Metal siding for facade decoration

Recommendation points

• Strengths and weaknesses of the material
• Decorative varieties and specificity of application
• Types of protective coatings
• About facade systems using metal siding
• Technique for wall cladding and eaves

Choosing a method of facade decoration, we are looking for maximum reliability and good appearance. An important role is played by the price of installation and materials. It is not so easy to combine all the necessary qualities in one material, and nevertheless, metal siding for facade decoration may be the best solution for you..

Strengths and weaknesses of the material

Metal siding is a representative of curtain wall cladding, it inherits all the technological advantages provided by other types of ventilated facades:

• long operation of the insulating material;
• stabilization of temperature exchange, improvement of thermal insulation properties;
• fast and efficient installation;
• possibility of finishing without complicated wall preparation.

Everything is learned in comparison, therefore, with an identical frame design, it makes sense to evaluate metal siding, putting it on a par with vinyl and wood. If we compare materials from the same price category:

• metal siding is definitely superior to vinyl siding in the absence of a specific smell when heated;
• behaves more “calmly” with changes in humidity and temperature;
• less prone to burnout;
• richer map of colors and textures;
• high strength and low windage.

To summarize: with an additional investment of 20-30% of the cost of popular PVC siding, you can get the durability of (vinyl) flagship brands with a guarantee of normal behavior in regions with a contrasting climate. It would not be very correct to compare metal siding with other types of external facade cladding, for example, panel and cassette types. Still, this is a different price category and, of course, a question of aesthetic preferences..

As for the weaknesses of siding – it does not accept incorrect cutting and requires mandatory protection of the edged ends. In terms of practicality, there is superiority in a smooth texture that is not clogged with dust, there is a high frost and heat resistance of the coating. The opinion that siding rattles and claps is based on examples of improper installation, where the pitch of the frame system was not followed and the recommended fastening techniques were not used. Most often this happens due to savings on piece materials..

Decorative varieties and specificity of application

The most popular type of vinyl siding has a metallic appearance and is just as widely used. We are talking about the familiar to many profile “shipboard” of horizontal layout: beveled top, flat board and bottom flap. This variety is versatile in use and provides the same classic facade decoration.

Imitation of wooden lining is also made of metal. Here the board has symmetrical straight folds, there may be a narrow chamfer on the edges. Unfortunately, this type of siding does not recommend itself in the best way for horizontal installation: dust accumulates on the “shelves”, and the light-colored finish suffers from this especially strongly: during the rain, the dust is not completely washed off, forming streaks and streaks. The most appropriate is the use of such a profile with a vertical layout both on the facades of buildings and on the gables of the roof.

Block house imitation is one of the most expensive varieties. The investment pays off with a presentable appearance and immunity to bacterial contamination. Vertical additional fittings look very appropriate, they can also be replaced with pilasters lined with clinker or bassoon bricks.

Types of protective coatings

The main disease of many representatives of plastic siding – susceptibility to ultraviolet light – is of the least importance for metal products. If, in the case of vinyl materials, color loss occurs due to the destruction of the base polymer, then the coating of steel with a printing film is subject to fading, mainly due to the sluggish self-decay of coloring pigments. Exposure to sunlight and weathering is limited to a sufficiently thick polymer coating, which can be of several types.

PVDF is the undisputed leader among steel siding coatings in terms of color retention. Largely due to chemical purity: in the finished form, the protective film almost does not include residual traces of catalytic converters in the composition of the residual traces of catalytic converters, natural chemical decomposition is almost not expressed in any way.

Pural is just as resistant to ultraviolet light, but it tolerates a little worse mechanical and chemical influences. It is used in products with monochrome colors, which is familiar to many as a coating for profiled sheets and metal tiles. Along with PVDF, it has advantages in winter installation, as it retains plasticity at negative temperatures.

Plastisol is the only type of coating for textured siding varieties. Resistance to mechanical damage and scratches is the highest known due to the thick coating layer – up to 0.2 mm. Like pural, it has the highest degree of metal protection against corrosion.

Polyester and polyester resins – protective coatings for economy class products. They have high resistance to UV light, but are limited in the number of heating / cooling cycles and are inferior to other coatings in protection against corrosion and mechanical damage.

About facade systems using metal siding

The type of frame system depends entirely on the thickness of the insulation used. For hydrophobic materials such as PIR, PUR and EPS, leave a minimum ventilation gap without a windscreen. In this case, it is possible to attach wooden planks through the insulation to the bearing layer and then fix metal siding to them..

The use of more sophisticated galvanized profile systems is reasonable in the case of stone wool mats up to 50 mm thick. In this case, direct suspensions for the frames under the gypsum board are attached to the wall according to the markings, then cotton wool is put on them directly, the windproof membrane is rolled out and through-fastening is performed with disc dowels. The remaining air gap is the recommended 20-30% of the insulation thickness. With a vertical siding layout, a cross lathing is screwed over the profile.

A thicker layer of external insulation should be arranged only using frame systems for hinged ventilated facades. Metal siding cannot be classified as a lightweight type of cladding, it requires a rigid and reliable structure for high-quality installation and reliable long-term operation.

For most types of metal siding, the standard pitch of the rack elements is used – 60 cm.With a significant extension from the load-bearing wall, this indicator may be less, but less often the frame should not be done in any case, otherwise the finish will not tolerate wind loads well and, possibly, sag under the weight plating.

Technique for wall cladding and eaves

Attaching metal siding to the frame is much like working with vinyl materials. Fixation is carried out along the standard holes, to compensate for thermal expansion, the press washers are loosened by half a turn. It is also possible to use special fastening brackets, if this is regulated in the installation instructions from the manufacturer.

Corner joining profiles, slope frames and docking strips are installed first. Then siding shoulder straps are inserted into the grooves, fix them and check whether the element remains mobile. Sometimes a construction project may require the presence of perforated shoulder straps in the basement row, especially when the finish is tightly adjacent to the foundation area.

Siding cutting is carried out either with cross-cut saws with a victorious tooth, or with special scissors and guillotines. Cutting the siding with an abrasive wheel is not allowed, polymer protection peels off from overheating 3-5 cm from the cut. The cut point, hidden in the groove of the fittings, is processed with Movil or special mastic.

When covering gable and cornice overhangs, a longitudinal crate of 20-25 mm wooden planks is stuffed. Siding is attached to them after cutting into short transverse panels, with solid and perforated parts alternating in a ratio of 3: 1 or 5: 2. Here it is not possible to bend the purlin when inserting, therefore, the corner joints are covered with a ridge profile with visible fastening with self-tapping screws in the color of the coating.