Composite panels for the facade: features and application

The well-known proverb that meets on clothes, is applicable not only to people, but also to buildings. Such "clothes" for them is the facade, performing aesthetic and protective functions. One of the variations of the facade is the design of the hinged system with the use of composite panels.

Composite panels include several dissimilar materials. As a result of such a combination, front panels are obtained, which incorporate the best technical properties of all the components used. The considered finishing option always consists of 2 main elements: a matrix (plastic layer) and a filler (reinforcing layer). In addition, the composite panels have metal plates and a protective face layer.

Manufacturers produce materials that differ in size, color, content and number of layers.However, all products are characterized by high strength properties with low weight, weather resistance and long service life.

The panels have the form of plates in the form of a square or a rectangle with a metal base. They are equipped with insulating layer. The front side is covered with a decorative layer, which can have any shade, glossy or matte surface. Expensive products have a laminated surface imitating a particular finishing material (wood, stone, brick).

Any composite material is a multi-layer “cake” having the following structure (from the front to the inside of the panel):

• a protective layer (ensures the preservation of the technical properties of the material, protects the color from burning out);
• paintwork (responsible for the external attractiveness of the panels);
• metal (usually aluminum) sheet (provides strength);
• adhesive layer (its task is to fix materials);
• a filler (performs the function of reinforcement, providing the product with certain technical qualities);

• glue layer (about it has already been said earlier);
• aluminum sheet (performs the function of strengthening, ensuring the reliability of the product);
• anti-corrosion coating (protects the metal plate from the action of moisture, water vapor, condensate).

Panel sizes may vary. The length can be 240 mm, 320 mm or 400 mm, width - 100 or 150 cm. The thickness of the panel is 2-6 mm. Due to the low weight (8 kg / m kV), it is possible to avoid excessive load on the bearing elements of the building, which means that it is possible to do without additional strengthening of the foundation. At the same time, multi-layeredness ensures the strength and durability of the coating, as well as high thermal efficiency.

The temperature range of operation of the panels is from -50 ° C to + 80 ° C. The panels are resistant to strong wind loads (squally wind), corrosion. They are characterized by biostability and frost resistance.

Composite plates - an excellent sound insulation material. With their help, you can reduce the noise level in a house with concrete walls by a factor of 2. The fire safety of the material is also high - it refers to low-combustible, emits a small amount of smoke during combustion.

Composite panels for facade cladding have a low weight, and therefore do not require additional strengthening of the bearing elements of the building, are suitable for installation on high-rise buildings. Due to the plasticity of the material and its ability to bend, it is possible to finish any buildings, including those with a large number of architectural elements.

The walls, finished with composite panels, are characterized by impact resistance up to 50 kg / cm2. In combination with high weather resistance and resistance to thermal extremes, this causes a long service life of the panels. Depending on the type of product, the service life ranges from 10-25 years.

A wide temperature range of operation, resistance to UV rays and cold resistance allow the use of composite panels in any climatic region. Improved indicators of moisture resistance of the material are also an obvious "plus" because moisture does not penetrate into its structure and does not reach the insulation and walls.

Fire safety products - another significant advantage. Due to the high content of flame retardants in the composition and use of aluminum it is possible to significantly reduce the fire hazard of the ventilated facade.By itself, it is considered dangerous from the point of view of the risk of fire, because the flame quickly spreads through the air pockets. That is why it is so important to select fire-resistant finishing materials for such systems.

Due to the variety of colors and textures of the front of the panel, it is possible to realize the original design projects, to give the building a unique appearance. The use of panels that mimic expensive wooden or stone coatings helps to make the structure more respectable.

Some types of tiles have a dirt-repellent coating and the ability to self-cleaning, which greatly simplifies the care of them. As a rule, dust and dirt are washed away by rain. In rare cases, washing the facade with water using a soft sponge and a non-aggressive liquid detergent is required.

"Minuses" of materials are:

• high cost (prices for other facing materials, including expensive composite ceramic granite, are lower than the cost of composite plates);
• the material is not heat-insulating, therefore, to prevent the formation of cold bridges, it is recommended to use paronit or plastic thermally discontinuous gaskets;

• limited scope of application (limitations are imposed by the class of flammability of the material - it is not suitable for facing hospitals and children's institutions, as well as a tendency to scratches the surface, which can spoil the lining of the building's basement);
• low maintainability (if one panel is damaged, it will be necessary to dismantle several adjacent ones);
• increased requirements for transportation, the need for careful handling during storage and installation (risk of damage to the front of the material).

Depending on the type of composite, there are several types of panels.

The material contains foamed polyethylene, combined with a large number of various flame retardant additives. This ensures low flammability of the panels. They belong to class G1 (slightly combustible material).When burning mineral plates does not emit acrid smoke, the molten mass does not flow.

German-made products are distinguished by the presence of aluminum hydroxide in the composition, which makes them even more resistant to flame. The panels are used for exterior decoration of the house.

They consist of polycarbonate and foamed polyethylene, which causes a low weight of the material. This allows it to be used for cladding partitions, non-reinforced structures with low bearing capacity. The main scope of application - interior decoration.

The composite is represented by thin plates of aluminum, which are collected in a grid. The material is characterized by high strength, high rigidity with minimal weight. Aluminum composite panels are not afraid of a strong wind load, which makes them the best option for cladding high-rise buildings.

