Window replacement is a responsible process. The comfort of the people living in the house depends on its correctness. To reduce heat loss and qualitatively seal the opening, it is imperative to equip the outer slope. If you have the appropriate equipment and enough free time, you can do this work yourself. Even a novice master can do it well.
Before starting installation, you need to study what materials are used for such purposes and how the installation process takes place. Having correctly performed all the steps, you can qualitatively insulate new windows. External slopes give the opening a neat appearance. It is necessary to perform all actions in accordance with existing technology.
Slope functions
Exterior window slopes are important to protect the joints. When installing a new block, the opening space is blown with mounting foam. This is a very strong material. It prevents heat loss, creates additional sound insulation. But foam is also susceptible to environmental damage.
If the window unit was not protected from moisture ingress, exposure to high and lowtemperatures, its thermal insulation qualities will decrease. Over time, condensation will collect inside, and a fungus will appear with it. The durability of the window will be insufficient.
It is slopes that can protect joints and mounting materials from negative environmental conditions. Whatever type of windows would be in the house, when installing them, it is necessary to equip the external and internal slopes. Moreover, the opening looks neater with them.
Insulation materials
Creating the outer slope, the master selects the best material. Today, there are many options that can reliably protect the seams from external influences.
Each material has its advantages and disadvantages. When choosing, they must be taken into account. The most popular materials for such purposes today are plaster, plastic, siding, and drywall. Whatever type of finish is chosen, quality products from a trusted manufacturer should be preferred.
Experienced craftsmen claim that savings on material will result in significant costs for installing a new window in the future. Poor quality finishes also cause large heat losses. The owners of the house will spend large amounts of the family budget to pay for energy. Therefore, the selection of materials should be given special attention.
Plaster
The cheapest option for finishing window joints is plaster. For its application, cement is mixed with water and layersapply the mixture. Each of them is applied only after the previous base has dried. Therefore, one of the disadvantages of this method should be called a long duration of work. The whole process takes about 3 days.
It should be noted that this is not the only drawback. The fact is that the plaster never adheres perfectly to the base. Over time, it will freeze and flake off. This is one of the most durable finishes available. To prolong the service life of such a coating, special plasticizers are added to the cement mortar.
In addition, such external slopes for plastic windows lead to the formation of condensate in the cold season, and fungus develops. And this negatively affects he alth. Professional builders do not recommend making slopes of plaster.
Plastic
One of the most suitable materials for outdoor slopes is plastic. It has a number of advantages.
First of all, external plastic slopes are characterized by a long service life. At the same time, the level of heat loss is significantly reduced.
Plastic is not afraid of temperature changes, wet weather (if a quality material is chosen). Also, this finish option eliminates the appearance of condensation. These qualities make the submitted material popular.
A huge number of colors and shades allows you to choose the best plating option. But for a white plastic window, it is more appropriate to choosematerial of the same color. It creates a single composition with the entire block. The disadvantage of plastic is the higher price and the lack of repair if damaged.
Sandwich panels
Today, this type of material is used, such as sandwich panels. They allow you to quickly mount the slopes on the windows. The outer surfaces are covered with plastic, and under them is a layer of foam insulation.
This stuff looks pretty aesthetic. Installation of slopes at the same time takes a minimum of time. The cost of sandwich panels is relatively high. But when arranging a large number of windows, this option will be the best solution.
Of the shortcomings of the material, experienced repairmen name a limited number of sizes. Large panels are more often on sale. Over time, the top coat may turn yellow. It is also worth noting that such a sheathing is inferior in its energy-saving characteristics to mineral wool. It will no longer be practical to apply it in this case.
Metal
Metal outer slopes, or siding, are becoming more and more popular. This is the most durable material. It is galvanized steel sheets. During production, they are coated with special polymer compositions. Thanks to this, the metal becomes resistant to weather conditions and does not rust.
It also perfectly seals the joints blown with foam. Due to this, metal slopes retain heat well indoors. At the same time, the formation of condensate and fungus is excluded.
The only drawback of metal slopes is their high cost. But their high cost pays off, because the life of the material is very long.
Styrofoam
One of the best materials for slopes is foam. It is characterized by high thermal protection performance. By mounting external slopes with your own hands, this type of finish will be easier to equip than other materials. The installation process will require a minimum of effort and time.
Regular polystyrene will not work in this case. It will need to be further processed with putty. Special foam on the front side is treated with acrylic components. They are related to marble chips.
This finish will create an unusual decorative effect. This coating additionally protects the foam from environmental influences. Also, this combination enhances the thermal insulation qualities of the slopes. Installing the panels is very easy. Therefore, even an inexperienced installer can perform such work.
Drywall
The outer slope of drywall is considered one of the inexpensive types of finishing the window opening. Such material is suitable for insulating joints, for example, inside a loggia. Drywall, however, does not respond well to moisture. It may deform over time.
Also, this material needs careful processing of the base of the opening. It is impregnated with special antiseptics. Otherwise, decay processes will quickly destroy the slopes and the window itself.
When installing drywall sheetallows you to create a perfectly flat surface. It will be enough just to paint it so that the appearance of the finish is aesthetic. But when arranging external slopes that will be exposed to moisture, it is still better to use other materials that are more resistant to adverse environmental conditions.
What do you need for installation?
Installation of external slopes may well be done on their own. To do this, you will need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools. First of all, you should decide on the main coating from which the finish will be made. It is usually mounted on wooden planks or profiles.
There is free space between the material and these rails. Experienced craftsmen advise filling it with mineral wool. It is a non-flammable, environmentally friendly material. Its thermal insulation qualities are better than those of foam plastic.
All materials are fastened with self-tapping screws and silicone. To make the job convenient, you need to prepare a screwdriver. You will also need to prepare a hacksaw, a construction stapler, a level, a knife.
Depending on the material used, other tools may be useful. Then you can proceed with the installation.
Installing siding
As mentioned above, the outer slope is best done from metal sheets (siding). The size of the panels is selected in accordance with the standard of the windows. Domestic manufacturers suggest using panels larger than 20 cm. In this case, the siding is mounted only onj-profile.
Eurostandard assumes the installation of slopes less than 20 cm in size. In this case, a finishing or j-profile is used. Panels are installed in it. The space inside is filled with mineral wool.
You can cut siding with special metal shears or a hacksaw. In maintenance, this material is very practical. If desired, it can be painted in any other color. Washing such slopes is very simple.
The entire installation work will not take more than 2-3 hours, even if the master does not have sufficient experience in such work.
Having become familiar with the existing materials for installing external slopes, as well as the technology for carrying out such work, almost everyone will be able to perform all the actions on their own. If you follow the recommendations of experts, the result will be quite good. Such slopes will be durable and will be able to effectively protect the room from heat loss during the cold period.
