To date, architects and designers have at their disposal many building materials and techniques, with the help of which the expressiveness and originality of modern buildings is achieved. One of the most affordable and easy to install is a facade system, presented on the market with a huge number of color and textured solutions, allowing to fully reveal the architect's plan.
Roofing and facade systems
The roof is one of the most important parts of the building, as it is most directly exposed to aggressive environmental stresses. The requirements for the roof are probably the most stringent. It should have absolute waterproofness, sound and heat insulating properties, resistance to temperature and humidity changes, as well as unpretentiousness in maintenance.
All these requirements are met by modern roofing systems, which are not only roofing materials made of galvanized sheet with a polymer coating, but also all constituent mounting fixtures and tools, such as vapor barrier membranes, roof finishing materials, gutter systems, roof windows, etc.
Recently, a new development of specialists has appeared at the disposal of architects - a facade system that allows you to solve even the most daring architectural designs in the shortest possible time and at minimal cost. Cladding products are presented with a wide selection and can be made of various materials: porcelain stoneware, metal facade cassettes, aluminum composite panels, fiber cement boards and more.
The widespread use of this type of facade cladding allows us to talk about its versatility, since it is possible to use both in residential, public and office buildings, as well as in industrial construction.
Feature of hinged facade systems
Hinged facade systems represent the possibility of abandoning the initial exterior finish of the building, which significantly saves investment. The construction of such a facade is carried out on a special frame made of aluminum, which gives the optimal ratio of weight and strength. Also, aluminum is not susceptible to corrosion, which eliminates the need for ongoing repair of structures for many years.
Such a facade system is installed at any time of the year without loss of quality, and ease of use provides another important plus. Since the installation is not carried out directly on the wall of the building, but is fixed only at reference points, this allows you to hide the shortcomings of the bearing walls, and also makes it possible to design the facade of not only the building under construction, but also the already constructed structure.
Ventilated Facade Systems
Ventilated facade systems are panels mounted on a special frame with a gap between the wall and the panel. The ability to choose a heater to fill this gap allows you to achieve the best option for maintaining a comfortable temperature in the building. The main material for thermal protection used in facade systems are mineral wool with layering on the outer surface of fiberglass.
The ventilation duct allows you to get rid of fungi and mold, as well as the accumulation of moisture on the supporting walls of the building. The provision of sound insulation and vapor barrier is achieved by the possibility of installing additional layers of protection between the panel and the wall.
Installation process
The installation of facade systems takes place in several stages and can be carried out both by specialized companies and non-professionals. At the first stage, a marking grid is applied to the wall of the building, along which the mounting subsystem is subsequently installed.
Next, the insulation layer and the waterproofing membrane are fastened. At this stage, there is a gap between the insulation and the cladding plates, which further provides a pocket for moisture condensation, which should not reach the load-bearing wall of the building. Then, the cladding material is attached, and all panels are precisely adjusted to meet fire safety requirements.
Porcelain hinged facades
The special operational and physico-technical characteristics of porcelain stoneware allow it to be attributed to universal materials that can retain their aesthetic and physical qualities for many years. Such a facade system is mainly used in administrative, commercial and office buildings, where unpretentiousness in maintenance and durability play an important role.
Porcelain stoneware is an artificial material that is highly resistant to temperature differences and low moisture absorption. A low level of abrasion and strength make it the best material for facade cladding.
A huge selection of colors and textures allows you to simulate almost any material, whether it is wood or any of the stone materials of natural origin, which gives a large field for designers to create.
Since the advent of porcelain stoneware (in the 1970s), its properties have improved, and today they almost do not differ from the properties of natural granite, but at the same time porcelain stoneware is several times cheaper, and therefore more affordable.
Fire safety
Despite all the obvious advantages, the ventilated facade system has recently received great resonance in construction circles: there have been reports of several fires that caused great damage due to the rapid spread of fire through the ventilation pockets of the facades. Among a large number of different brands and models of products, there are those in which combustible materials are used. When burning, they emit highly toxic compounds that are dangerous to humans.
Fire standards for facades with a height of more than two floors contain stringent requirements for heat and vapor barrier materials, but, as practice shows, fire can also spread along the exterior of the facade. The novelty and lack of testing of the material on the Russian market leads to the fact that at the moment there are no methods for determining fire safety that would be applicable specifically to curtain walls.