What are the hidden defects in the installation of the ventilated facade?
In spring we are planning to order the installation of a ventilated facade on our house. How to control the quality of work performed on the installation? What are the hidden defects in the installation and how are such problems solved? What kind of warranty on such work usually is given?
Answers
To avoid mistakes in the construction of a ventilated facade always require the contractor working draft of the construction. The document should take into account all the nuances of the insulation system, as well as the order of work.
Common mistakes that occur during construction include:
The use of construction materials that are not provided for in the working draft.
Using as insulation materials with low density or thermal insulator not designed for ventfasades.
Using a polyethylene film as a windproofing instead of a waterproofing membrane.
The use of combustible composite materials.
Errors of design
At the stage of design sometimes too shorten the length of the facade brackets. This leads to such mishaps:
The windproofing film is partially on the rails and does not fit snugly against the insulation.
Fluctuations in the film occur, resulting in rapid wear and tear.
The gap between the insulation and the cladding decreases or disappears altogether, which contributes to the accumulation of moisture on the walls and in the insulation. Wet insulation loses its insulating properties.
In developing the project sometimes they do not take into account the unevenness of the surface of the walls, so there are not provided acceptable gaps between the walls and insulation over the entire surface of the facade.
The use of metallic elements on the contour of the connection window beams ventilated facade leads to a loss of heat inside the premises. The reason is that metal has a good thermal conductivity. To avoid heat loss near the window openings, calculations of temperature fields of the walls of the building should be made.
Designers shall calculate the thermal homogeneity of the walls, on which depends the thickness of insulation. The results must meet the standards for energy conservation.
Also developers of insulation projects should study the characteristics of the air tightness of the walls of the building. If the walls have insufficient air permeability, there is air exfiltration at the top, and if the air permeability is too high, the insulation will not cope with its task. For example, the walls of cellular brick and concrete have high air permeability. Therefore, to reduce it, it is necessary to perform finishing work inside the room.
Contractors often do not take into account the wind speed in the area. As a result, in windy weather you can hear the characteristic whistling and humming of air flowing through the facade openings. In this case it is necessary to reduce the gap between the cladding and insulation to 4 mm.
Visually checking the defects of ventilated facades is quite difficult, since a ventilated facade is essentially a framework insulated from the inside and decorated from the outside. All the negative phenomena appear only during intensive operation, i.e. the heating period. Then all the defects reveal themselves immediately – the corners get damp, mold is formed, there is a draft of dampness and heat escapes. It is important for you to control that the frame was insulated with mineral wool, but not with Styrofoam, polystyrene. The joints should also be carefully treated, and not let moisture in.
