Facing the facades of houses with thermal panels can rightfully be considered the most convenient finishing option. There are, of course, many other types of facade panels that have undoubted aesthetic and operational advantages, but only thermal panels can boast of having an insulating layer and a natural, rather than imitating, front surface.
In this article we will talk about the characteristics of thermal panels for wall cladding, your attention will also be offered instructions for their installation.
Thermal panels are a composite modular material consisting of a rigid base (OSB board), polymer insulation and a front layer of clinker or stone tiles. As a heat-insulating layer, either polyurethane foam (PPU) or expanded polystyrene (PPS) can be used in the production of this material.
So:
- Polymer heaters are highly resistant to moisture and temperature extremes, and in terms of their thermal insulation properties, they are an order of magnitude ahead of many other materials. Expanded polystyrene is inferior in characteristics to polyurethane foam, therefore the price of thermal panels based on PPS is lower by thirty percent.
- But the production technology does not depend on the type of insulation. Its essence is as follows: agglomerate or clinker tiles are laid at the bottom of the mold, quartz sand is poured, and liquid PPU (or PPS) is poured on top.
- Then, embedded parts are installed in the mold - guides necessary for the installation of finished products. All this is covered with a rigid base and pressed. The result is one-piece multi-layer panels, light in weight, strong enough and durable.
- Due to these properties, facade cladding with thermal panels is carried out not only in private, but also in multi-storey buildings. It is clear that it is simply unrealistic to veneer such a house, as in the photo above, with piece tiles - it is long, laborious and expensive.
The large size of the panels, and on average it is 1150 * 600 mm, will significantly speed up the process of exterior decoration of the building. In addition, cladding the house with thermal panels will eliminate the need to install insulation, and, accordingly, helps to reduce overall construction costs.
The subtleties of mounting thermal panels
We must say right away that the installation of cladding elements, in this case, can be carried out in two ways: directly to the wall, and on the frame. That is why, facade cladding with thermal panels, as an option for finishing exterior walls, is great not only for concrete and brick, but also for wooden, as well as frame-panel houses.
So:
- Installation of panels directly on the base base is only acceptable for brick or concrete houses, the walls of which do not have significant curvature. Therefore, before deciding on the installation option, it makes sense to take a level and check if there are any deviations.
- If the elevation differences exceed 4-5 cm, then it is much easier to install a crate than to level the walls. But the wooden surface and align it is impossible.
So in this case, facing the facade of the house with thermal panels is the best option that allows you to do the work yourself. - Like any other material mounted on a ventilated facade system, this type of panel can be installed both on a wooden crate and on an aluminum profile frame. In the first case, a 20 * 50 mm rail is used - its thickness is sufficient to ensure normal ventilation of the space under the cladding.
- The design of the aluminum frame is more complex; three types of profiles are required for its installation. The T-shaped profile is used as a guide, the Z-shaped one is the bearing profile, and the L-shaped one provides a high-quality adjoining of the cladding to the openings. Such a frame, of course, is more expensive, but its service life is disproportionately longer than that of wood, even treated with antiseptic impregnation.
- Whatever method of installation is used, work should begin with marking the lower perimeter of the cladding. The starting corner will be installed along this line - it is on it that the first row of panels rests.
Before mounting the corner, holes must be drilled in its horizontal shelf for condensate outflow. On sale there is a special ebb bar, and a camouflage profile - they are used in cases where a metal frame is installed. - The step between the racks is not constant, and depends on the size of the selected panels. The picture above shows regular places intended for driving dowels.
So, the racks of the frame should be positioned so that they are under these holes. When joining two panels, these recesses are closed by the protruding part of the adjacent panel, or by a special insert tile. - You should not start installation without first trying it on, and start it from the corners. For their design, corner elements are used, and for facing window zones, there are additional elements.
They are installed in their places, baited, and then full-sized panels are placed, moving from the edges to the center.
- As a result, there will be an unfilled gap in the middle of the wall, in which a standard panel, as a rule, does not fit. To fill this section of the wall, the panel will have to be cut, but in such a way that the tile that falls on the cut line is divided in half.
