Even if the house was built of stone, concrete or brick, it requires additional protection of the outer walls from adverse factors. Such protection can be a porcelain stoneware facade. This finishing technique has become more and more popular lately.
Why is it worth cladding a building with porcelain stoneware
The described material effectively protects the walls from destruction. Porcelain stoneware has the qualities of strength, it is not affected by moisture and temperature fluctuations. It can be affected by aggressive substances, so the shell of it acts as a reliable protection. After the completion of the finishing work, it will be possible to reduce the cost of operating the building. Despite the fact that the cost of this finishing material is high, the facade will free the owner of the house from the costs associated with repairs. Another argument that favors the use of porcelain stoneware as an exterior finish is the ability to change the appearance of a building. On sale you can find plates of different sizes and shapes, colors and textures, withwith which the building can be given the desired appearance. Conditions inside the building will improve, become more comfortable, and external protection will favorably affect the internal microclimate. Porcelain stoneware facade extends the life of the building, makes it fire resistant, walls - dirt-repellent, and materials - more durable.
Disadvantages of porcelain stoneware facade
This material, like any other, has its drawbacks. They are expressed in high cost and significant weight. The latter factor complicates not only transportation, but also installation work. However, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Mounting porcelain stoneware with glue
Porcelain stoneware facade can be equipped using one of the existing technologies. If the walls are sufficiently even, then glue can be used. It should be selected in such a way that the composition is resistant to the effects of the external environment, temperature extremes and humidity. Installation work on this technology should be carried out only at a positive ambient temperature. Most often, this finishing option is used for facing the basement, while the ventilated facade technique is used to refine the walls with porcelain stoneware. For the design of external walls, tiles with sides of 300x600 or 60x600 mm are most often used. Knowing the dimensions of the material and the area of \u200b\u200ball the walls, you can determine how many tiles will be needed for finishing work. However, it is necessary to purchase the material with a margin of 15%, which can be spent on the fight during transportation, as well as on cutting, if necessary, to adjust the size.
Glue recommendations
If the cladding of the facade with porcelain stoneware will be carried out with glue, then you should choose a solution that has a high level of adhesion. This is due to the fact that the tile absorbs water rather weakly and repels moisture well. Do not use conventional cement mortar, as this will cause a reduction in the quality of the finish. A facade lined with a cement composition will not be as durable, despite the fact that the quality of the finishing material will be high. When choosing glue, you should pay attention to formulations that contain a large amount of polymer additives.
Gaps and grouting
When finishing the facade with porcelain stoneware, you should consider that you need to prepare and use crosses to form gaps. If necessary, glue residues are removed from the grooves, after which, using a rubber spatula, the seam is rubbed. Use a dry sponge to remove moisture and grout. The mixture for this is applied in a thin layer. When facing a new building, its possible shrinkage should be taken into account, while seams are necessary in case of deformation. Such a finish has high strength, which is why it is used for the facades of public buildings, the walls after completion of the work acquire anti-vandal qualities. The surface can be used in any weather, temperature and humidity changes.
Features of mounting porcelain stoneware on glue
The facade of porcelain stoneware houses looks attractive if the masters followed the technology during the work. To do this, it is necessary to use frost-resistant glue, which is able to undergo aggressive environmental influences. The gluing of tiles can be carried out at a temperature ranging from 5 to 25°. In this case, the solution will not lose its qualities. At the first stage, the surface area is calculated, from which the area of door and window openings is subtracted. The resulting figure should be divided by the area of \u200b\u200bone tile, which will allow you to get the number of products that should be purchased. To calculate the corner elements, it is necessary to measure the length of all corners, external and around openings.
For reference
Before you start installing porcelain stoneware facades, you need to familiarize yourself with the information provided by the material manufacturers. They indicate the number of tiles per 1 m2, taking into account the recommended thickness of the joints.
Surface preparation and tiling recommendations
If necessary, the surface of the walls must be leveled and primed, for this you can use a layer of plaster. If it is thick enough, then it should be reinforced with a reinforcing mesh. Having marked a horizontal line, the glue must be applied to a small section of the wall. AtThis uses a notched trowel with which a ribbed profile can be formed from the mortar. Tiles must be started from the corner, maintaining a certain thickness of the joints with the help of plastic pegs or crosses. In order to achieve a positive result, the adhesive should be applied not only to the tile, but also to the base surface. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the adhesive composition is not strongly squeezed out through the seams. A porcelain stoneware facade cannot be laid out only from whole tiles; a special stone disc should be used to cut them. A few days after the glue has hardened, the seams should be filled with a special mixture using jointing or a construction gun.
Attention! The method of laying the material on the adhesive is not recommended for large tiles, as they can come off the wall and fall on people below.
Arrangement of a ventilated porcelain stoneware facade
If the walls are not too smooth, and it is necessary to lay thermal insulation in the space between them and the decorative material, then the ventilated facade technology should be used. The fastening of the material in this case is carried out using a system of holders. After fixing the brackets, you can proceed with the installation of insulation, which should fit snugly against the walls. The material is fastened with plastic dowels and screws with a wide head. The brackets should be selected in such a way that their length provides a gap of 40 mm after laying the heat-insulating material. This setting is the minimum, while increasingit can be up to 60 mm. A windproof membrane is located on top of the thermal insulation, which prevents the insulation fibers from blowing out. At the next stage, you can start fixing porcelain tiles to the brackets using clamps.
Percelain stoneware hidden fixing features
After the porcelain stoneware for the facade has been selected, you can decide on the fastening system. If it is hidden, then one of its varieties can be preferred. When mechanically fastening in the slabs, holes should be made in advance through which they will be fixed to the facade using screw anchor dowels. If pins are used to install the material, they will replace the dowels. Mounting on profiles is carried out in cuts, which are made at the ends of the products. There is also a combined hidden mount, which combines not only a mechanical, but also an adhesive installation method. At the same time, the facade of buildings made of porcelain stoneware is formed in such a way that each slab is glued to the profile and fixed with double mechanical fasteners. The last installation method is the most reliable and may involve the use of large tiles for work.
