Facing facade surfaces with natural wood is still one of the most common ways to decorate the exterior of the house. And as alternative finishes become available, the range of options for traditional cladding expands. But, regardless of the chosen technology for finishing the facade with wood, the durability and aesthetic properties of the external protection will depend on the quality of the installation work.
Wood requirements
Among the main advantages of wooden house decoration are environmental friendliness and attractive appearance. On the other hand, wood is also the most problematic material, the operation of which can be associated with biological damage, susceptibility to combustion and natural destruction of the structure due to moisture. To minimize such effects, wood facade decoration should initially be made of high quality material. When choosing, it is important to consider factors such asmoisture coefficient, wood grade, presence of defects and knots, as well as the quality of the processing of the edges. The slightest damage to the structure in the future may become a breeding ground for the development of mold or fungus, therefore, when purchasing cladding elements, regardless of the format of their release, a thorough revision of the external condition of the products should be made.
Planting
This is one of the most popular and affordable ways of wood paneling. For such purposes, it is recommended to use lumber from pine, spruce or durable species of the exotic spectrum. As for the dimensions, the length can be 4-5 m, width - 10-20 cm, and thickness - from 20 to 35 mm. The standard format of such a skin is shown in the photo below. Finishing the facade of a house with wood in the form of a board is usually implemented in a simple way - by nailing along the sides of the attachment. But it is better to pay attention to models with the presence of thorn-groove locking joints. This type of fastening is not only more reliable, but also more profitable in terms of sealing and warming the house. However, in this case, one cannot do without fixing each segment to the facade base.
The choice of the direction of the board is also fundamental. Both vertical and horizontal arrangement of elements is practiced. What is the best option? Practice shows that with all the aesthetics of a horizontal configuration, a vertical installation is preferable due to durability. In such a system, rainwater flows directly down, without lingering and without destroying the wood structure from the inside and sides.
Clapboard design
This material is often confused with a regular board, siding and even a block house. At the same time, the lining has a number of fundamental differences, among which the following can be distinguished:
- Small plank format, 5-7 cm wide and 15-20 cm thick.
- The presence of perforations and grooves for locking. For such a facade finish with wood, factory processing is not optional, as is the case with a board, but mandatory.
- A special profile in the form of a deep tongue-and-groove joint distinguishes the so-called euro lining, made according to Western standards.
- The American lining, in turn, is distinguished by a beveled profile that allows overlapping installation.
- Moderate humidity of 10-15%. Also in the manufacturing process, special drying is a mandatory procedure that increases the strength of the material structure.
- Complete absence of knots, "blue", chips and other damage.
In general, we can say that the lining is a neat and aesthetically attractive, but rather difficult to install option for outdoor design.
Application of wood siding
This type of sheathing is quite popular in the performance of metal and plastic elements, but lumber can also be used as the basis for siding. Moreover, unlike boards and lining, they use not solid wood, but pressed wood - this is a chipboard cladding made of fibers that are compressed under high pressure incertain temperature regime. Why is this method of manufacturing cladding beneficial for facade decoration? The photo of the wooden facade below shows the decorative properties of the design, but the advantages of the material do not end there. Tight pressing makes this type of siding physically resistant and durable (service life - 10-15 years). There are also panels with a combination of wood and composites. Such a design can withstand even constant contact with moisture, but the nuances of environmental and fire safety should be taken into account.
Combination with other materials
One can talk about the combination of different materials not only in the context of the cladding as such, but also in relation to the facade design in general. Most often there are hybrid skins using wood and stone. The popularity of this decision is connected with several points. The very design of the stone has a lot of advantages - both aesthetic and technical properties. This is a reliable and noble in texture and texture traditional style cladding, but it can not always be used in relation to small houses. Sometimes this restriction is imposed due to the insufficient reliability of the foundation of the walls, and sometimes the stone is abandoned due to the visual reduction of the building. In both cases, the partial use of a heavy natural mineral and wood will justify itself.
In this design, fragmentary sheathing with a board, siding or clapboard of the main surfaces is realized. You can also use the zoning technique, in whichdifferent functional parts will be given to decoration with one or another material. As one of the options for finishing the facade with wood and stone, it is possible to offer partial decoration or reinforcement of the porch, plinth, corners, bay window or balcony areas. Perhaps the key accents of the aesthetic properties will be placed precisely by the choice of a textured solution in relation to the stone.
Preparing the facade surface for sheathing
Almost all types of wood sheathing provide for mounting on the crate. This is a frame base made of wooden or metal planks and bars that are installed on top of the wall. Using fasteners like dowels, self-tapping screws and anchor connections, it is necessary to form a substructure with a small gap for ventilation. The slats with a thickness of 5-10 cm are optimally suited, but it is also necessary to make a calculation here on the possibility of placing heat-insulating material that will fit in the gaps between the slats. The distances between the frame rails are 30-50 cm, which will allow laying insulating boards in the free space even without special modifications in size.
How to make an insulated wood facade finish?
Insulating material can be placed under the sheathing layer in the crate, which will minimize heat loss. Work begins at the bottom of the façade. Between the rails fixed in the wall, slabs of mineral or bas alt wool are laid. Depending on the material of the base and the thickness of the insulation, the method of fastening is selected. Hiskind of a continuous fixer after installation, the decoration of the facade of the house itself will act. It is desirable to waterproof the tree on the surface of the heat insulator with a layer of membrane film, which will also give the effect of vapor protection. But large and heavy sheets of insulation are still recommended to be either additionally glued to the wall, or attached with umbrella dowels. This mainly applies to mineral wool slabs.
Fix wood trim
The cladding elements are being installed along the open contours of the crate. The board is nailed in the classical way from the base, which can be stone. The segments are placed overlapping - the top board comes to the bottom. Direct fastening is carried out with screws or nails that are resistant to corrosion processes. As for the decoration of the facade of a private house with wood in the format of siding and lining, this option is performed by more technological fixation with groove-groove joints. If locking connections are not provided and the calculation is made for a straight equal joint, then it is better to additionally include narrow strips. If there is a structural possibility, flashings are installed at the rear so that the internal insulation of the joints is complemented by the effect of physical support.
What else should be provided in the skin?
Installation and operation of a wooden facade has many hidden nuances due to the specifics of this natural material. Among them are the following:
- When using fasteners, it is important that the hardware is recessed into the base by at least 5 cm, capturingtrim at least 2cm.
- For wood, it is important to provide ventilation gaps. Both in the lower part at the junction of the skin with the plinth, and in the upper part under a canopy or cornice.
- In problem areas exposed to negative impact factors, imitation material can be used. The most widely artificial decoration of the facades of houses under the tree is presented in siding families. At the same time, products can recreate not just the texture of wood fibers, but also reflect the structural features of the log masonry with a characteristic texture.
- In the process of using finishes, do not forget about the need to protect natural material. It is advisable to periodically treat its surface with antiseptics and flame retardants.
Conclusion
Neat and properly installed wood paneling will add visual appeal to the overall look of the house. The weak points of such a design relate to the technical part and are expressed in low mechanical strength and protection from adverse external influences. The best solution may be to finish the facade under a tree on a metal or plastic base in the form of siding, but in this case the environmental value of natural material will be lost. And to it it is worth adding the ability of a tree to natural ventilation through micropores. Therefore, it is recommended to have a balanced approach to finishing different areas of the house, in some places using the aforementioned stone finish, and sometimes plastic inclusions.
