Slope is a decorative strapping of window openings, covering the inner sides of the window and the mounting seam between the window frame and the walls of the opening. When the main work on the installation of new plastic windows has been carried out, then such an important question arises as the installation of slopes. Of course, many companies will offer their installation services. But the quality of the work done by their specialists often leaves much to be desired: fastenings turn out to be unreliable, and over time, decorative elements begin to fall off, slopes are often blown through, and the structure itself can be uneven. In addition, even the cheapest slope material will cost significantly more than market prices, to which the cost of contractors will have to be added.
But if you want to figure out how to install window slopes yourself, you can get an excellent result at the lowest price by purchasing the best material for a beautiful and reliable cladding yourself.
Types of slopes
Today there are slopes in this design:
- Plaster.
- From plastic panels.
- Gypsum board.
- From MDF panels.
- From wooden lining.
In the article we will consider all these typesin detail.
Preparatory work
To bring window openings in line with GOST rules, there are general instructions and recommendations for the installation of slopes:
- The surface of openings must be smooth and free from plaster, glue, dirt, old paint and any other loose materials.
- If necessary, a crate for mounting slopes can be installed.
- There must be a thermal insulation material between the panel and the window opening.
- Final profiles must be put on the ends.
The installation of slopes in standard openings usually occurs without difficulty. But if you want to install arched or other forms of slopes, then it is better to entrust such work to real professionals. A person without the skills of such work will certainly not be able to observe all the nuances that are required to obtain a good appearance of the structure, and to ensure thermal insulation performance at the proper level.
Description of plaster slopes
Both the types of slope installation work and the materials have their advantages and disadvantages.
Plaster slopes are the most budget option. Here you will need the preparation of a plaster mixture and the skills to work with it are desirable. Such slopes are made like plastering walls, which is accompanied by humidity in the room and significant pollution. To perform such slopes, you need to carefully read the orderpriming the concrete surface, carrying out plastering and puttying. Accordingly, such slopes are subject to atmospheric influence and may crack over time. Significant disadvantages of plaster slopes also include the formation of fungus and mold on them due to high humidity. Work on installing plaster slopes on windows will require the most time, as they are carried out in several stages, each of which provides for the preparation of the appropriate material and its complete drying.
Plastic slopes
Such panels are considered the most durable, since plastic is resistant to fading, least susceptible to weathering and belongs to the most moisture-resistant type of slopes. The ability to manufacture not only in white, but also under the imitation of wood will allow you to harmoniously equip them in any interior. Such slopes after the installation of plastic windows look like their continuation and are perceived as the logical completion of the window. Also, the porous material has additional sound insulation. Among other things, plastic requires almost no maintenance, and any contamination is easily washed off with ordinary water. But the main feature of sandwich panels is their thermal insulation properties, since inside the panel there is polystyrene foam, which is a heater. This means that heat will not leave the room, and cold will not penetrate into it.
So that the slopes do not lose their appearance over time, it is important to choose high-quality material and not save. Moreover, the installation willproduced independently, and this will allow you to find additional funds for good material, without which it is simply impossible to get beautiful and durable slopes. The service life of high-quality plastic corresponds to the life of the window.
Installing plastic slopes with your own hands does not require much effort and, with the right approach, takes much less time than plastering.
Drywall slopes
After its appearance, drywall immediately established itself as a fairly cheap, practical and easy-to-use material. Therefore, it is widely used for arranging window openings. Having a perfectly flat surface, it is an excellent basis for further finishing the slopes, based on the requirements of the interior. At the same time, the installation of drywall will not be difficult, and all the shortcomings of the work can be easily masked with putty.
Slopes from MDF panels
This type of slope finish is one of the most durable and attractive, especially when installing these slopes on a wooden window or door. And if you accurately select the color tone of the MDF panels and the window frame, the result will be almost perfect. The relatively small time spent on installing such panels will also be an advantage compared to plastering, puttying and further facing work. It is also worth noting the good soundproofing properties of MDF panels. But the obvious disadvantage of such slopes will be their high price and jewelry accuracy when fitting. It should be taken into account that in the caseincorrect measurements, the entire expensive panel will have to be replaced, since it will no longer be possible to increase the missing dimensions of the panel. Therefore, it is recommended that such work be carried out by a master or a person who has experience working with wood material. And not every owner has a number of necessary tools.
Sheathing slopes with wooden clapboard
Like MDF panels, here you will need accurate measurements when working. But the errors in the calculations will not be so critical, since it is much easier to replace a damaged lining panel than an MDF panel. The differences between these materials lie in the manufacture of lining from natural wood, and not pressed sawdust, and the need for its further processing and coating with protective layers. However, the tree tends to expand and shrink depending on the humidity and temperature conditions in the room. Seasonality also affects the "behavior" of wood, while MDF panels are practically not affected by temperature changes. One way or another, do-it-yourself installation of slopes made of wood materials requires separate study and acquired skills in order to start manufacturing complex wooden structures, where there are various sizes, angles of inclination and high accuracy of work is required to ensure that there are no gaps in the corners and panel joints.
