Facing material in the exterior of your home is used for different purposes. For many, this is only a decorative component, but this building element is also used to protect the outer walls of the house. Placing or applying various kinds of siding to the walls of the house adds the desired appearance, but in parallel with this protects the building from water, wind and other influences. Therefore, the choice of homeowner should be focused not only on beauty, but also on functionality.
Installation is important.
Siding seems like a simple panel, but this material cannot simply be glued to the outer wall as wallpaper. First, a suitable frame is created to support facing material – for different materials, different mounts are used. As a rule, contractors install wooden or metal beams and pins in the frame of the house, on which siding is then fixed. Other builders can offer you to build a shell of a house made of concrete, brick or other materials, and not frame materials. Then this shell is sheathed with plywood and treated with insulation, and facing materials are fixed on top of this, which further strengthen the structure and increase its energy efficiency.
Siding
The most common facing material is siding. These are long horizontal strips similar to boards. Although they are made from different materials, the most popular are metal and plastic (metal siding and vinyl siding). Thin horizontal strips of siding can also be made of wood or composite materials. The cheapest one will cost you a plain siding, but you can also find a siding with the texture of stone or wood on the market and other drawings that will allow your house to look as if it is made of expensive materials. Some manufacturers produce siding made of fibrous cement. Specialized siding can also be represented by vertical stripes or panels with different designs.
Facing brick or stone
Brick cladding is no less popular option. Facing brick allows you to achieve a versatile and beautiful appearance. Even pretty wooden buildings are often covered with bricks to enhance the appearance and strength of the structure. A similar option is stone cladding.
Plaster and other application systems
Some exterior facing materials are simply applied directly to the outer surface of the house. One example of such a material is plaster with which you can achieve a beautiful textured effect. There are more advanced materials for external decoration, which are applied to a similar method, but they are more functional. For example, finishing systems with insulation, which help strengthen the structure of the house in areas where frequent hurricanes or storms are observed.
Panel cladding
Most commercial objects get panel finishes, due to a fairly large building and difficulties in processing it with piece siding or plaster. Decorative panels are also used in ordinary residential country houses. The panels allow the builders to cover the surface of the house faster and with a smaller number of connections (which gives less space for seeping water or air). Facing panels can be made of cement, steel or other materials, depending on the use. Commercial buildings are most often sheathed with metal facing panels.
On the site you can find a small article about decorative panels, their choice and installation. Here you will also find a video telling what decorative facing panels are like that.
