Making exterior surfaces of a house with siding is not just a way of physically preserving its structure, but also a worthy version of designer jewelry. Modern panels make the facade more presentable, stylish and original. It is enough to choose the right texture or order panels with a unique color. Next, siding is performed in several stages. This is a very important task, since the facade resistance to precipitation and mechanical stress will depend on it.
Material selection
The facade can be decorated with metal and plastic (vinyl) siding. Polyvinyl chloride PVC panels, which are distinguished by their modest weight, ease of use, compactness and aesthetic appearance, gained great popularity. Siding metal lamellas, in turn, benefit from durability and mechanical resistance. If it is assumed that high loads will appear on the facade surface, it is better to give preference to metal. In particular, light loads on the building structure are provided by aluminum siding, the photo of which is presented above. Next, you can move on to the selection of sizes. A project is created taking into account the configuration of the placement of elements and the calculation of the volume of slats. Particular attention is paid to vinyl siding calculations. The fact is that temperature changes contribute to the expansion and contraction of the panels, so you need to make an adjustment for a margin of about 8-9 mm in width.
Necessary tools
High-quality installation of siding is impossible without the use of special tools. As a rule, this is a locksmith set, complemented by a square, tape measure and a building level. For cutting panels, an electric saw should also be prepared. It is advisable to use models with a thin tooth - about 12 by 25 mm. Moreover, the panel itself should be installed in the opposite direction. In the case of plastic, you can use a mounting knife. It will allow you to cut off large parts and, if necessary, carefully trim the edges. Even in simple schemes, siding facing requires the introduction of lamellas with small eyelets at the edges. Such elements are installed in the upper parts of the walls or under the window openings. To create "ears" use punches. Another tool for forming additional holes and grooves is a hammer drill. With it, for example, it is possible to easily extend the holes for nails in order to compensate for thermal expansion.
Wall preparation
There are practically no restrictions on the use of siding in terms of compatibility with the material of the walls. Panels can be installed on concrete, stone and wood substrates. Another thing is that in the latter case, preparatory measures are facilitated, since there is no need to arrange a crate. Also, different types of siding for facing the house present their special requirements for surface preparation. Plastic, for example, cannot be fixed rigidly to stone surfaces, even if the crate frame is installed. A strong wind will rip it off, so special profiles may be required, widely capturing lamellas from the back. Regardless of the type of siding and wall material, careful preparation of the base is required. The smallest surface defects in the form of protruding cloves, pits, chips and knolls should be eliminated. Problem areas should be treated with a grinder, and recesses and holes should be filled with a primer.
Lathing device
This is the supporting part in the form of a small frame on which the siding is fixed. The crate is made of timber with a cross section of the order of 25x25 mm. It is advisable to use coniferous material - for example, fir, spruce or pine. It is important that the bars do not have cracks and are sufficiently dried. Before installation, marking is carried out, the beginning of which will be the bottom horizontal line. From it the first row of facing will begin. The main bearing bars are fixed along the edges. Their feature will be the capture of the full length of the facade decoration area. The resulting zone can be divided by longitudinal slats, delimiting the common area. Standard siding cladding technology also provides a heat-insulating lining. Therefore, it is important to calculate the rise of the rails relative to the surface, taking into account the thickness of the future insulator. For example, it can be mats with a thickness of 20-30 mm. Then, the crate is directly bounded by the zone limited by the bars - the slats are fastened with an interval of 50-60 cm. As for the fixing method, it is recommended to use an 8 mm expansion plug.
Insulation installation
This operation can be performed before the final stage of the crate, closing the insulation. The heat insulator itself must be rigid or semi-rigid, since roll materials and a soft mat slide down, making the insulation barrier uneven. In terms of the effectiveness of the insulation itself, it is advisable to use mineral wool made of basalt base or fiberglass. If high demands are made to the siding facing in terms of fire safety, then you can also turn to expanded polystyrene - this is a completely non-combustible insulator. The insulation does not require special fastening. It will be covered with bars of the crate, but for more reliable and durable operation, the same mineral wool should additionally be protected with a hydro and vapor barrier film.