Installation of slopes from sandwich panels
The installation of plastic slopes should begin with measurements of all window openings where installation will take place. After you need to purchase the necessary material on anyconstruction market or shop. Usually the price there is much lower than the offers of construction companies. It is recommended to take the material a little with a margin. You can always saw off the excess.
The next step in installing PVC slopes will be punching 3-4 holes in each opening for dowels. They are set strictly according to the level of self-tapping screws, since it is on the latter that future slopes will be based. The distance from the head of the screw to the surface of the opening should be at least 1 cm. This gap will make it possible to tightly fill the entire distance between the panels and window openings with foam, preventing drafts and cold from penetrating.
Also, do not forget to clean all installation sites from dirt, dust and loose materials, which will ensure the reliability of the slopes.
After the end of the panel is inserted behind the window frame by about 1 cm. Now, using a mounting gun, the gap is filled with foam over its entire length, about 3 cm wide, the panel is clamped all the way into the screw caps and glued with masking tape to the wall.
As the mounting foam dries, it will expand and perfectly press the panel to the window frame, no need to use sealant. If, after drying and expansion of the foam, the joint is not completely filled, the procedure for filling with foam must be repeated until there are no hollow places at all. After drying, the foam is cut and installed on the end of the F-profile, which completes the installation of the slope.
Gypsum board slope installation procedure
There are two ways to fix such slopes: on glue or on a frame. In the case of working with glue, the entire surface of the window openings for drywall should be cleaned with a stiff brush. As a result of cleaning, the openings should not have chipping places, peeling old paint, etc. The cleaned surface is abundantly primed. The next step will be to measure all window openings where slopes are required, and cut out the necessary parts of the structure from drywall. Next, a special glue is applied to the back of the material. Following the recommendations of experts, the glue should be applied dotted with small intervals. If you hold the glue in a continuous layer, the drywall will begin to “float” on the opening. It will be extremely difficult to fix it, since the continuous layer dries out for a long time. A maximum of half an hour is allotted for all work after the preparation of the glue, so first you need to prepare all the elements of the parts of the slopes for installation. Among the nuances of this work, the following should be noted:
- If the gap between the window frame and the opening reaches 3 cm or more, first plasterboard strips are glued close to the gap, on which the slope itself is subsequently glued.
- The horizontal slope on the upper opening is glued with vertical spacers. So that in the future such a slope does not fall off, it is better to start the installation of the entire structure with it. After the vertical slopes will hold it with their upper ends.
To install slopes on windows using a frame, first U-shaped plastic profiles are screwed along the outer perimeter of the window. Along the edgeswindow openings are fastened with wooden or metal strips, to which drywall will be screwed. All openings can be covered with glass wool, or you can fill the gaps between the slope and the opening with mounting foam during installation. Naturally, the planks are set according to the level, and their thickness is adjusted so that all the slopes lay flat.
The fastening process is simple: drywall is inserted into a plastic profile and tightened with self-tapping screws on the extreme slats. If glass wool was not laid, then before attaching the slopes, all openings are filled with foam and clamped with drywall. The final installation will be puttying the gaps between the planks and window openings.
Installation of MDF panels
If you are confident in the measurements taken for the installation of MDF slopes, you can order their manufacture or sawing in specialized construction companies that provide such services. Of course, this will increase the cost somewhat, but ideally suitable panels with a factory appearance will be obtained. You can install such panels using liquid nails or a frame, following the example of fixing drywall slopes. Just keep in mind that, unlike drywall, the MDF panel is a facing material. Therefore, it must be carefully attached to the frame, using thin carnations with a small hat. Start fastening the slopes should be exclusively from the top panel. At the end of the work, it is recommended to install platbands.
After installing the windows, the slopesremain the last but very important step in window replacement. It is on the quality of their installation that the preservation of heat in the room, the durability and presentability of the appearance of the window will depend. In order not to return to the hastily done work by hired employees of construction organizations, you can use the above recommendations to cope with the installation of slopes on windows with your own hands, saving money on high-quality materials. And if there is no doubt in your work, then the result will be the best.
In the case when preference was given to hired workers, do not forget that in addition to the quality work done, their duties also include the removal of all construction waste resulting from the installation. Upon completion of work, contractors are required to carry out express cleaning to remove concrete dirt and dust, remove the remains of all packaging and finishing materials, which will save energy for many hours of cleaning.
