Facade decoration is not only the stylistic design of the house, but also a responsible layer of protection for the wall structure. Correctly selected material for the outer cladding protects the frame from the effects of rain, wind and physical damage. How to sheathe a house so as not to be disappointed in the process of operation? Manufacturers of building materials offer many attractive options, and the final choice should be made taking into account compatibility with the requirements for the facade.
Facade cladding structure
In contrast to the plaster coating and the application of paints and varnishes, the facade cladding involves a multilayer structure. Firstly, it allows you to more reliably perform physical fastening, and in various ways. Secondly, it is necessary to turn on the insulators and preserve the ventilated space. The entire cladding design will include three basic components - the frame, insulation with a waterproofing and directly the outer coating. How to sheathe a house is an important question, but it is impossible to answer it without an initial assessment of the possibilities for arranging insulators with a frame. This can be a siding, a regular board, lining or specialized facade materials. The main thing is that all three elements organically complement each other both in function and in structural design. You can start consideration of the cladding layers from the frame, which is primarily attached to the supporting base.
Lathing for cladding
Cladding panels are usually mounted to surfaces on a frame base in the form of a lathing. For this design, you can use conventional rails, but since we are talking about the outer surface, it will be necessary to subject the material to processing with special compounds. The crate must be protected from moisture, have refractory properties and not be subjected to biological damage (mold, fungus, etc.). How to sheathe a house with a facade crate from an ordinary rail? Heavy materials in this case should not be used. The best option would be a lining from a similar to the characteristics of a small rail.
On a large area, you can implement a more reliable design. For this, either a board with a width of at least 5 cm or a metal prefabricated profile is used. But, in the case of metal, it is especially important to provide for the presence of anti-corrosion treatment. How is the installation done? Approaches to the installation of the structure and fastening of individual elements may be different. To begin with, it is worth determining how the lining will be connected with the wall. Because, for example, to sheathe a house with siding with your own hands will not be difficult if you use long bolts or brackets passing through the crate. But for a small-format rail, it is better to use a phased installation configuration. First, install dowels on the wall with dowels or screws, and then fix the rails to it in a separate order.
Insulation materials
The free space in the sub-facing niche is optimally suited for placement of insulation. An insulator with a thickness of 15-20 cm can be placed under the crate, which will provide the building with a suitable microclimate with minimized energy consumption. What material should be used as a heater? Since we are talking about external decoration, the high requirements for environmental cleanliness disappear, but the function of moisture resistance increases. It is best to use polystyrene foam boards that can cope with condensate drainage on their own. If the choice fell on mineral wool, which, as a heat insulator, is an even more effective solution, it is important to take care of the windproof and vapor barrier layer.
Now you can proceed to the installation activities. Mats, slabs or thick roll material are pre-cut to fit free cells in the crate. There is no need for special gluing or fasteners, since an overlay of rails will be mounted on top, which will close the insulator. In addition, it is possible to sheathe a house with siding with insulation without a counter-battens, since the device of the panels provides niches for fixing the insulator. It is necessary to choose the right slats for the format and prepare the sealing material for them.
Board - the most popular option for plating
Traditional clean lumber is still the most affordable, convenient to handle and simply aesthetic material for facade cladding. For external cladding, it is better to use a larch, spruce or pine board, and material from exotic species with sufficient characteristics of hardness and moisture resistance is also suitable. As for the decorative properties, the photo below of a house sheathed with a regular board only confirms the advantages of a natural facade over artificial cladding.
When drawing up a plating plan, it will be important to determine the parameters of the board. The average size range in thickness varies from 25 to 35 mm, in width - 100-200 mm, and in length - from 3 to 4 m. You can use an ordinary board without factory profiling, but it is better to think over the installation configuration from the beginning, which can be facilitated subject to the presence of a groove-crest. This is the butt joint connection that the board acquires as a result of special selection at the edges.
No less important is the question regarding the location of the board on the front surface. From the point of view of visual perception, the classic horizontal layout looks more effective, but, as experts say, the vertical arrangement gives a practical advantage, since water flows down the board and does not leak through the joints under the crate. By the way, it is possible to sheathe a house with siding according to the horizontal scheme, since the facade panels of this type provide completely tight joints for joints, eliminating the passage of water and even condensate. But, also the vertical arrangement of lamellas is not excluded.
Lining
Material as attractive in environmental and decorative properties as a regular board. The only difference is that the laths of the lining receive a more complex profiled treatment, specially designed for convenient and durable installation of the outer lining. If there is a question about how to sheathe a wooden house without significant load on the walls and supporting, you can safely choose the lining. This is especially true of frame houses on a columnar foundation. Lightweight rails practically do not shrink and at the same time are able to imitate a real beam. But it is very important that the material has a special impregnation with antiseptics. Thin strips quickly collapse under the action of fungus and mold, so biological protection should be maintained constantly during operation of the house.