If necessary, two adjacent panels are also trimmed. This is done with the help of a manual milling cutter or a grinder - after all, you cannot cut the clinker with a knife. For clarity, you can watch the video. - When the entire row of panels is sized, you can proceed to the capital fastening. The baited panels are removed and the walls are waterproofed.
It is better to treat brick walls with penetrating soil, and walls made of wood or foam concrete should be covered with a rolled membrane. - Although the installation of thermal panels eliminates the need for wall insulation, this does not mean that it is not performed in principle. Do not forget that most regions of our country are in harsh climatic conditions, and additional insulation of buildings located in the northern regions is a vital necessity.
- In such cases, the crate is mounted not from a rail, but from a bar with a section of 40 * 40 mm. The heat-insulating material is laid between the racks, and the ventilation gap is provided by mounting a counter-lattice from the rail, to which the thermal panels will be attached.
In fact, this process does not differ from the finishing of external walls with any other panels - the difference is only in the way the elements are attached to the frame. - Thermal panels are first put on glue, dotted on the crate and the back side, and then, through regular holes, they are fixed with dish-shaped dowels, if to the wall, and 4 * 70 mm self-tapping screws, if to the crate. Sealing of joints after installation is carried out with a polymer-based sealant or foam.
Each next row begins to mount only after the previous one is completely finished.. If the panels are connected on the sides with a zigzag lock, then the comb is inserted into the groove from below and from above.
At the end of the installation, the seams are decorated with grout in the same way as if it were a tiled cladding.
Facade thermal panels for the exterior cladding of a house are a building material consisting of two layers, the first layer consists of polyurethane foam insulation, and the second layer performs a decorative function and looks like a clinker tile. The polyurethane foam layer comes in different thicknesses and can vary from 2.4 to 8 cm, the degree of wall insulation will depend on this. The density of polyurethane foam can also fluctuate and it can range from 48 to 53 kg per square meter.
The decorative part itself, namely Clinker tiles are pressed into the insulation using a special method that eliminates the possibility of falling off individual elements of the tile. As well as on the insulation, the thickness of the clinker tiles ranges from 12 to 15 mm. The standard dimensions of the decorative part (tile) are 2.4 by 7.1 cm.
Some manufacturers of facade thermal panels with clinker tiles also add a third layer, this layer serves for convenience when attaching the panel to the outer wall of the house. The third additional layer will serve as additional thermal insulation and can serve as a supporting base, which is necessary when installing elements of the finishing structure.
In the production of the material, only natural materials are used, without the admixture of synthetic ones. Clinker tiles are dyed using natural rather than artificial dyes, which gives the tile a natural hue. Facing the house with thermal panels with clinker tiles is durable, it is also one of the most resistant materials for facade decoration. After many years, clinker tiles do not lose their color, do not fade when exposed to direct sunlight. It does not crumble and does not crack after a long service life. The facade of the building, sheathed in this way, will retain its original appearance for many years, it will look modern and neat. This material is resistant to large temperature fluctuations, as well as the ingress of precipitation. Clinker tiles on facade panels are resistant to a variety of chemical reactions, and fungus and mold do not form on it. Insects are absolutely not harmful to such front panels. The degree of water resistance is very high. One of the most important advantages of clinker panels is that they can be used for mounting on any hay, because they can be mounted both on a pre-installed frame and on a simple wall. Almost all manufacturers of facade panels with clinker tiles claim that their service life can reach about 25 years, what can be said in practice, their durability can be much longer and exceed the service life specified by the manufacturer by almost several times. Such facade panels pass steam well, so unwanted moisture will not accumulate under them, which once again confirms that there is a high probability of resistance to fungi. It is possible to mount facade panels of this type in any weather. The installation process is so simple that you can do it completely on your own, without the help of specialists, this will significantly save your money, because the work of repair specialists is not a cheap pleasure. In addition, by sheathing the facade of your house with panels with clinker tiles, you are doing two things at the same time, namely, you are insulating your house, as well as decorating it externally. Due to the convenient and regular shape of the facade panels, it is almost impossible to attach it crookedly and not neatly, this will significantly reduce the time spent on cladding the house. Thanks to the insulation, this will significantly save your money on the purchase and installation of additional insulation for the walls of your house. With the choice of color and shape of the facade panels with clinker tiles, the owners will not have any problems. After all, an extensive assortment will make it possible to realize even the most extraordinary design idea. Thanks to the not very cheap, but rather expensive material used for the manufacture of thermal panels, such facade panels have a high price, so facing the front of the house will cost the owners of the house a lot of money. Not every owner can afford such an expensive pleasure.
