Finishing the exterior walls of houses is often done with the help of siding. This material is appreciated for its practicality, versatility and a number of other positive features.
Decorating the house with siding allows you to increase the presentability of the building, insulate it, protect the facade from the negative effects of external factors. Owners of small private houses can do the wall cladding on their own. In this case, you can use various types of base material and apply several technologies for its installation.
What is a modern siding and how to install it on the walls so that the building looks as attractive as possible, we will consider in our article.
The advantages of using siding and its types
The walls of the facade are tiled to increase the respectability of the building or with the aim of warming it. Siding can be used both in the first and in the second variant. A large selection of colors, textures and shapes of the material can significantly increase the presentability of the building, make it attractive and unusual.
The length of the panels can reach 6 meters, which significantly speeds up the process of wall cladding. The width of one element varies from 10 to 30 centimeters. The material can mimic brickwork, expensive natural stone, wooden beams and decorative plaster.
Decorating the house with siding is so simple that the building can be completely transformed in a couple of days. In addition, the material is completely safe for the environment and easy enough to care for. It can be mounted on any surface.
Depending on the type of raw materials used, the panels are divided into the following types:
- metal;
- vinyl;
- wooden;
- ceramic;
- cement.
Each option has its own distinctive properties. Let us consider in more detail what types of facade decoration with siding are available to us today.
Home decoration with metal panels: pros and cons
Metal siding for exterior decoration of the house has two degrees of protection. The panel is primed and coated with polymer compositions. This ensures the durability of the product and its resistance to the natural environment.
The main advantage of this type is the ability to install at any time of the year. The panels are quite easy to install on the walls and reliably protect the building from fire. The steel finish is resistant to temperature extremes and retains its appearance for several decades.
The width of the metal panels ranges from 120 to 550 mm. The outer side of the product can have both an absolutely even and smooth appearance, and repeat the structure of natural materials.
Decorating a house with metal siding is considered the most durable, but it also has drawbacks. These include:
- weak soundproofing properties;
- low thermal insulation;
- susceptibility to corrosion.
Damaged metal cladding corrodes very quickly. For this reason, facade repair must be carried out immediately. This process is complicated by the fact that it is impossible to replace one element. To do this, you need to disassemble the entire wall.
Features of the use of vinyl varieties
Vinyl siding for exterior decoration of the house is made of polyvinyl chloride sheet. The material has a very light weight, which positively affects the process of its installation. Lightweight options can even be installed on the facades of dilapidated buildings.
Vinyl varieties are resistant to temperature extremes and high humidity. They do not need to be painted, you can often wash.
The panels have a length of 3 to 4 meters, and their width can reach 50 cm. You can mount them in the horizontal and vertical directions. The color scheme of vinyl panels is very diverse. The combination of several shades allows you to make the facade of the house attractive and unique.
The only disadvantage of vinyl siding is fragility. Such a facing is afraid of strong physical influences. A damaged finish cannot be restored; it must be replaced.
Wood siding feature
The panels imitating timber are made of sawdust. They are pressed under high pressure and bonded with resins. To protect the material from the outdoor microclimate, it is impregnated with antiseptics and varnished.
Decorating a house with wood siding is not very popular today. This is due to the high cost of the material, its fragility, the need for constant processing of the facade with protective equipment.
However, if you have always dreamed of a log cabin, this decoration option will certainly be to your taste. The advantages of this type include environmental safety. Products tolerate low temperatures well and do not change their appearance under the influence of sunlight.
A distinctive feature of wooden siding is the ability to insulate the walls of the facade. The tree has low thermal conductivity, which allows warming without additional materials.
Distinctive features of cement options
Cement siding for exterior decoration of the house is considered an elite facing material. It has a particularly attractive appearance and is most durable.
Panels are made by compressing cellulosic fibers and cement. The front surface of the plate is made in the form of natural stone, brick, plaster.
Cement cladding has several advantages:
- resistance to natural phenomena;
- resistance to the settlement of fungi and mold;
- ability to withstand high temperatures;
- long-term preservation of the original form;
- safety for the environment.
The disadvantages of this siding are considered high cost and impressive weight. The latter fact does not allow the use of material for dilapidated facades.
Ceramic siding and its properties
Ceramic siding is made from clay and a mixture of various natural additives (quartz sand, granite chips, etc.). The material has a completely natural composition, which indicates its absolute safety for others.
Decorating the house with ceramic siding allows not only to decorate the walls, but also significantly insulate the house. The clad building retains heat well in the cold season, and is cool in the summer.
