Lumber houses look very attractive, but if you own a different type of building, you can sheathe it with imitation timber. This finish has become more and more popular in recent years. For its manufacture, high quality solid wood is used. This cladding material is a wood panel that is more affordable than its natural counterpart.
Why choose imitation timber
The cladding is lightweight, making it easy to transport and install. Imitation of a bar is used for finishing not only outside, but also inside the premises. Installation work involves joining products closely, intermediate grooves are not formed.
This material has high strength, it is durable, resistant to climatic factors and other aggressive environments. This finish allows you to make the walls warmer -and soundproof. And if you additionally use a layer of insulation, then you will make your home resistant to wind and frost.
Preparing panels
Sheathing with imitation timber involves the preparation of panels. They are sold packed in a sealed film, because in the conditions of the factory they are chamber dried so that the wood does not absorb excess moisture from the air. Before starting finishing work, the products are removed from the packaging and left for 2 days in the environment where they will be used. Otherwise, the geometric dimensions of the panels may change - the finish will warp.
The next step will be the treatment of wooden panels with antiseptic substances. It is much easier to do this before the start of installation, and after that technical locks will be inaccessible. If the panels have not yet been painted, then at this stage they are covered with a layer of varnish or any other selected composition.
About the features of laying waterproofing
Sheathing a house with an imitation of timber can not do without laying a waterproofing layer, which can be PVC film or parchment. The fastening of the material should be carried out directly to the wall. The canvases are covered with each other with an overlap of 15 cm. The joints should be glued with aluminum tape.
For extra strength, the sheets are attached to the wall with a construction stapler. It is important to ensure that the waterproofing does not sag, however, you should not pull it too hard. Thisthe recommendation is due to the fact that with changes in temperature the film may tear. Do not be afraid that the waterproofing will move away from the wall surface, because it will be pressed by the crate.
Recommendations for frame installation
Do-it-yourself sheathing with an imitation of a beam necessarily provides for the installation of a crate. If the wall is flat, then a wooden beam with a square section ranging from 30 to 50 mm is used for this. For curved walls, a metal profile with mounting brackets is used. It is recommended to fix the crate to wooden walls with 40 mm self-tapping screws. The step of the lathing usually depends on the parameters of the insulation, however, a rather thick imitation of timber has an impressive weight, therefore, for outdoor work, the distance between the elements should not exceed 60 cm.
For interior work, this parameter can be 80 cm, because the panels will be thinner not only in thickness, but also in width. In addition, their weight is much less. Sheathing a house from the outside with an imitation of a bar may suggest the presence of two batten systems. The first one in this case is installed horizontally.
Recommendations for laying insulation
Insulation will be needed only for exterior decoration, this difference acts as the main one in the technique, which involves installing the material from the inside. This stage allows you to shift the dew point and make the walls warmer. It is necessary to place thermal insulation closely between the crate. There will be no unfilled areasshould, the joints should be as tight as possible.
Sheathing with imitation timber outside can provide for laying insulation in 2 layers. The number of layers will depend on the climate in the area of work, as well as on the intended use of the house. You can fix the insulation with fungi or tape. When purchasing matte thermal insulation, you must remember its standard width, which is 60 cm. As for the foam, this parameter is 1 m, so the sheets will have to be cut.
Liner technology
Sheathing with imitation timber is carried out according to a certain algorithm. You can install this finish on walls made of different materials, namely:
- logs;
- brick;
- concrete.
After completion of the work, the walls will look like those made of natural timber. Installation work is not difficult. The profiles are complemented with grooves and spikes, which allows them to fit tightly to each other. Boards are mounted horizontally. Timber look cladding allows for a versatile material that can be combined with profiled or glued laminated timber.
Quite often recently you can find baths and rooms of houses that are sheathed with such material. If we are talking about exterior decoration, then the products can be used on the walls of buildings made of foam blocks, frame and concrete. Fixation is carried out on the crate, which is made in the form of bars. Frame elements are located along the entire perimeter of the walls, the distance between the rails should be approximately 50see
Due to the fact that the imitation of the beam is fixed horizontally, the fastening of the bars should be carried out vertically using self-tapping screws. In order to make the walls warmer, you can also lay thermal insulation made of natural materials, namely ecowool or mineral wool.
Sheathing with imitation timber involves attaching another layer of waterproofing over the crate. After that, you can proceed with the installation of the cladding. Installation should be started from below, this is where the casting board is fixed. It is necessary to place the products with the comb up. Self-tapping screws are screwed into the spike of the board, the hat is recessed by 2 mm. Starting laying the next board, you must position it with a groove in the tongue and fit the products to each other. A self-tapping screw is driven into the spike at an angle of 50 °. The last row is installed on self-tapping screws. Those places where fasteners were installed can be sealed with dowels and sanded. After completing the installation work, you should proceed to puttying and painting the beams.
Interior imitation lining
If you decide to use imitation timber for interior decoration, then you should be guided by the technology described below. For such work, it is recommended to level the walls so that the space of the room does not decrease too much. The surface is cleaned of dust and dirt, and then a layer of vapor barrier is installed on the wall.
Next, there should be a crate made of a material that is selected taking into account the specifics of the room. The crate is installed vertically. Installation on concrete and brick wallscarried out using dowels, in the case of wood, you can work with self-tapping screws.
If sheathing is carried out with imitation of timber indoors, the conditions of which are characterized by high humidity, then the elements for the frame must be treated with an antiseptic. In addition, a galvanized profile can be used for wet rooms. Panels are installed horizontally. The method of their fastening is similar to that used in the decoration of the facade. Cleimers can be used as fasteners, but this approach is not reliable for the ceiling. It is better to use small cloves or self-tapping screws. They are hammered or screwed into a spike at an angle of 45 °.
Conclusion
Wall cladding with imitation timber does not imply fastening products in the front way if the work is carried out indoors. This is due to the fact that it will be very difficult to hide the hats due to their small thickness. When connecting panels at the corners, internal and external corners should be used, they are usually implemented together with the finish. After completion of the work, the walls can be sanded and tinted varnish applied. Already painted panels are usually sewn onto the ceiling, this simplifies the work.