Owners of private houses know that it is not enough to create a comfortable environment in the interior, it is necessary that the building looks well-groomed and solid from the outside. For exterior cladding, everyone chooses their own version of colors and various shapes.
This can be both plastering and painting the outer surfaces of the walls, and finishing them with various materials. But when using them, only an external effect is achieved, but what about such an important factor as insulation?
Such building material as facade thermal panels will help to save heating costs and give the building a modern style. But since they are produced in various types, you need to decide in advance on the aesthetic and functional qualities. And for this it is worth knowing about them as much as possible.
Unique building cladding material
What are facade thermal panels? Most often, this is a plate, 50 × 50 cm in size, consisting of a heat-insulating material and a protective and decorative layer. The inner part of the thermal panel is expanded polystyrene, the density of which is 20 kg / m³ or mineral wool. The thickness of this layer is from 3 to 10 mm.
In the production of thermal panels, the decorative coating is usually made of white cement grade M700 with sand, polymer additives and reinforcing fiber. Its thickness can reach 12 mm. Thanks to this layer, the plate is strong and durable.
Watch the video about the technical characteristics and properties of the material:
The purpose of such panels is thermal insulation in combination with decorating the facades of various buildings. At the same time, its first layer plays the role of not only a heater, but also a soundproof material. And the second is designed to protect the inner surface from precipitation and gives the building a solid appearance. Moreover, you can install facade thermal panels with your own hands.
Such material is used for a wide variety of buildings: from small private houses to high-rise urban buildings.
Types of thermal panels for the facade
Manufacturers produce a large number of different facing materials. Most of them are thermal panels. Depending on the components used, they are divided into the following types:
- Polyurethane foam-clinker;
- From a hard base.
Consider their main differences. The first type of thermal panels consists of clinker tiles and polyurethane insulation. Such material is quite expensive, but at the same time it is ideal for finishing not only block, but also wooden buildings.
We watch a video about the advantages and disadvantages of panels for the facade:
Manufacturers made attempts to somewhat reduce its cost by replacing polyurethane foam with foam plastic, and clinker with cement-sand tiles using dyes. However, they are inferior to clinker facade thermal panels Stenolit not only in quality, but also in design.
The second type of facade cladding material consists of OSB boards, insulation and the outer layer.
For the latter, in this case, use:
- Porcelain stoneware;
- Clinker;
- Glazed ceramics.
Facade thermal panels under the stone are distinguished by a rigid base, thanks to which it was possible to significantly reduce the vapor permeability of the material. The cost of this type of product depends on the type of cladding.
Of the budget options, it is worth noting one more modification of the Stenolit brand thermopanels. They are made of artificial stone pressed into polyurethane foam. The outer surface of the material is treated with a water-repellent composition. The thickness of such a plate is 70 mm.
All types of facing material are able to retain heat well and are also an excellent decoration for exterior walls. It is these nuances that made thermal panels so popular with builders and owners of private housing.
Pros and cons of the product
What is the reason for the active use of thermal panels in the decoration of buildings? First of all, this is a high quality product. Such plates contribute to the retention of heat and thereby help to create an optimal microclimate in the room.
But besides this, the advantages of Stenolit panels include such characteristics as:
- Wide range of textures and colors;
- Good resistance to external influences;
- Affordable price.
A wide variety of modifications of this building material allows you to choose the best option for the most complex architectural project.
Types and forms of thermal panels
Also, thermoplates are distinguished by the following highly efficient indicators:
- strength;
- Frost resistance;
- Resistant to rainfall;
- Easy to install;
- They have thermal insulation properties.
This facing material is fastened simply unlike analogues and is securely held on the wall surface for a long period without losing its properties.
However, like any other product, Stenolit facade thermal panels have some drawbacks. One of them is the need to prepare the surface before installation. To do this, it must be leveled, which sometimes takes a lot of time.
