Siding is a panel for cladding the exterior of buildings and fences. Modern manufacturers offer a wide range of products for facade cladding, which is not easy to understand. In addition, the installation of panels is increasingly being carried out without the involvement of specialists. To avoid mistakes in this matter, we will consider the existing types of products and analyze how to mount the siding with your own hands - a step-by-step instruction to help future developers.
General information
Each siding panel has a lock connection for easy installation of elements. Fastening is carried out using self-tapping screws, for which a special edge with perforation is provided. The siding board has a figured profile evenly distributed over the entire length and width of the sheet. The length of the product can reach 6 meters, width - up to 30 cm, profile height - up to 10 mm.
Material
Siding panels are designed to simulate the pattern and texture of wood. They are made of different materials using modern technologies that ensure high quality products and their reliable service. At the same time, it is quite simple to mount the siding with your own hands, a step-by-step instruction of actions remains identical for all types of panels.
- Chipboard panels are made from wood fibers with resin composite compounds. Siding is varnished and protective compounds to give resistance to aggressive environmental influences.
- Polymer siding is made of PVC, acrylic or vinyl. The product has high resistance to weathering, is not subject to decay and corrosion. It protects the wall and insulation from getting wet. The most common type of decoration of facades and plinths due to low cost, good performance and color and texture.
- Metal (steel) galvanized siding is characterized by high strength and durability. Its color scheme is diverse, different types of profile and texture give the coating. Exterior finish with steel sheet does not visually differ from vinyl siding.
- Cement profile for external cladding is rarely used due to the large weight and time-consuming installation. In addition, such a coating must be painted independently. The advantages of the material include its strength, durability and the absence of seasonal dimensional changes.
Home decoration
Now, let's see how do it yourself siding decoration. Step-by-step instructions for each structural part of the house are presented below.
The use of a profiled sheet for exterior cladding is used for the facade, basement, balconies, windows. This allows you to protect structures from external aggressive environmental factors. Finishing the facade with siding with insulation allows you to achieve the layering of the outer wall, which contributes to the preservation of heat in the rooms without the use of massive traditional cladding with plasters and bricks.
Tool
Before installation, stock up on tools. You will need:
- Scissors for metal and a hacksaw.
- Self-tapping screws.
- Screwdriver and screwdriver.
- Measuring device: tape measure or laser.
- Ladder.
Manufacturers and sellers meet their customers and offer sets of tools and necessary items for cladding. To acquire this, it is enough to provide the dimensions of the surface to be coated, experts will calculate the amount of material needed to install the siding with your own hands. A step-by-step instruction involves carrying out several stages:
- Surface preparation.
- Installation of the crate.
- Laying siding.
Each step has its own characteristics when working with different materials.
Stage 1: preparation
Finishing the facade with siding with insulation or a simple wall is a time-consuming process, assembly is carried out from the bottom up. Similarly work with all surfaces. Since work surfaces have a large area, working with a stepladder is extremely impractical and inconvenient. Exit - installation of scaffolding. They are assembled from a beam with a section of 150x150 or more for racks, boards or plywood flooring will fit for the floor.
The next preparatory step is the waterproofing of the walls in the absence of insulation on the facade. In this case, the film is attached directly to the wall.
Stage 2: Crate
Wooden slats with a section of 50x80 are installed over the entire area of the prepared surface with a step equal to the width of the planks. Particular attention should be paid to corner profiles - these can be the same rails or special guides. They must be rigidly fixed at the ends and additionally fixed along the entire length.
What is the crate for?
- The siding is attached without damage.
- There is a ventilated gap between the cladding and the facade.
- The slats are driven in such a way that an even working plane is formed on an uneven surface.
- The load from the profiles is distributed evenly.
On new buildings with wood cladding, the crate will not be needed if the evenness of the walls is checked by tools. On old houses, significant surface bending is observed, making installation of the profile difficult, sometimes impossible.
Stage 3: cladding
Next, do-it-yourself siding laying begins. The step-by-step instructions for all designs are approximately the same:
1. Set the first bar. It is important to correctly measure its level, since the further collection of cladding is performed along the lower profile. Previously, using a level, measure out an even horizontal and install it on it. The siding panel is mounted on self-tapping screws, excesses and inconsistencies with the lower edge are cut with metal scissors.
2. According to the installed strip, the facing is laid upwards, fixing each element in special grooves or factory holes.
This simple algorithm is common for sheathing all structures. Now we will consider each separately with all the nuances.
