Exterior wall decoration is the result of the entire construction process, the final decorative touch and additional protection of the house structure from the adverse effects of the external environment. Despite a wide range of new, progressive finishing materials, allowing to create a unique exterior of the house, wood wall decoration did not lower its position in the popularity rating on the construction market. In addition, manufacturers of wooden finishing materials do not stand still, but create new original products.
Advantages and disadvantages of technology
Among the positive properties of exterior wood trim are:
- increase the thermal insulation of the house;
- strength and resistance to mechanical stress;
- low level of electrical conductivity;
- moisture resistance (of course, for this the tree must be treated with a special solution);
- sound insulation;
- resistance to oxidative processes;
- counteraction to decay, fungi and accumulation of condensate;
- decorative good compatibility with other materials for cladding;
- ease and speed of installation.
There are few drawbacks to using wood from the outside: firstly, the material must be subjected to flame retardant treatment, and secondly, by impregnation with special antifungal protective solutions.
Varieties of wood products for cladding
Wood wall decoration on the outside is most often done using the following materials:
- lining;
- Eurolining;
- block house;
- imitation of a bar.
Lining
Lining is a board made of solid wood (usually made of linden, aspen, oak or pine), designed to decorate the house both outside and inside. In addition, doors and ceilings are sheathed with this material. Clapboard finishing is resistant to mechanical damage, durable and relatively inexpensive. Her aesthetic qualities can be improved by opening with varnish or tinting stain.
The disadvantage of lining is instability to sharp temperature fluctuations and high humidity, in addition, it is at risk of the appearance of fungus.
Eurolining
Eurolining is an improved version of a conventional lining. In fact, its only difference is the presence of longitudinal ventilation recesses, which serve as protection against internal pressure of the wood and excess condensate. Eurolining is more securely fastened, because its connecting grooves are much deeper located and during installation do not form gaps outside.
There are three categories of euro lining:
- category "A" has the best quality and perfectly flat surface;
- category "B" is the middle grade in which bumps and knots on the surface are permissible;
- Category “C” is not commonly used for decorative finishes.
Block house
A block house is one of the varieties of finishing material that imitates a beam or log. The house, sheathed in a block house, looks like a wooden log house.
The low cost of this finishing material is due to the peculiarities of its production. When sawing a log into a block house, there is practically no waste left, because it is sawn according to the “square in a circle” scheme. As a result, 4 saw cut round logs outside become blanks for a block house, and the inside, the so-called square, spent on flat boards and timber.
Among the advantages of such a finish are strength and resistance to deformation, a good level of heat and sound insulation, durability and ease of installation. In addition, the block house is impregnated with flame retardants and antiseptics, so that it is fireproof and is not subject to attack by insects and fungus.
Most often, the block house is made of spruce or pine, it is both cheap and profitable, because the resin released by these types of wood enhances waterproofing and increases the strength of the product.
Billets are narrow and wide: 90 and 130-230 mm, respectively. For decorating the house outside are wide.
Facing technology and basic nuances
The facade of the house is decorated with wood only after the final shrinkage of the building, which occurs no earlier than a year or two after its construction.
Between the wall and the casing, leave a gap for ventilation, about 3-5 cm wide, otherwise the wood will deteriorate and rot very quickly.
Most often, cladding of block, frame or log walls is made horizontally, however, if non-grooved boards are used, it is better to stack them vertically. Non-grooved boards are more susceptible to moisture, so horizontal installation will be detrimental to them, because between the joints of horizontally laid boards moisture gets in and the product begins to quickly rot. In addition, non-grooved boards should be lapped, which will protect the joints from moisture.
Wood wall decoration starts from the basement. The first board must cover the base at least 4-5 cm. Subsequent boards should be beaten with an overlap of 15-20 mm. The main thing is that the overlap does not touch the board that it overlaps. The boards are beaten only from below; the overlap of the next board holds them from above.
For horizontal wall decoration, profiled lining boards are the best option. Their thickness should be no more than 1.5-2 mm and a width of 8-10 cm. The lining is fastened on bars with a section of 3 by 6 cm, nailed to the wall at intervals of one and a half meters.
In the places of the corner joints, the boards are sawn off at an angle of 45 degrees relative to the width. For sawing, you can use the miter box (a special box for sawing).
Grooved boards are used for vertical decoration of the house, but if simple ones are used, then in the places of joining it will be necessary to install additional rails.
When attaching the boards, make sure that the lower boards are not touched by nails, because this can cause cracks to appear on them.
If the facade is trimmed with wood in a vertical way, then you will have to install an additional teardrop. To do this, the ends of the boards are sawn off at an angle of 30 degrees, with a slope to the side of the building wall. In addition, the outer skin will look decorative at an angle of 45 degrees. Planks can be laid both continuously and with a “herringbone”. If planking with an inclination or pattern of boards is supposed, the boards must be grooved, or at least half-grooved.
When covering the frame walls with wood, the boards are attached to the racks, in which case the top of the rack falls in the middle of the “herringbone” laying. Fastening the material directly to the walls of the house outside is extremely rare.
Well, the last rule of decorating the walls of the house outside: no matter how neatly and prudently the installation was done, if the finishing material was selected low-quality, raw and unprocessed, all the work will go down the drain.