Another popular type of board cladding is a block house. Its feature is a higher imitation effect. Block house planks can recreate the texture of cylindrical logs, protecting the facade from wind loads. In appearance, standard models of such strips are similar to lining, but the fundamental difference lies in the material of manufacture. It can be both natural wood, and plastic with aluminum. And if a house sheathed with a lining made of lumber will win due to the natural texture, then the strengths of the metal block house include durability, resistance to deformation loads and minimal maintenance requirements.
Siding panels
The merits of this material have already been mentioned more than once, for which there are many user confirmations. So, a house sheathed with siding, the photo of which is presented above, is characterized not only by a presentable appearance, but also by reliable protection of the walls. The performance of the panels may vary depending on the type of material. Classic siding is made of wood and focuses on the thermal insulation function. In regions with a cold climate, a cladding system is widespread, in which siding is covered and sealed with mineral wool with wind insulation. This combination performs several tasks at once - moisture protection, insulation, vapor barrier and air circulation.
Metal and vinyl siding are also common. In the first category, steel panels deserve special attention. They are heavy and cause a lot of difficulties during the installation process, but, from the point of view of mechanical protection of the wall structure, this is the best option for cladding. If you need a practical and lightweight facade, you can sheathe the house with vinyl siding. Such panels are able to withstand adverse atmospheric effects, protect the insulating layers from moisture and at the same time be resistant to physical shock.
Solid state skin options
For brick houses, you can use large-format heavy cladding that walls and ceilings can withstand. In particular, the installation is carried out using fiber cement, metal and stone tile panels. Clinker brick is also popular, in the manufacture of which refractory clay is used. In addition to the original appearance of such a cladding, you can count on effective thermal insulation.
As for the tile, it has practicality, high strength and unpretentiousness in the care. First of all, this applies to porcelain stoneware weaknesses, in which textured aesthetic advantages are also expressed. But how to sheathe the house outside to get the effect of a truly classic facade? Of course, in such cases, natural stone will come to the rescue. You can use caddis, sandstone, marble and granite. Each of these minerals has its own natural and unique texture, which will give the facade an individual style. True, making such a choice, one should prepare for a difficult installation. Laying a heavy stone on a vertical surface is a laborious and responsible task. And this is not to mention that natural stone is weak are one of the most expensive materials for cladding.
Ventilated Facade Technology
The vent façade system is a ready-made multifunctional home cladding kit. When assembled, such a finish performs the functions of insulation, mechanical protection and decoration. For example, the design advantages of the ventilation façade can be judged by the above photo. The houses sheathed by this technology also receive fireproof barriers and special insulation from the passage of moisture and steam.
The design of the ventilation façade is formed by a subsystem (supporting frame), insulation and cladding. As for the subsystem, it is essentially a metal skeleton crate on which fastening equipment is held. But, unlike a conventional wooden frame, the supporting system made of galvanized steel is able to withstand heavy loads at times.
A special insulation is placed inside the subsystem. Usually, dense insulators are used in this capacity, which reduce the heat loss of buildings from 40 to 80%. The final layer of the ventilated facade is the outer cladding, which may be stone tiles or porcelain tiles. If there is a question about how to sheathe a house so that the supporting structure can withstand heavy loads, you can safely give preference to the ventilation facade. The fastening system with anchor and plate dowels allows you to fix the heavy lining without the slightest risk.
What to consider when performing a covering?
During the work at each stage of the facade cladding device, it is important to remember two fundamental points. Firstly, it is the reliability of the mechanical fixation of materials. Secondly, the minimum area of joints, gaps and crevices, which inevitably remain after the installation of each subsequent layer is completed. At the household level, without professional help, you can sheathe a house with your own hands with a standard set of tools. The lath is assembled from lumber with the help of nails, screws and metal staples. The structure can be fixed to the wall with brackets and anchors. The same hardware is used in the process of fastening the casing. Joints with gaps should be identified on time and treated with dry mixes. It can be a primer, tile adhesive, silicone sealant or bitumen - the choice of a specific tool depends on the surface for application.
Facade decoration
Finished lining can be ennobled with the help of paints and varnishes. First of all, this applies to wooden cladding, since other types of coatings initially had factory stylistic processing. For facades, calm tones are usually used, in harmony or contrasting with the shade of the roof. Moreover, the walls should always be lighter than the roof. You can also diversify the monotonous palette by applying two different shades of the same color.
Do not ignore the structural decorative elements. In a country house, the use of facade fencing, window spros, frames and other stylistic attributes is justified. An example of such improvement is illustrated by the photo of a beautifully sheathed house, presented below.
Conclusion
After roofing, the facade is the most vulnerable part of the building, requiring proper care. The most moody materials are wood. Lining, board, wood-chip panels and block house should be periodically treated with protective equipment, varnished or painted. What is the best way to sheathe a house so that maintenance and preventive care measures are minimized? Galvanized steel siding is the least demanding in this regard. Once you complete the installation, you can refer to its design only for external cleaning of surfaces. Vinyl panels are also famous for practicality, but, compared with the same metal, they do not withstand strong physical loads. Therefore, from time to time, replacement of cracked or deformed skin elements may be required. One of the main advantages of siding is its high maintainability, so there will be no problems with the maintenance of plastic panels.