a simple way - by nailing on the sides of the mount. But it is better to pay attention to models with the presence of spike-groove-type locking joints. This type of fastening is not only more reliable, but also more profitable from the point of view of sealing and warming the house. However, in this case, one cannot do without fixing each segment to the facade base.
The choice of the direction of the board is also fundamental. Both vertical and horizontal arrangement of elements is practiced. Which option is better? Practice shows that with all the aesthetics of the horizontal configuration, a vertical installation is preferable due to its durability. In such a system, rainwater directly flows down without stopping and without destroying the structure of the wood from the inside and sides.
Clapboard decoration
This material is often confused with a conventional board, siding, and even a block house. At the same time, the lining has a number of fundamental differences, among which the following can be distinguished:
- The small format of the strap, the width of which is 5-7 cm, and the thickness is 15-20 cm.
- The presence of perforations and grooves for the castle connection. For such a facade finish with wood, factory processing is not optional, as in the case of a board, but mandatory.
- A special profile in the form of a deep groove-ridge joint distinguishes the so-called euro-lining, made according to Western standards.
- The American lining, in turn, is distinguished by a beveled profile, which allows for overlapping installation.
- Moderate humidity of 10-15%. Also in the manufacturing process, special drying is a mandatory procedure that increases the strength of the material structure.
- The complete absence of knots, "blue", chips and other injuries.
In general, it can be said that the lining is a neat and aesthetically attractive, but quite difficult to install option of external design.
The use of wood siding
This type of lining is quite popular in the performance of metal and plastic elements, but lumber can also be used as a basis for siding. Moreover, unlike boards and lining, they do not use solid wood, but pressed wood - this is a particleboard lining made of fibers that are compressed under high pressure in a certain temperature regime. How is such a method of manufacturing cladding beneficial for facade decoration? The photo of the wooden facade, presented below, shows the decorative properties of the design, but the advantages of the material do not end there. The dense pressing makes this type of siding physically strong and durable (service life is 10-15 years). There are also panels with a combination of wood and composites. Such a design can withstand even constant contact with moisture, but the nuances of environmental and fire safety should be taken into account.
Combination with other materials
You can talk about the combination of different materials not only in the context of cladding as such, but also in relation to the facade design as a whole. Most often, hybrid plating using wood and stone. The popularity of this solution is associated with several points. The design itself with stone has a lot of advantages - both aesthetic and technical properties. It is a reliable and noble facing of the traditional style in texture and texture, but it can not always be used in relation to small houses. Sometimes this restriction is imposed due to the insufficient reliability of the base of the walls, and sometimes stone is discarded due to the visual reduction of the building. In both cases, the partial use of a heavy natural mineral and wood will justify itself.
In this design, fragmentary sheathing is realized with a board, siding or lining of the main surfaces. You can use the zoning technique, in which different functional parts will be given to the decoration of a particular material. As one of the options for decorating the facade with wood and stone, you can offer a partial decoration or reinforcement of the porch, basement, corners, bay window or balcony areas. Perhaps the key accents of aesthetic properties will be placed precisely by the choice of the textured solution in relation to the stone.
Preparation of the facade surface for cladding
Almost all types of wood cladding include mounting on the crate. This is a frame base of wooden or metal planks and bars that are installed on top of the wall. Using fasteners like dowels, self-tapping screws and anchor joints, it is necessary to form a subfacial structure with a small clearance for ventilation. The rails 5-10 cm thick are optimal, but you must also make a calculation here on the possibility of placing heat-insulating material, which will fit in between the planks. The distances between the frame rails are 30-50 cm, which will allow insulating plates to be laid in free space even without special refinement in size.
How to make insulated facade decoration with wood?
Insulating material can be placed under the casing layer in the crate, which will minimize heat loss. Work begins at the bottom of the facade. Between slats fixed in the wall, slabs of mineral or basalt wool are laid. Depending on the base material and thickness of the insulation, a mounting method is selected. A kind of solid retainer already after installation will be the decoration of the facade of the house itself. It is desirable to waterproof the tree on the surface of the heat insulator with a layer of a membrane film, which will also give the effect of vapor protection. But large and heavy sheets of insulation are still recommended either to be additionally glued to the wall, or attached with umbrella dowels. This mainly applies to mineral wool slabs.
Wood trim mount
Along the open contours of the crate, the installation of the cladding elements is carried out. The board is beaten in the classic way from the base, which can be stone. Placement of segments is overlapped - the top board goes to the bottom. Direct mounting is done with screws or nails that are resistant to corrosion processes. As for the decoration of the facade of a private house with wood in the format of siding and lining, this option is performed by more technological fixation with groove-crest joints. If the castle joints are not provided and the calculation is made on a straight equal joint, it is better to additionally include narrow slats. If there is structural possibility, rear mounting of the strips is realized, so that the effect of physical support complements the internal insulation of the joints.
What else to consider in the casing?
The installation and operation of the wooden facade has many hidden nuances due to the specifics of this natural material. Among them are the following:
- When using fasteners, it is important that the hardware is recessed into the base by at least 5 cm, capturing the finish by 2 cm at least.
- For wood, it is important to provide ventilation gaps. Both in the lower part at the junction of the casing with the base, and in the upper part under a canopy or cornice.
- In problem areas subject to negative impact factors, simulation material can be used. The most widely artificial decoration of the facades of wood houses is represented in the siding families. At the same time, products can recreate not just the texture of wood fibers, but also reflect the structural features of the masonry of the log house with a characteristic texture.
- In the process of using finishes, do not forget about the need to protect natural materials. It is advisable to periodically treat its surface with antiseptics and flame retardants.
Conclusion
A neat and properly installed wood paneling will add visual appeal to the overall image of the house. The weak points of this design relate to the technical part and are expressed in low mechanical strength and protection from adverse external influences. The best solution may be to finish the facade under a tree on a metal or plastic basis in the form of siding, but in this case the ecological value of the natural material will be lost. And the ability of a tree to natural ventilation through micropores should be added to it. Therefore, it is recommended to take a balanced approach to the decoration of different areas of the house, in some places using the aforementioned stone finish, and sometimes plastic inclusions.