Finishing the external walls of the house with siding makes the appearance of a residential building or any other purpose complete and neat, but this is true only if the materials are correctly selected and additional decorative elements are installed, which not every person can handle. Siding can be made from a variety of materials, but vinyl and steel are the most commonly used due to their qualities.
Which siding material to choose: vinyl
To make the windows look attractive, you can finish the siding yourself. However, it is important to choose a finishing material that will look attractive and will not cause difficulties during installation. For example, vinyl material is more common, as it has many advantages, among them: neatness and aesthetics, moisture resistance, ease of maintenance and high quality of the material. Among other things, the material is frost-resistant and copes well with high temperatures. If the surface of the panel becomes dirty, the dirt can be removed with a wetrags.
When to choose metal siding
If you want attractive windows, siding can be done. However, it is important to decide what material will be the basis of the panels. It can be metal, which is more durable than vinyl and can last up to 50 years. A polymer coating is applied to its surface during the manufacturing process, which is able to preserve the material from corrosion. Such protection also improves the appearance of the material, as it can have different colors and imitate natural materials. The metal is heat-resistant, flexible, which is especially important when decorating windows with special profiles. This is why when using vinyl siding for walls, consumers prefer to install metal panels around windows. But this material has one more drawback, which is expressed in a greater weight compared to the vinyl variety.
Preparing window trim tools
If you will be finishing windows with siding from the outside, it is important to make sure that you have all the necessary tools before starting work. Among them it is worth highlighting:
- metal scissors;
- a hacksaw;
- knife-cutter.
Scissors are needed to cut the material from above, in the place where the mounting holes are located. This tool will be required for shape cutting during installationsiding in archways. It is important to choose the right hacksaw for wood, as well as metal, which should have fine teeth. An electric saw is an alternative solution. It should also be remembered that when cutting the panels, it will be necessary to draw a strip with a knife, only after the material is bent and unbent several times, in this case the siding will be easy to break along the intended line. Among other things, for installation work you will need:
- screwdriver;
- level;
- self-tapping screws;
- hammer;
- angle;
- chalk;
- string.
With the help of a square, you will mark the angle of installation of the material around the openings and on the slopes. The level must be at least half a meter long. But it will be possible to beat off the installation line with the help of twine and chalk. The siding will be reinforced with self-tapping screws.
For reference
If you decide to ennoble the windows, siding can be done. It is so important to remember that fasteners must be made of galvanized metal. This is required so that, under the influence of moisture, the elements do not become rusty and do not damage the cladding. It is important to choose the size of the fastener. Thus, a suitable cap diameter is one centimeter. As for the length of the screws for installing the siding, the parameter equal to 2.5 cm is usually selected.
Preparation of components
To install siding around openings, you need to prepareaccessories, they are galvanized metal bearing profiles and other consumables. Sometimes installation is possible with the help of crates made of wooden beams. However, it must be remembered that this material is very susceptible to moisture. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a completely dry timber, which is pre-treated with water-repellent impregnation. Siding cannot be installed without galvanized load-bearing J-profiles. A to comply with the installation technology, the rail should be mounted around the perimeter of the opening. If you plan to install with slopes, then you need to buy double-sided corner profiles. If there are eurowindows in the house, installation of ebbs under the visors and windows is not required. Otherwise, you will need to purchase these components as well.
Preparatory work
If you want to look attractive windows, siding this part of the house can be done by you yourself. However, first you need to take care of surface preparation. To do this, the master will have to dismantle foreign elements and platbands that protrude above the surface of the walls of the building. At the same time, it is important to make sure that the surface and slopes are dry, bumps and potholes need to be plastered. In the presence of large slopes, as usually happens, care must be taken to install double-sided corner profiles. For this reason, experts recommend leveling the slopes with a plaster mortar, as well as processing a deep water-repellent primer.penetration.
Installing the crate
If windows are finished with siding from the outside with their own hands, then you can’t do without crates. It is a supporting frame, which should be located around the perimeter of the opening. First, marking is carried out, for which it is necessary to use a square, a long level, twine and chalk, as well as a water building level. A long level is useful for leveling the frame, but its water version is needed to measure the installation level of the lower and upper supporting profile. When beating vertical and horizontal lines for mounting the frame, you should place them in level, and also use a square to form a right angle.
