Everyone knows what platbands are - these are decorative strips framing window or door openings. When planning to install platbands on the outside of windows in a wooden house, the owners of such houses often cannot decide what to make them. And many people believe that they only come in wood. In fact, today other, more modern materials are used for their manufacture, although wood still remains out of competition. The variety of these decorative elements is worth understanding in more detail.
Previously, platbands served as a talisman against the evil eye, drawing attention to themselves, and not to what was happening outside the window Source ic.pics.livejournal.com
Why do we need platbands?
This facade element has two functions: decorative and protective. As a decoration, window trims can solve several problems at once:
- give the façade a complete look and decorate it;
- focus on the architectural style in which the building is built;
- visually change the parameters of the windows, making them seem wider or higher, if this is required to create a more harmonious picture of the facade;
- visually combine the house with other buildings on the site into a single ensemble.
Small windows, thanks to wide contrasting trims, seem larger. Source st.storeland.ru
The protective function of such decor is also very important. It not only closes the unsightly gap between the window frame and the wall, but also protects the insulation laid in it from getting wet, thereby preserving its heat-insulating properties. In addition, dust and dirt do not penetrate under the platband; it increases the sound insulation of the opening.
But it, like all other elements of the facade of a wooden house, is subject to the influence of biological and atmospheric factors: damage by insects, exposure to high and low temperatures, precipitation, and sunlight. Therefore, the external casing of windows and doors must either be made from materials that are resistant to such influences, or maintained in their original condition through regular maintenance and periodic treatment with protective compounds.
What kind of care is needed?
Installed platbands require regular maintenance.
Wood should be treated with special compounds that provide certain impregnations against wood parasites, cracking and unexpected fire.
The original structure of wood requires care and precision when working with the material.
Carved products are primed, varnished or painted. Such treatments are carried out every few years. This will extend the life of the products and also maintain their attractive appearance. If products made of plastic or metal are installed, they do not require special care.
It is important to protect products from corrosion and sometimes renew the paint.
Making beautiful frames with thematic patterns with your own hands will allow you to decorate window openings in an original and unusual way and add a special twist to the intended architectural style.
What are they made of?
For houses built of wood or decorated with this material, traditional wooden decor is most suitable. But this is not a mandatory requirement, and each owner can choose other, more modern materials. The choice depends on the preferences of such criteria as appearance, environmental friendliness of the material, its practicality and durability, and the need for care.
A window without slopes and trim looks “naked” Source www.remontnik.ru
Tree
Any wood without proper care over time loses not only its visual appeal, but also its performance properties. It swells from moisture, cracks from drying out as a result of prolonged heat, loses color in the sun and is susceptible to attacks by insect pests. All these problems are solved with the help of primary treatment with special protective agents and periodic renewal of the protective layer.
But when choosing frames for wooden windows, you need to take into account other points: their cost and the complexity of manufacturing. When deciding on the type of wood, we are guided by the following arguments:
- Hard wood such as beech, walnut or oak is highly durable and durable. But it is expensive and difficult to process. It is better to buy platbands from these species ready-made or order them, but they will not be cheap. Independent production of carved platbands is possible only with special computer-controlled machines, but if you need simple forms without carvings and complex relief, you can get by with ordinary tools;
Window decor made on CNC machines Source stroychik.ru
- Linden, birch, alder and other less hard hardwoods are more affordable. They are easier to work with, but to maintain an attractive appearance you will have to use high-quality impregnations and coatings, and update them at least once every 2 years;
- soft conifers (spruce, pine, cedar) are the best option in terms of price and durability. Resinous wood better resists natural influences, requiring very little maintenance. At the same time, it is easy to cut, drill and grind, which allows even beginners to try their hand at making simple platbands.
The work of manufacturing platbands will be facilitated by ready-made molded solid wood products Source usr.dimir-dv.ru
Plastic
Wooden edging goes well with the same frames. Platbands for plastic windows from the street can also be made from this material, especially if you paint them in the white color of standard products or match them to match the laminated windows. But there are other options, the most popular of which is plastic.
Decor made from this synthetic material is made from polymers that are resistant to the harshest climatic influences. During the process of mixing the raw material, ingredients are added to it that make the plastic resistant to temperature changes and mechanical stress, as well as persistent dyes that do not fade under the sun. Therefore, caring for such platbands is extremely simple and consists only of cleaning the surface from dirt, if necessary.
Note! Plastic platbands are available for installation both outside and indoors. When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the recommended area of application and temperature conditions, since not all products can withstand severe frosts and ultraviolet radiation.
Another advantage is their reasonable cost. And also the ease of adjustment to the desired size: the plastic is easily cut with a hacksaw for metal with a fine tooth or the same attachment on a jigsaw. But the range of such products is not very diverse in both shape and color.