Another disadvantage is the appearance on the market of a large number of low-quality products, the choice of which will not have the expected effect. Therefore, such panels should be chosen very carefully.
A certain deterrent role is played by a rather high cost. At the same time, the most expensive are the corner elements, the use of which helps to simplify the installation process.
Product range
Facade panels from KamphaTherm
There are a lot of foreign brands among the companies supplying such products to the domestic market. Among them, thermal panels of the following brands are in the greatest demand:
- KamphaTherm;
- Regent;
- Stenolith.
The first in the popularity rating is the German company for the production of facing materials. In its thermal panels, extruded polystyrene foam is used as a heater. The outer layer consists of clinker tiles, which are attached using guides. The installation of the material is carried out on a special glue using dowels and plinth profiles that come with the panels.
The high quality of the product, its long service life and reasonable price have allowed it to take a leading position in the domestic market of modern materials. In addition, a wide range of colors allows the optimal choice of thermal panels, taking into account the architectural design of the building.
The second and third places in the ranking are occupied by Russian-made facade thermal panels. Regent specializes in the production of building materials and one of its main activities is the production of facing elements.
The use of facade panels of the Regent brand allows you to get not only a beautiful, but also a warm house. For this, polyurethane foam is used as the basis, which has low thermal conductivity, unlike similar heaters.
Watch a video about Stenolit products:
The advantages of facade thermal panels Regent also include such characteristics as:
- Resistance to low and high temperatures;
- Easy installation at any time of the year;
- Wide choice of colors and textures;
- Long service life;
- Reliable protection of the facade from atmospheric precipitation.
Facade thermal panels Stenolit belong to the budget class. Their cost, including installation, is $40 per square meter. In this case, glazed or unglazed tiles are used as a facing layer, and polyurethane foam plays the role of insulation.
Installation of facade thermal panels Stenolit is carried out using a metal profile or plywood with a thickness of 10 mm or more.
The specifics of fastening panels
Installation of this type of facing material is quite simple. It consists of several main steps. First, mounting glue is applied to the panel, after which it is attached to the wall. In this case, each next part is aligned with the previous one. When laying the first row, the starting bar is used. It will keep the elements from slipping until the glue dries completely.
Watch the video, installation steps:
Beacons are installed between individual thermal panels of the facade Regent. This allows you to maintain a gap of 2 mm between them, which is subsequently sealed with a special compound. When finishing the corners of the building, a part of the insulation corresponding to the thickness of the tile is removed from the panels used for this.
If the facade panels of the Regent brand are fastened using dowel-nails, then their caps must be sealed with putty. At the end of the work, the panel can be coated with a coloring composition of any color.
The abundance of materials intended for cladding and insulation of private houses, and presented in the construction markets and in specialized stores, striking in its diversity.
Usually, the lining and insulation of an object are carried out by builders in a sequential order. The use of facade panels helps to combine these building steps into one.
Installation of facade thermal panels can be done by hand on any surface: brick, wood, aerated concrete and concrete walls.
What are facade thermal panels?
Facade panels are the latest development in the field of exterior decoration of buildings. The strength of such a product is comparable to granite, but unlike it, it has a lower radiation background.
The composition of the panels includes polyurethane foam and expanded polystyrene, which are almost 90 percent made up of air masses. a component of the material is clinker, porcelain stoneware and glazed ceramics.
Thermal panels for facade framing have many options to select for an individual project. The choice is so great that even the most demanding owner will be satisfied and will definitely select the exact model that will decorate his home.
The set of colors in the presented panels is diverse, and is produced by single or multiple firing of the product.
Properties, advantages and disadvantages
Facade panels are becoming more popular every year, thanks to the properties that they have:
- increased resistance to combustible materials It manifests itself due to the action - the substance that is part of the product.
- the aesthetics of this material is extensive choice of colors and various textures;
- safety;
- panel weight allows not to strengthen the foundation;
- resistance of the material to the effects of fungi and mold;
- fastener reliability. Fastening is made by special locks;
- tight material fit to the wall prevents cold bridges.
Another important component of the sandwich panel is polyurethane foam;
The manufacturers claim that the life of the material exceeds one hundred years.
