Recommendation points
Today we will talk about the options for finishing the slopes of windows installed in wooden houses, log houses and from a bar. Consider the materials that can be used when decorating window slopes in timber houses, we will study the advantages and disadvantages of various options.
We talked in detail about the rules for installing windows in a wooden house, so you are well aware of what a sowing and squaring is. Now we are interested in the finishing of the window opening, because the slopes can be decorated in different ways. The window should not only be insulated by sealing up all the cracks and joints after installation, but also decorated so that the opening looks harmonious in the interior, connecting the glass unit and the walls into a single picture.
Window slopes are designed to perform the following functions:
- improve the appearance of the opening, decorate the window;
- protect window openings and frames from water ingress;
- cover the foam, joints, prolonging the service life of the entire structure, additionally insulating the opening.
Based on these tasks, materials for finishing slopes should be moisture resistant, durable, practical and attractive..
Option one – wood
The most obvious option in the case of arranging windows and slopes in a wooden house, especially a log house that is not sheathed with other materials, preserving the natural beauty of logs, of course, is wood. If it is also decided to make the windows wooden, it will be logical to choose this material for finishing the slopes..
Window opening in a wooden house
Most often, such types of wood as oak, beech, cedar are used for wooden slopes and window sills. Inexpensive pine is popular, but it is not very suitable for external slopes due to the characteristics of this rather soft wood. The best option would be larch, as a not very expensive, but at the same time strong and durable material.
Important! Experts recommend choosing the same type of wood for finishing the slopes that was used in the manufacture of the frame. So the window will have an overall harmonious appearance, because each wood has its own texture. However, some homeowners decide to use different types of wood, achieving an original combination of slopes and frames..
The advantages of wooden slopes include durability, environmental friendliness, attractiveness, good heat and sound insulation properties, the ability to choose different textures and paint for the interior. In addition, wooden slopes perfectly hide all surface irregularities. The disadvantages of wooden slopes include the need for special protection, treatment with fire retardants and antiseptics. Finished slopes undergo such processing in production. The price of one running meter of slopes made of oak 500 mm wide will be about 6.7 thousand rubles, larch – 3.7 thousand rubles..
By the way, wooden slopes also look good with plastic windows, especially if they are not white, but decorated like a tree.
As an alternative to natural wood, you can choose veneered slopes. They combine the advantages of wood and MDF. However, it cannot be said that veneered slopes will be much cheaper – the price can reach 5.5 thousand rubles per linear meter with an opening depth of 600 mm.
Option two – plastic
Due to the relatively high cost of natural wood slopes, homeowners often opt for cheaper plastic. PVC windows can be seen today in many wooden buildings, plastic slopes in this case can become a harmonious and durable finishing element. Even in log cabins, not to mention log houses, plastic windows with the same slopes become part of the interior and facade decoration.
It should immediately be stipulated that today there are two common options for plastic slopes:
- Sandwich panels. This is not just a thin plastic, it is a structure where between two laconic plastic sheets there is a layer of thermal insulation – polyurethane foam or expanded polystyrene. The first type of insulation is preferable. Manufacturers offer sandwich panels, for example, with dimensions of 1500x3000x10 mm at a price of about 1.2 thousand rubles (thermal insulation – expanded polystyrene). Such sheets can be cut to the size of your slopes; you will have to buy corners and a special profile in the kit so that the structure takes on a finished look. From above, plastic sandwich panels can be laminated with colored film, which allows you to choose an option for the interior. Such panels can perfectly imitate wood, which is very important for wooden houses;
- A simpler and cheaper option is plastic slopes with jumpers. Such panels are thin, do not differ in heat and sound insulation properties, although they can be not just white, but oak or walnut, for example, thanks to lamination. The cost of a running meter of such slopes can vary from 160 to 800 rubles, depending on the availability of the laminated layer and the width.
The advantages of plastic slopes include ease of installation, durable, ease of maintenance, more affordable cost in comparison with wood, the ability to choose an option for the interior. Sandwich panels for slopes are the best choice, they have fewer minuses, but plastic with jumpers on the slopes can look cheap, it is easy to damage it upon impact. Low-quality products in the sun may have lintels that will not decorate the window at all.
Option three – lining
As one of the types of lumber, lining is well suited for finishing slopes in a wooden house, but it is usually used in log houses, not very well combined with log walls.
Advantages of lining: low cost (the price per square meter will cost 149–550 rubles, depending on the type of wood), ease of installation, quite attractive appearance. The disadvantages include the need for special treatment to protect the tree. In addition, in terms of aesthetics, the slopes of the lining are significantly inferior to solid wood, narrow boards cannot be completely closed up with a wide opening, there will be joints that may disperse over time. For durability, plastic sandwich panels are preferable.
As a more decorative type of lining for finishing slopes, a block house can be used. This is a good choice for external slopes, if it was decided to sheathe the entire log building with such an imitation of a real log..
Plastering on the slopes of windows in a wooden house is an option that experts oppose. Firstly, the application of plaster is associated with the use of a wet solution, and such a neighborhood for wood is categorically undesirable. Secondly, log cabins and log houses shrink, so the plastered slope can simply crack over time, despite the presence of a jar.
In houses from a bar there are slopes made of plasterboard, about the work with which we wrote in detail. In log houses, log cabins, drywall is much less frequent “guest”. Exotic options for finishing slopes in wooden buildings include the use of bamboo or cork panels..
What are the different finishing options available for slopes of windows in a wooden house?