Relatively recently, wood-polymer version of the panels, the basis of which is wood chip flour, appeared. Due to the peculiarities of the composition, they are distinguished by greater heat resistance; in other parameters they are not inferior to the varieties described above.

Composite panels also differ in the type of outer coating. There are several categories.

The most affordable type of coverage. It is characterized by bright shades and glossy shine, it is well resisted by moisture, temperature changes, UV rays. Recommended for exterior decoration, but when used as a front material it becomes unusable after 5-6 years of operation.

The material for the facade, characterized by durability, the presence of dirt-repellent coating, increased resistance to fading under the influence of sunlight. The average operational period is 20-25 years.

The surface of the material is characterized by a mirror effect, which is explained by the electrochemical treatment of the aluminum film that is part of the film.The material exhibits improved weather resistance, corrosion resistance. It is operated, without requiring repair, for 15-20 years. With it, ventilated facades are usually created.

The most expensive, but also the most spectacular view of the panels. The surface of the material simulates various types of expensive finishing coatings (stone, polished metal, wood). In addition, the material has high protective properties. The period of operation reaches 15-20 years. The most famous plates with laminating films are produced under the brand name Alucobond.

Depending on the type of metal used in the composite “cake”, the following panels are distinguished:

• from aluminum;
• from galvanized steel.

The former have less weight, while the latter demonstrate better strength and higher melting rates. The latter characteristic speaks of their greater fire safety.

The colors of the composite panels correspond to the shades of the RAL-catalog, which includes 213 colors, 17 of which are metallic. The colors are indicated by a four-digit number, where the first digit indicates that the shade belongs to a particular color range.For example, if a color begins with the number 1, it means that it is one of the variants of the yellow scale.

As well as any hinged facade, composite plates are installed on a frame of metal profiles. In addition to the panels themselves, galvanized profiles are needed for the creation of a subsystem, mounting brackets, self-tapping screws or rivets. In addition, you will need a drill and two-stage drills, a construction level and a hammer drill.

You can cut the material with scissors for metal, a circular saw or a manual jigsaw. It is also necessary to purchase heat-insulating material and a hydro-windproof membrane, a primer or roller, thick markers or paint for marking.

First of all, it is necessary to draw up a project plan, to carry out a drawing of the building at the chosen scale. In the project documentation should be marked with the markup and the required amount of material.

The technology of mounting hinged facades involves the cleaning of walls, the elimination of large cracks, the strengthening of old elements. Minor defects can not be eliminated, because they still hide the skin. Prepared and clean walls should be treated with 2-3 layers of primer.For wooden surfaces, choose mixtures with antiseptics in the composition, for plastered ones - reinforcing analogues of deep penetration.

After the walls are completely dry, you can install the batten. To this end, the markings are performed on the walls using a level and in strict accordance with the design documents. After that, make a mark on the markup using a perforator, dust them and insert dowels. You can then assemble the brackets and screw them into the surface.

Insulation with slots is applied to the wall, strung on brackets. Subsequent rows are stacked with an offset of half a sheet. In places of contact between the brackets and walls, insulating paronite gaskets are used to prevent the formation of cold bridges. It is worth remembering that by themselves composite plates with a small insulating gasket can not act as a warming material.

Similarly, a hydropneumatic protective membrane is laid over the insulating material. Her sheets are stacked with an overlap of 100 mm. After that, the insulation and the membrane are reinforced with one for both materials with a dowel plate type. 2-3 fixation points per sheet are enough, one of which must be in the middle.

The device frame begins with the installation of the U-shaped profile. After that, inside it fix the expansion slide, for which the lining is mounted.

On the finished frame fasten panel. The first of them is aligned horizontally to the bottom edge of the batten. After that, the upper part in the corners is attached to the guide profile by means of self-tapping screws. Then, in the side of the panel, closer to the upper part, the slide (these elements are movable) move to which the panel is fixed with self-tapping screws. You can move the slide with a screwdriver. Similarly, the plate is mounted on the opposite side and below.

Install the rest of the panel. Between the elements leave a gap of at least 12 mm. In the corners of the panels dock with each of the parties, so that in each corner along the entire height there is a gap.Another corner design option is bending the panel using a bending machine, resulting in a smooth, rounded corner.

The production of panels is carried out with a layer of polyethylene applied to its front side, which protects the material from damage during transportation and installation. After completion of the facade cladding, this film is removed.

If it is necessary to cut material, pay attention to the direction of the arrows, which are usually located on the back side of the panels. They indicate the direction in which to cut.

During installation, bending or cutting of products it is important that metal chips or tools do not scratch the surface of the panel. Otherwise, this will reduce not only its aesthetic appeal, but also its performance characteristics. To prevent damage to the face of the tile when it is bent, you can work on a perfectly clean surface.

Depending on the color, the composite panels allow you to give the facades a strict, businesslike or, on the contrary, more relaxed and even “hooligan” appearance.

Experts recommend combining several shades of material within the same facade to make it more voluminous, noticeable, to avoid monotony. This can be a combination of 2-3 close tones, and contrasting options.

When combining laminated panels with color counterparts, it is better to focus on the first ones.

Below is a detailed video instruction on the installation of composite panels.