Panels made with polyurethane foam, poured into clinker tiles, provide reliability and durability of the product, and have high thermal insulation.
Using ceramic tiles
The production of porcelain stoneware has brought the stability of wall panels for the facade to a new level. This happened due to a special manufacturing technology, which consists in firing the product at high temperatures and strong pressure on it.
The result of this process was a special compressed material, which not afraid of external influences. In terms of strength, it can compete even with natural minerals.
Among the owners who prefer this type of panel, most often there are lovers of a textured surface on the facade.
It is usually chosen by designers to give the house Scandinavian or Mediterranean motives.
It is used in the decoration of restaurants and holiday homes to emphasize the special flavor of the building. Porcelain stoneware- the material is large in size, and outwardly resembles not brickwork, but stone.
Despite the fact that the individual parts in the material are large, they cannot be called heavy. They are light in weight and just mounted to the wall surface.
With glazed tiles
Wall panels with glazed tiles began to be used in the middle of the last century for facing low-rise buildings. They have proven themselves on the positive side, thanks to the heterogeneity of the surface and the amazing imitation of real brickwork.
To date, this type of cladding does not lose popularity, and valued for its positive characteristics material and simplicity.
Such tiles are easy to clean and allow you to keep their appearance for forty or even fifty years in their original form. This is convenient for those homeowners whose plots are located near dusty roads.
The advantages of this tile glossy surface, as a distinctive feature of this type of panels.
DIY manufacturing
Before starting work, you need to understand the structure from which the future material will be created.
Heat panels made from three layers: facing, metal profile and insulation:
Terpopanel manufacturing is carried out as follows:
- Clinker tiles and fasteners are placed in a pre-prepared form. From above, the surface is filled with foamed granules.
- After filling, the mold is subjected to heating at a high temperature.
- The resulting tile is subjected to cooling.
- After cooling, the resulting thermal panel is stored in a specially designated place and is not touched during the day.
Under the influence of steam, the tile increases significantly in size. The form is completely filled when heated. After this procedure, the tile is ready.
This is not surprising, because in one and the other technology foaming technique is used over polystyrene granules.
Before purchasing special equipment for the production of such panels, it is important to know that before receiving them, you must first create a material for them.
Thus, two directions will operate in the home workshop at once: the first for the creation of foam, and the second for manufacturing.
For the production of foam you will need the following tools:
- special dispenser for raw materials;
- Nanos to create foam;
- a set of forms;
- vacuum type installation;
- steam generator;
- pre-foaming device.
To carry out work on creating clinker tiles would need:
- kiln for roasting products;
- Press forms.
If it is not possible to purchase an apparatus and tools for creating foam, then it can be purchased ready-made from other manufacturers. Such a purchase will significantly increase the financial costs of production.
You can buy an expensive device and produce more than three hundred parts per day. If we are talking about the production of panels not for sale, but for your site, you can buy small equipment capable of producing a hundred products per day.
The equipment can be purchased both from foreign manufacturers and at production facilities in large cities. It is possible to buy from hand, but then the risk of getting a low-quality product and incurring costs for its repair will increase.
Before you do your own making, you need to calculate how much would such a solution cost?. To finish your own home, most likely, it will be cheaper to buy ready-made and high-quality panels.
How thermal panels of varying complexity are produced by professionals, see the video:
Installation instructions
Fastening technology clinker panels to the wall of the building is carried out by special frame structures.
The frame can be made from various materials: metal, steel with a galvanized surface, aluminum or even wood that has undergone special processing.
The type of frame is chosen based on the individual building and the financial capabilities of the owner.
If the owner opts for a metal frame, it is worth remembering that such structures require considerable financial investments, but become a reliable framework for the entire structure.
Installation of clinker-type slabs is carried out in an invisible way and fastened with clamps and clamps.
In the presence of a wooden crate, fastening should be carried out on screws with a simplified head, the diameter of which does not exceed one centimeter.
If the wooden structure has not been pre-treated with special impregnations, then the reliability of such a product is called into question. With time moisture will destroy the structure of the tree, and harmful fungi will attack its entire surface.