Positive qualities of ceramic finishes:
- hypoallergenic;
- low thermal conductivity;
- fire safety;
- resistance to temperature extremes;
- good moisture tolerance;
- lack of fungal processes;
- presentable appearance.
When choosing ceramic panels should pay attention to their weight. Products are quite heavy, mounted on reinforced cladding, require high strength foundation and foundation.
The simplest way to finish the facade: one type of material
In most cases, the decoration of the facade of the house with siding is performed in a standard way. One type of material is used.
With this approach, the facade is quite strict, but no less attractive. The color of the cladding is selected depending on the preferences of the owner of the building.
Facing begins with preparation of the basis. On the external walls, a wooden or metal crate is fixed. If necessary, insulation material is installed.
A vapor barrier material is fixed on top of the insulation, and then the siding is mounted.
Option 2: Combination Finish
If you want your facade to look original, use non-standard home decoration siding options. For example, combine several types of cladding.
The corners of the house can be decorated with cement panels, and the space between them - standard stripes. Emphasis can be placed on the design of the basement of the building. It should be faced with the most durable siding options.
The combined finish has a number of positive features:
- gives the building attractiveness and showiness;
- allows you to realize extraordinary design ideas;
- makes it possible to combine several shades of material in the design of the house.
The installation technology of several types of siding is quite simple. All elements are mounted on a common crate. However, the frame pitch should be such that it is convenient to mount products with different parameters.
Option 3: a combination of different colors
Unusual design can be done by combining several colors of the same material. However, the colors do not have to be bright. The facade can be decorated in a practical beige color, and the base of the building and the corners of the house - in a darker shade.
Good results can be achieved when creating a black and white cladding. Such a facade will not leave indifferent any passerby, as the building will stand out strongly among ordinary buildings.
Finishing the facade of the house with siding can successfully harmonize with the surrounding landscape. The houses, decorated to the color of fences, paving slabs, house buildings, demonstrate the excellent taste of their owner.
Option 4: combination of facing directions
As mentioned earlier, siding can be mounted in horizontal and vertical directions. This allows facade cladding in two ways at once.
Combined decoration of a private house with siding makes it possible to highlight individual areas of the facade. For example, on the main walls of the panel can be placed horizontally, and in the area of the gables - vertically.
With this design method, the basic rule must be taken into account: for vertical fixing of panels, it is necessary to equip a horizontal crate, and for horizontal - vice versa.
Option 5: using different materials
Photos of house decoration siding are vivid proof that the panels are in perfect harmony with other materials. Together with such cladding, you can use natural and artificial stone, clinker bricks, plastic facade panels and other available options.
The main condition for this design is the observance of color balance. Properly selected colors and textures of materials allow each decoration element to show itself from the most favorable side.
Additional materials are available in the area of the pediment and basement. Separately, you can veneer all the outer corners of the building.
Brief description of siding installation technology
Familiarization with the technology of home decoration siding (outside) will allow you to understand how this work is done. You can also evaluate whether you can cope with the task yourself.
The work is carried out in the following order:
- The walls are cleaned of old finishes and all kinds of protruding parts.
- Existing cracks and grooves in the walls are filled with cement mortar or foam.
- If wooden walls are to be finished, they are treated with an antiseptic.
- A wireframe is created. For heavy siding options, the crate is created from a metal profile. In all other cases, you can use wooden blocks.
- When the siding is horizontal, the slats are installed vertically. The step of the crate should not exceed 45 cm.
- If the facade will be additionally insulated, the selected material is installed between the slats.
- Hydro and vapor barrier is fixed on top of the insulation.
- Through special holes in the panels, the material is attached to the crate using self-tapping screws.
- The panels in the upper row should slightly cover the elements of the lower row. So the whole facade is faced.
At the end of the finish, the external and internal corners of the building are made out with special fittings. Additional elements will be required for finishing window and doorways. These components are purchased with the base material.
To summarize
Siding is a very practical and simple material. Its installation does not cause difficulties. But you need to choose it very carefully. If the building is on a solid foundation, its walls are strong enough, then heavier varieties can be used.
Decorating your home with vinyl siding can be done on any building. It is also better to use this variety for facing frame buildings. It does not exert pressure on the walls and makes the facade quite attractive.
To create a complex and unique design, boldly combine the colors and textures of the cladding. Use several finishing methods at once. The main thing is that the materials harmonize well with each other.