Facade
For walls and basement, the algorithm of action remains the same: preparation, crate, cladding. Finishing the facade with siding with do-it-yourself insulation includes an additional step: laying mats of mineral wool or polystyrene foam. A feature of this design is the need for constant ventilation of the insulation to avoid getting wet and loss of initial functions.
So, we do the siding ourselves. Step-by-step instructions for insulation of external walls:
- We clean the facade of foreign objects, plug the cracks on the wall with tow or plaster, depending on the material of the walls. Primer the surface with a protective compound. When the layer dries, close the wall with a waterproofing film.
- Mount the crate. The bars must have a height not less than the width of the insulation.
- We lay the mats of mineral wool or expanded polystyrene, fasten them to special dowels with a pitch of 20-30 cm in width and height.
- We line the windproof membrane and fix it along the entire plane of the wall.
- Next, do-it-yourself siding is carried out. Step-by-step instructions have already been given earlier, the technology remains the same.
According to this algorithm, all facade elements are sheathed: walls without openings, basement, gable roof gable.
Window
Cladding walls with openings requires careful preparation and approach. For protruding structures, a special algorithm of work is needed. A frequently occurring problem is the decoration of windows and doors, or rather, their slopes. To work, you need additional elements:
- J - profile on which the siding is mounted inside the slope.
- H - profile fixes the adjacent panel skin.
- Internal and external corners for installation on transitions between planes.
- A bar adjacent to the window frame.
- Nozzle - drain.
All components must be made of the same material as the siding. Thus, it is possible to achieve the integrity of the composition and the unity of work of all components.
It is better to purchase additional parts at the same time as the main profiles from the same batch to get products of the same color without tinting transitions.
The window siding decoration in detail is as follows:
- We clean the slopes from old materials.
- We embroider and fill cracks to avoid their growth under siding.
- Primer the surface with a moisture-proof primer.
- Install the battens. It is necessary to select their cross section so that the finished coating does not cover the window frame. In cases where this is impossible due to the narrow design of the block, they are guided by the material of the walls: on wooden, profiles are fastened to screws using a screwdriver. If the surface is stone (concrete, brick), if it is impossible to install the battens, the siding is mounted on liquid nails.
- First of all, the ebb is fixed. Its width should exceed the window sill by 7-10 cm. The product is bent from the side of the opening and laid with the outer end to the facade. They are mounted on self-tapping screws to the frame, on which the sealant was previously applied.
- A J-profile is fixed around the box perimeter, into which sheets of siding are brought in, the edges of which are cut to the angle of slope.
- With wide openings, a paneling of the desired size is added and adjacent parts are fastened with an H-profile.
- Set corners, platbands.
This completes the window decoration with siding do-it-yourself . The step-by-step instruction is similar for wide and narrow slopes, the same actions are taken for facing doorways.
Balconies and loggias
Decorating the house with siding continues. Step-by-step instructions for decorating walls and openings mastered, the facades can be sheathed. But what if there is an opening in the wall with a balcony or a loggia?
Siding is often used for sheathing balconies. It is necessary to choose polymer or metal products: they are lightweight, at the same time practical and durable, convenient for self-assembly.
For work, you will need the same components and tools that were used for cladding window and top openings:
- Siding sheets.
- J - profile.
- Corners.
How do I finish a balcony with my own siding? Step-by-step instructions for proper installation are presented below:
- We prepare the design: we remove the old fence. All that remains is a balcony slab with a fence, which we examine for integrity. We beat off crumbled concrete, primed joints with metal, fill the cracks with a new solution. If possible, align the outer end of the plate with the same mixture.
- Cooking the crate. On the lower edge we install slats with a section of 30x30 or more. The tree must be treated with protective compounds and drying oil. We mount the vertical guides from the timber to the working height of the fence, take a step of up to 80 cm between them. The upper belt of the crate is fixed at the level of the old railing, leaving a margin under the casing on vertical racks.
- A lining corner is fixed along the lower edge, which will serve as a nest for the siding profile.
- We mount the first row, along which subsequent laying will be carried out. Next, we are lining from the bottom up, fixing the strips with screws.
The top row of siding should be strictly under the corner-platband.
It's important to know
Work with metal products can be carried out all year round, PVC and other materials can be cut and mounted only in the warm season due to the risk of cracking of products.
Choose accessories for sheathing from a common material from one seller to avoid discrepancies in colors, sizes and textures.