For reference
When you take measurements, you can not rely on the angle of slopes. It may happen that their slope is not correct, a level and a square will help with this.
Installing siding
Do-it-yourself window siding provides for compliance with the technology, according to which it is necessary to determine the distance under the window. There should be a margin of 6 mm on each side. Among other things, the cutout in the panel must be made wider than required by 6 mm. The gap should be formed with metal scissors. Until the panel is in its place, a J-profile is installed in the lower part of the window, into which the products will be inserted. This will add aesthetics to the finish. At the next stage, the siding sheet is mounted along the width of the opening, this must be doneflush with the window frame. By the same principle, siding is mounted above the opening, as well as on both sides.
Expert advice
J-profile connection must be carried out according to a certain method. It says that in the bottom of the vertical profile you need to cut a bend in the shape of an eye. In the side profiles, which are located vertically, the inner corner is cut off, it should be equal to 45 °. Only now can the profile be connected.
Installation of the outer corner of the carrier profile for mounting siding around windows in the presence of slopes
You can independently finish the siding of the house, the windows may have slopes, in this case you need to act a little differently. The first step is to install a double-sided corner profile on the corner, a finishing cloth is inserted into it. During the installation of the corner profile, it is necessary to ensure that the fasteners are located in the central part of the hole, this is the only way you can eliminate the deformation of the profile. A supporting profile is mounted along the perimeter, the slopes are formed with siding, while the finish is installed in the grooves of the profiles. The panels should be placed as horizontally as possible, this will ensure not only durability, but also the strength of the cladding.
How to deal with arched openings
Finishing windows for siding can also be done in the case when the opening has an arched shape. In this case, you should first purchase a flexible supporting J-profile. This element is located around the arch, and the nails are driven in at a distance of 15 cm from each other. There is no need to leave a gap between the fastener and the panel. This is only truefor connecting the flexible profile and the supporting lower profile at the corners. At the next stage, the installation of the material should be carried out according to the technology described above. At the same time, self-tapping screws should not go into the canvas tightly, it is necessary to take into account the thermal expansion of the material when heated.
If you will be finishing windows with siding, the step-by-step instructions presented in the article will allow you to eliminate errors. But it should be remembered that not every home master is able to install siding in arched openings, since this work requires professional experience. For the reason that the price of such work is not too high, it is best to entrust the matter to specialists.
The nuances of installing vinyl and metal siding
Finishing windows with metal siding is no different from the technology for installing vinyl panels. As a departure from the methodology, we can only single out the need to use additional elements from the same material. In all cases, you should be guided by the width of the slope, which will determine the method of installation of the finish. If this parameter is approximately equal to 20 cm, then the space must be closed with cladding. This must be done vertically or horizontally. To install siding inside slopes, a J-profile will be required. But if we are talking about slopes of medium width, then there is no need to use siding to finish them. To do this, you can purchase special strips for such slopes, the width of which can be made as needed. In this case, it will only be necessary to remove excess material with a knife. But the edge of the bar toowill be installed in a J-profile or finish profile. To install such planks, you will need to cut them or bend the corners.
Features of mounting the crate
Window siding on the outside is usually carried out along the crate. It is a series of vertical bars made of wood or metal. The outer edges of the bars will form a virtual contour. It is important to make this support as even as possible, the attractiveness of the appearance of the finish will depend on this. Initially, you should determine the right angle from the bottom of the opening, and then set the starting profile according to the marks, then you need to make the rest of the markings, guided by the lower dimensions. An angle must be formed from the profile at the corners of the opening; for this, UD and CD profiles are strengthened with each other. The inner corner of the siding will be laid on this blank. Finishing windows with vinyl siding must be carried out along the crate, as an exception, there are openings whose width is less than 19 cm.
Conclusion
Window decoration with siding, the photo of which is presented in the article, must be carried out according to a certain technology. It provides for fixing the last plank under the eaves after fixing the finishing profile. Cutting blanks should be carried out only on a special table, while it is recommended to use a circular saw.
Before purchasing materials, it is important to carry out a calculation so that there is no overspending. Most often, the length of siding components is 3 m, therefore, when calculating the required amount of finishing material, it is necessary to divide the total perimeter of doors and windowson three. The length of the components may vary depending on the manufacturer, which is why this feature should be taken into account by you when making calculations.