Without processing, the appearance of mold in the depth of the structure cannot be avoided.
Frameless mount
Today, designs with frameless fastening are very popular.
They are fixed with dowels and screws, directly to the wall surface, as shown in the photo on the left.
After carrying out, there should be no defects and scratches.
This method is chosen by the owners of houses made of silicate-mineral materials. Such walls do not require constant ventilation due to the peculiarities of their manufacture.
If after installation there is an unfilled space between the wall and the slabs, it is customary to fill it tightly with construction foam.
The entire installation process of such panels is shown in the video below:
Finishing a house with facade thermal panels at first may seem unreasonably expensive. But, before drawing conclusions, it is worth analyzing the average prices for this cladding material in order to compare them with the costs of arranging a separate layer of thermal insulation and finishing cladding. In addition to ease of installation, these plates will significantly speed up the process of exterior decoration of the walls of a private house.
Facade thermal panels for the house will cost you the amount from 2000 to 3500 rubles per 1 m² or from 1500 rubles for 1 panel. The cost depends on the technical characteristics of the panels. More expensive models provide better heat and sound insulation, guaranteed to last for many years while maintaining a holistic appearance. High performance thermal panels provide high-tech materials from which they are made.
Characteristics of thermal panels
There are the following basic characteristics that determine the effectiveness of the use of facade thermal panels:
- Warranty period of operation - at least 50 years
- Continuous use temperatures - from -65 °С to +250 °С
- The average coefficient of thermal conductivity is 0.028 W / (m * C)
- Sound insulation - from 50 dB
As for the dimensions of the plates, they will vary depending on the manufacturer. Products are sold in slabs, which are straight and angular. For straight slabs, the average dimensions will be 1000x650x75 mm. In width, the figure can vary from 1000 to 1080 mm, in length - from 640 to 680 mm, and in thickness from 50 to 110 mm. Corner thermal panels are produced in sizes 240x240x650 mm, where 240 mm and 240 mm are the widths of the corners (the distance from the corner to the end of the panel), and 650 mm is the height of the product. The weight of a straight panel is 11-12 kg, and its approximate area is 0.68 m². When calculating the weight of 1 m² of thermal panels, their thickness is taken into account. So, for a layer of 50 mm, this figure will be 20.5 kg, and for a layer of 110 mm - 22 kg.
In terms of dimensions, the price of facade thermal panels for the exterior of a house will only change depending on the thickness of the panel. So, 1 m² of a wall finished with panels with a thickness of 110 mm will cost 10% more than 1 m² of a wall lined with 70 mm panels.
The very design of facade thermal panels consists of two main materials - a layer of insulation (most often polystyrene), and a layer of tiles that are soldered into the insulation so that there are no air gaps. In addition to foam plastic, polyurethane foam or extruded polystyrene foam can also be used in the thermal insulation layer.
Tiles are made from concrete, polymer-sandstone or clay. The highest quality and most expensive is clinker tiles made of clay, which is baked in a kiln under special conditions at a temperature of 1300 °C.
The external texture of the tile layer is of three types: the correct smooth shape, under the brick and under the stone. Each of the textures also has a large number of colors to choose from. In large hardware stores you will find 8 to 10 different colors and shades.
Mounting Features
The installation process of facade thermal panels is quite simple and only slightly differs from the technology of wall insulation with foam plastic. Each product is attached to a special foam adhesive and fasteners. One tile with an area of 0.68 m² has several holes for installing fasteners. The plates are fastened to each other in a lock, while the joint surface is also pre-coated with glue. The sequence of work is simple: we coat the first sheet with glue and apply it to the wall, then we fix it in the wall with fasteners. We also apply glue to the next sheet and lock it with the first one, having previously treated the joint surface with the same glue, after which we install fasteners, as with the previous sheet.
visual video-instruction:
In conclusion, we can say that the installation of thermal panels, although it looks like an expensive solution at first glance, is actually a good choice. Instead of a separate organization of two layers, heat-insulating and finishing, we lay them both at a time, thereby reducing the time, effort and cost. Despite the fact that when making a full-fledged finish with facade thermal panels, we fit into 2000 rubles per 1 m², the choice of this material can be called quite appropriate.
