The material for cladding the exterior walls of the building must have sufficient strength, a long service life, a presentable appearance and, of course, affordable cost. All these qualities are successfully combined in a wood-polymer composite.
The facade of the KDP looks original and attractive, while the building is reliably protected from external influences. And about what properties a similar finish has and how to independently mount it, read our article.
What is KDP and how is it made?
The wood-polymer composite is made from a mixture of wood flour, a binder, modifiers and dye. The main component is finely ground wood shavings. It is about 65% of the total mass.
Polymer additives combine all the components and give the final product high strength. Their number reaches 35% of the total. Coloring pigments provide products with a uniform shade and make the facade of the KDP as attractive as possible.
To the product turned out to be sufficiently resistant to atmospheric phenomena, modifying additives are added to the raw materials. They give the panels durability and the ability to withstand sudden changes in temperature.
Carefully mixed raw materials are laid out in prepared forms and sent under the press. Under the influence of high pressure, WPC panels are made for the facade of the desired size. At the final stage, the products are quenched by heat and then packaged and sold.
What are the positive features of the final product?
Front panels (or siding) from KDP have many positive qualities. First of all, it is aesthetics. The building lined with such material takes the form of a well-kept house made of natural wood.
In addition, the KDP board for the facade is characterized by the following properties:
- Duration of operation. This quality is achieved due to its high strength, which eliminates premature damage to the cladding. Wood composite is not susceptible to mold, insects and does not rot.
- Environmental Safety. Although this cladding cannot be called completely natural, its composition includes exclusively harmless components that do not harm the environment.
- High thermal insulation performance. Panels made of composite material perfectly retain heat indoors and do not let in extraneous sounds.
- Unpretentiousness. The material does not require periodic repair, the dust from the panels can be washed off with plain water.
The positive properties include the ease of installation of siding from the KDP. The products have light weight, which allows any owner to independently clad the house.
A few words about the shortcomings
Like any other material, the composite has its drawbacks. First of all, this is the price. The facade of the KDP does not apply to budget types of decoration. However, the duration of operation fully pays for all investments.
It should also highlight the dye instability to ultraviolet radiation. Over time, the panels fade and lose their former saturation. This disadvantage is easily eliminated by the method of re-staining. It is necessary to carry out such processing no more than once every 10 years, and this is quite acceptable.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that during heating the panels can expand, therefore, during their installation, compensation gaps should be left.
Technical characteristics of WPC panels
WPC panels for facade decoration have high technical characteristics. They are indicated on the packaging of the product and indicate the following physical and mechanical properties:
- panel thickness - from 11 to 21 mm;
- the width of one strip is from 95 to 195 mm;
- bar length - from 1.4 to 4 meters;
- weight of 1 running meter of facing - within 1.5 kg;
- Warranty period - 8-10 years (depending on the manufacturer);
- moisture resistance - high;
- ability to withstand temperature fluctuations in the range of -60 ... + 80 ° ;
- resistance to mechanical damage - more than 10 MPa;
- density - 1.0-1.5 kg / dm 3 ;
- ability to withstand loads - up to 500 kg / m 2 ;
- fire resistance is high.
If a burning match is thrown on a KDP stove, the material will not ignite. In the worst case, a dark mark will remain on its surface. This allows you to judge its safety.
What are the features of the installation of material from KDP?
Facing the facade with WPC materials allows you to create an unusual design that will successfully harmonize with the surrounding landscape. Such products are characterized by a rich color gamut and a variety of textures, so finishing can be done immediately from several types of panels.
In this case, it should be borne in mind that each manufacturer has their own parameters for the facing elements. If you decide to combine several types of WPC siding, use products from the same manufacturer.
Pay attention to the fact that before mounting the panels should be freed from packaging and allow them to adapt to the surrounding climate. Otherwise, the cladding may be bent. Also note that the manufacturer does not recommend installation at temperatures below -5 ° C.
Before starting work, prepare all the necessary tools. You will need a jigsaw, drill, screwdriver, circular saw or hacksaw, measuring tool, pencil and building level.
Installation instructions for composite finishes
The technology for installing facades from KDP involves preparing the foundation. In the process of these works, it is necessary to clean the facade of the old cladding and loose elements. You should also dismantle the drainpipes, antennas, shutters and everything that will bother you.
Further work is performed according to the following technology:
- Put a marking on the walls of the building, which will indicate the fixing places of the brackets for the vertical elements of the crate. The distance between the fasteners should not exceed 35 cm horizontally and 45 cm vertically. The distance from the outer and inner corner is 5 cm.
- Drill holes for the dowels at the marked points. Fix the brackets at the indicated points.
- Fix the supporting rails to the wall. Use 4.8 x 25 mm screws for this. Fix the elements of the crate with two self-tapping screws to each bracket. Thus assemble the entire frame.
- From bottom to top, begin to fix the KDP panel. Use 3 x 15 mm screws for this. Fix the bottom of the first board with a clip for the lining. In places of touching the cladding with the frame, screw in 2 screws. Leave 1-2 mm of compensation gap between adjacent panels.
- Form the external and external corners of the building with special corners 45 x 45 mm.
Window and doorways are sheathed with special fittings. At this stage, the facade of the KDP siding can be considered ready.
If the building needs additional insulation, install heat-insulating material between the guides of the battens before facing it. After that, start fixing siding.
Material Reviews
WPC facing recently appeared on the domestic market, so it’s very difficult to see the facade of a house from WPC with your own eyes. Nevertheless, the network already has a sufficient number of reviews of the owners of this cladding.
The owners of such facades note that they chose this material for an attractive appearance. Many have heard skeptical reviews, but decided to check the properties of KDP products on themselves. As a result, most consumers were very pleased with the result.
Homeowners emphasize the strength and ease of installation of this cladding. However, they warn that the material has the qualities of natural wood: it expands under the influence of temperatures. This must be taken into account when installing it. In general, buyers are satisfied with their purchase.
conclusions
WPC panels for the facade - a new and imperfect material, it is not yet fully adapted to the harsh Russian climate. Nevertheless, if the cladding is installed taking into account all the requirements, then it will last quite a long time. So, this option is worthy of the attention of homeowners.