Building panels are an excellent solution in cases where you need to carry out installation quickly and without much effort. The variety of colors that are currently offered on the construction market is able to satisfy the requirements of even the most capricious customers.
It is thanks to the ease of installation and reasonable cost that a variety of building panels are currently actively used. Let us dwell in more detail on the characteristics of these decorative materials.
Varieties
Building panels are made in several variations:
When choosing the type of such materials, it is necessary to pay attention to the size of the structure, lighting, taste preferences of the owner.
Rack panels
They are planks, the length of which is on average from 2400 to 3700 mm, the width is from 125 to 300 mm, the thickness ranges from 8-12 mm. They are optimally suited for cladding small spaces. To carry out the installation of such panels, a wooden or metal crate is preliminarily made. Fixation of individual elements with each other is carried out thanks to the spikes and grooves (locking mechanisms). The material is attached to the crate using self-tapping screws. Such panels are made of MDF, PVC, fiberboard, chipboard.
Stacked Tile Panels
They are squares with dimensions of 30 by 30 (or 98 by 98 cm), therefore they are convenient for creating original drawings, combinations in color, texture.
They are fixed to the wall using clamps or special glue, as well as through a locking mechanism. These building panels are made of fiberboard, particleboard, MDF, PVC.
Wall sheet panels
Such materials are large in size: from 1.22 to 2.44 meters. Three-layer building panels can be selected with imitation of tiles, wood, stone. Installation of materials is carried out using glue, then the seams are carefully hidden under the moldings.
Panels are made of fiberboard, impregnating it with special resins.
In addition to the decorative materials listed above, structural panels are also used in construction, designed to create partitions and internal walls in the room:
Materials
Manufacturers offer facade panels for exterior decoration from synthetic components that are not inferior to natural analogs in aesthetics and performance characteristics. We will analyze the distinguishing features of some of them so that you can make the right choice.
An excellent option for exterior decoration is PVC facade panels. They are made of soft plastic having a cellular character. Only 3% of such materials is polymer, the rest of the space is occupied by air. For fixing such products, the “comb-groove” system used in the kit is used. These products are suitable for basement home decoration siding.
PVC
We highlight the main advantages of vinyl panels for PVC facades:
resistance to high humidity;
long operational life;
frost resistance;
ease of installation;
environmental friendliness;
acceptable price;
wide range of colors and textures.
In addition to the advantages, plastic vinyl panels have certain disadvantages. They are not resistant to elevated temperatures, and when burned they emit toxic gaseous compounds into the atmosphere. Also among the disadvantages of PVC panels, we highlight their fragility. Such materials are hollow inside, so their shape is supported only by stiffeners. Any carved movement leads to the appearance of holes in them.
Metal
What are these building panels? The sizes of products can vary from 0.5 to 2.5 m. Such decorative materials are made of aluminum or galvanized steel. Depending on the drawing of the house, you can choose perforated or smooth panels. Installation is carried out with screws or nails. What are the distinguishing features of metal panels for facades? They are easy to install, their operating temperature range is -50 ... + 50 ° . The materials are distinguished by a long service life (about 30 years), excellent noise insulation coefficient (about 20 dB), resistance to aggressive chemical compounds, and bending strength.
Among the few shortcomings of such finishing materials, we note:
If the plans include the use of such materials for decorating the facade of a building, then you will also have to take care of its insulation.
Fiber cement
Prefabricated house designs often involve the use of Japanese facades. Such materials consist of cement and various impurities. One part is fiberglass or plastic, cellulose, and nine parts are cement. The fibers are randomly arranged inside the material, which gives the panels a flexural strength.
Among the advantages of such panels:
significant life;
resistance to temperature fluctuations;
environmental Safety;
resistance to UV radiation and atmospheric corrosion;
reasonable cost;
excellent thermal insulation characteristics;
wide range of textures and colors;
incombustibility.
Among the disadvantages of Japanese facade panels, it is necessary to highlight the instability to mechanical damage, low impact resistance, as well as moisture absorption (additional painting is required).
Wood fiber based materials
They consist of natural wood, which was first split into fibers, and then compressed at high temperature and pressure. A special paint, veneer or polymer material is applied to the panel. In appearance, they are identical to natural wood. Builders choose such finishing materials because of the ease of installation, excellent bending strength, affordable cost, and good thermal insulation characteristics. The only drawback of such panels is their instability to high temperatures.
To summarize
Why are building panels with honeycomb used in modern construction? They compare favorably with other finishing materials with strength and rigidity. The carrier layers, which are supported by a filler, withstand large compressive stresses, clearly exceeding the elastic limit of the material used. When installing such panels, fewer support elements will be required, which will significantly speed up the construction process.
The design consists of their outer thin layers made of durable materials that are interconnected by filler soldering, welding, gluing. Such panels are used in block construction, since the products are resistant to corrosion, have excellent aesthetic and operational characteristics.
High stability allows the use of supporting shells of small thickness, which contributes to overall weight loss. At the same time, three-layer panels give the building excellent electrical, sound, thermal insulation properties. Among the advantages of such products, it is necessary to note their acceptable cost, as well as external aesthetics.
That is why more and more often builders choose precisely multilayer panels for external facades, significantly reducing the load on the foundation of a residential house or office building being built.