Plastic window frames are usually white or with wood lamination Source homehill.ru
They are attached in different ways depending on the type of profile. You can use self-tapping screws and special adhesives suitable for both wood and plastic. Some manufacturers produce products complete with installation profiles or latches that provide hidden installation. In this case, special grooves are made on the back of the panels, which snap onto previously installed metal elements.
Wooden houses are often lined with siding, and in this case, plastic trims that come with the façade material are also used to decorate the windows. They have a different design and are equipped with special mounting strips.
Characteristics and overall dimensions
All platbands and slope framing parts must have the following technical characteristics :
High strength against mechanical damage.- Resistance against the negative effects of aggressive environments.
- Resistance to temperature changes.
- The paint and varnish coating and antibacterial treatment should ensure long-term operation of the structure, eliminating rot and mold formation.
- The standard cashing width ranges from 50 to 150 mm.
- The length of the cashout corresponds to the dimensions of the window.
- In some cases, it is allowed to exceed the overall dimensions, which gives additional expressiveness to the design of the opening frame.
- The thickness of the frame strips varies from 10 to 30 mm.
In some cases, it is possible to use composite structures, which are selected according to the criterion of providing individual design and increased strength, which is especially important for carved structures.
Video description
The video will tell you how they look and are installed:
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in the sale and installation of windows and doors
Polyurethane
A very interesting and practical option is polyurethane trim. This modern material is absolutely resistant to moisture and other negative natural influences. Products made from it, which look like gypsum stucco, often decorate brick and stone houses, but they also go well with wood if you choose the right size and profile.
The advantages of such platbands include:
- a large selection of planks and decors, including radius ones. The window frame can be made either from straight moldings of a simple shape, or from individual parts assembled into one ensemble;
Decorative design options using polyurethane products Source obalkonah.ru
- Possibility of painting in any color. You can also find already painted elements on sale;
- flexibility of the material, facilitating adjustment and installation on a not entirely flat surface;
- light weight;
- low thermal conductivity, due to which additional insulation is achieved at the junction of the window and the wall.
Installing polyurethane trims on windows in a wooden cottage is also very simple: they can be easily cut with a hacksaw or a sharp knife and glued to the base with special glue or liquid nails.
Advice! When choosing a mounting adhesive, make sure it is moisture and frost resistant.
Metal
Aluminum or galvanized steel platbands on non-wooden facades are used quite rarely, especially if the window unit is installed flush with the wall surface. They are most often used when the windows are recessed inward and require installation of slopes. In such cases, metal platbands on plastic windows for external decoration are made as a continuation of the slopes by bending them into the desired plane.
This is what a metal platband with a slope looks like Source silverstar.by
Such products are made to order from sheet metal painted with durable powder paint. They are inexpensive, last a long time and are easily installed in place using self-tapping screws with heads painted to match, provided that the measurements are accurately taken.
Can I do it myself?
If it is necessary to install platbands on the facade or interior side of a building, it is recommended to purchase a finished product on the market. If this is not possible for a number of reasons, each home craftsman can make framing elements with his own hands, subject to the following technological map :
Measurement of the window opening from the front side strictly after installation of translucent blocks.- Drawing up a sketch of the future structure.
- Purchasing the necessary material: edged boards, bars, PVC or metal blanks.
- Marking the workpiece according to previously taken measurements.
- Cut the material in strict accordance with the applied markings.
- Finishing the surface of parts - grinding, polishing, priming, painting.
- If necessary, assemble an enlarged element for installation on the window structure from the facade side.
- Quality control of assembly using carpenter's corner and building level.
Important. If you plan to make cash for a private house that has 5 or more window openings of the same dimensions, the best solution would be to create or purchase a ready-made template.
The auxiliary tool allows you to achieve identical shapes and dimensions of the slats for framing window openings.
Types of wooden platbands
Only from wood can you make original decorative window coverings yourself. From other materials, you can only buy them ready-made or order them, having discussed the sizes, color and shape in advance.
Simple
If the house is built in a modern minimalist style, it is better to decorate the windows with simple, even slats without patterns. Moreover, they can be made with your own hands from ordinary edged boards or molded products with a figured relief on the outer surface.
Such platbands are perfect for plastic windows if you make their surface smooth and uniform and limit yourself to a simple rectangular shape. If you want to make the frame more noticeable, you can extend the ends of the planks beyond the perimeter, cut them at an angle, or finish them with a simple cut-out shape - for example, a diamond.
A simple platband for a bathhouse made of processed unedged boards Source banya-expert.com
This façade detail can also be made noticeable by artificially aging the wood by brushing or burning with a blowtorch. An interesting effect is achieved by stencil painting, burning, and even painting in a color that contrasts with the color of the facade.
carved
This type of decor is the most expensive and difficult to manufacture. It better than others emphasizes the style of log houses, decorated like an old Russian hut or tower. And it is this that allows you to give the façade complete individuality by choosing a unique carving openwork.