Siding installation
The basic set of cladding includes not only panels, but also additional elements - the starting strip, corners, platbands and spotlights. Usually, with additional accessories, installation begins, after which they switch to profiles. First of all, angles are set. During installation, a small distance of about 6-7 mm should be maintained between the cornice and the top of the corner. Then the starting strip is mounted, from which the horizontal facade cladding will be siding over the main area. This is the bottom panel, from which the laying of subsequent lamellas begins with an indent of up to 12 mm. This is followed by the main part of the work activities, during which the panels are successively fastened from the bottom up. Fixation points are carried out at intervals of 40 cm, and in places of convergence of the lamellas with corner accessories leave a gap of 7-12 mm. The mechanism for reducing siding elements in the main area of the skin will depend on the design of a particular product. In most cases, the manufacturer indicates the marks for overlapping one lamella to another.
Finishing Panel Installation
The last operation as part of the main part of the facing work is laying the panels at the top point, where their edge rests against the roof. Many inexperienced craftsmen cut off part of the lamella in order to obtain an ideal convergence in order to obtain an even joint, but this cannot be done, since the reliability of the fasteners is reduced. The element can be adjusted to the optimum angle only in the area of the gables. The finishing touch will be a special finishing pad or installation of a J-profile. Moreover, for the latter, it is necessary to make 6 mm holes. These profiles are required so that water flows freely along the entire lining line. It is not difficult to do siding with your own hands, if you initially adhere to the correct calculations based on a correctly designed wiring diagram. Vertical installation is used less often, but is carried out according to the same principles. The main thing is to maintain the same gaps, given the temperature expansion of the plastic.
Installation of spotlights
This is part of the additional elements, which is intended for lower protection of the roof overhang. Soffit in some way continues to turn the roof to the wall on one side, and forms an angular joint with horizontal slats on the other. Mounting is carried out using a chamfer, which is fixed to the overhang. A typical siding cladding assumes that the chamfer will act as a grip and a retaining link relative to the soffit. That is, first a series of slats is installed, and then an elongated chamfer closes it. Rigid fastening is performed with screws or nails.
General tips for progress
Excessively rigid and tight fixing of the panels to each other should be avoided. Damper space must remain, otherwise the plastic will deform during expansion. The reliability of the fastening of elements should be controlled through the lock, controlling the position of the lower lamella. The degree of rigidity of fastening the wall cladding siding should also not be excessive. Between the head of the hardware and the surface of the panel should remain a gap of 1-2 mm.
Siding Care
The advantages of such a facing include practicality and unpretentiousness in maintenance, but this does not mean that its content should be completely ignored. At a minimum, you should periodically flush dirt off surfaces using a hose with sufficient water pressure, soft rags and a brush. If there are problems with the development of fungi and mold, then it will not be superfluous to use facade detergents designed to combat negative biological processes. Special care is required for metal siding. Lining of this type is sensitive to rust and aggressive acidic environments. Initially, the lamellas have factory protective coatings, but during operation it is necessary to monitor the appearance of stubborn areas with open metal. These areas should be treated with anti-corrosive paints.
Conclusion
Siding is a modern means of decorating the exterior surfaces of a house, the performance of which justifies all the difficulties of installation. There are many alternative ways to decorate the facade, but only a few of them can come closer to the same vinyl panels in terms of the totality of advantages. In addition, facing the house with siding has structural and functional advantages. The correct arrangement of additional fittings with profiles, corners and soffits will provide an adequate level of protection for walls and openings from different types of external threats. The user is only required to maintain the state of these elements, timely detecting deformation and damage to the siding. If we talk about the shortcomings of this type of cladding, then the main one will be the cost. So, vinyl panels are estimated at 200-250 rubles / m2, and metal with protective coatings - an average of 500 rubles / m2. These costs exceed investments in plaster or wood cladding, but the result of such a finish will be more durable.