Carved frames for windows in a wooden house come in two types: with overhead and slotted elements:
- Slotted trims are strips that are cut through with an openwork pattern, and the walls of the house are visible through the holes. Making them will require a lot of time and a variety of tools. The selected design is first printed, then transferred to fiberboard or thin plywood and cut out to make a template. The drawing is transferred from it to prepared boards and through shaped holes are cut out using a drill and jigsaw. All cuts will then need to be trimmed and sanded.
Sequence of installation work
To correctly attach platbands to windows, you need to consider installation options, then choose the best method:
- Mount to a frame or wall using mounting elements.
- Special fastening latches are installed on the frame, overhead strips are placed on them and snapped into place like a clothing button.
- Installation is carried out using double-sided tape, which is glued to the frame on one side, and overhead strips are glued on the other side. This method is not reliable enough, so it is used extremely rarely.
Attention! Before buying decorative trims for the facade, check the availability and serviceability of the fasteners that come with the kit.
To correctly install overlay trims on windows with your own hands, you need to carefully take measurements, make markings, and cut the product, which is sold in linear meters. These works are performed in the following sequence:
- Measure the height of the frame; two parts of this size will be needed.
- Measure the width of the frame; if the window has a molding, you will need one piece; if plastic trim is provided around the entire perimeter of the window, you will need two pieces.
- Since window frames are sold by linear meters, parts are cut from the main product according to the measurements taken and of the required length.
- To connect horizontal and vertical elements at an angle of 90 degrees, the ends of each part must be cut at an angle of 45 degrees, this makes it possible to correctly join the elements.
- The dimensions of the platbands must correspond to the dimensions of the window frames.
To ensure that the joints of the overlay strips are even and the angle is exactly 45 degrees, use a special device - a miter box.
If you install plastic windows yourself, you need to remember the following:
- For vertical elements, the cut is made on one side if there is a low tide, on both sides if the plastic platbands have a closed space.
- Horizontal pieces should have a 45-degree cut on both sides.
The next stage is installing the parts on the window slope. If the slats have special grooves, and the window slopes have tenons, then you just need to align them and snap them into place. If there are none, try on the parts, applying them to the window, and after the final adjustment of all the elements, you need to remove the platbands from the window, apply “liquid nails” type glue to the underside of the parts and the joints of the corners, then glue the strip.
Video description
An interesting way of making carved parts using wood crowns is shown in the video:
- It is easier to make an overlay decor by cutting out various geometric shapes, curls or flowers from wood along the outer contour and fixing them on the surface of a flat plank. The result is a three-dimensional pattern, the convexity of which can be emphasized by painting the substrate and decorative overlays in different colors.
Note! When renewing the paint coating, it will be more difficult to accurately apply contrasting paint than at the installation stage, when all the parts can first be processed and then connected.
Installation features
A feature of wooden houses is their constant movement as a result of shrinkage and seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, wooden or plastic frames for windows in a wooden house cannot be attached to both the wall and the frame at the same time. It is best to use a casing box (window) into which the window frame is inserted as a base for installation.
Pigment in the window opening Source svoimirukami.lesstroy.net
How to choose?
To choose platbands for window openings and achieve the expected result, you need to take into account a number of important nuances :
- opening dimensions;
- general style of the facade and interior;
- features of the architectural design of the building;
- compatibility of wood with other materials;
- color scheme of the building exterior;
- class of structure;
- climatic zone in which the object is located;
- intensity of operation of the property;
- individual customer preferences;
- the size of the budget allocated for the purchase of platbands.
Important. The main criterion for an unmistakable choice of product is to purchase platbands from a well-known manufacturer that has been working on the market for a long time and has many positive reviews from satisfied customers on online forums.
Video description
The following video will show you how to prepare the mounting surface for platbands on chopped facades:
Since this window frame does not carry any load, each strip can be attached at only 2-3 points. The fastening itself is carried out using finishing nails without a head or dowels. The first option is simple and quick, but upon close inspection the nails are visible on the surface. Fastening to dowels is invisible, especially if you use blind holes rather than through ones.
The technology for mounting on dowels consists of drilling holes in the platband and casing exactly opposite each other, for which precise markings are made. Their total total depth should be equal to the length of the wooden dowel, and the diameters should also match. Before installation, the dowel is coated with glue, inserted into the hole in the casing, and a casing is attached to its free end.
A dowel or dowel is a wooden cylinder for hidden connection of parts Source zipbolt.ru/storage
If the hole in the platband is through, after the glue has dried, it is puttied and sanded. With a deaf person there is no need for this, since the dowel remains invisible.
