The first platbands appeared back in the days of wooden houses. Despite the simplicity of the design, to build such a house, you need to have experience and knowledge in the field of architecture. The casing is a painted fresco that is placed near the window frame. The platband will not only become an original decoration, but will also perform a number of additional functions.
Thanks to their tight fit to the window frame, the platbands block access to drafts in the window slots, protect against dust and moisture getting into the gaps, and also have heat-insulating properties. After all, foam is used to install platbands, which is already an excellent thermal insulation material.
Heat from the house will not escape through the window openings in the frame, which means that cold will not enter the house. Also, the casing protects against damage to plastic windows under the influence of moisture and temperature. The only drawback is that the platbands become unusable over time and will need to be restored. But this is much more economical than restoring windows.
The next important factor is design. Platbands are mortise figures made of wood or plastic, which are selected individually to match the image of your home, so that the harmony and aesthetics of both the window frames and the house as a whole are maintained.
Types of platbands
The designs of the platbands are similar to each other, so it is difficult to characterize them in any way. Therefore, the types of platbands are divided into the material from which they are made:
- Plastic
- Tree
- MDF
Now, in order, about each type, its advantages and disadvantages.
Window trims today
Today, rarely does anyone make platbands from wood, since it is easier to do it from metal or plywood. Now the platbands can be made from anything, but they will look as if they were made of wood. They have a long service life and can be used to make various shapes, which cannot be said about wood.
Today, companies provide ready-made products, from which anyone can buy a platband that suits its parameters, color and cost.
There are also those who follow traditions and purchase trims only made of wood, but it is worth noting that this is quite an expensive pleasure.
Some types of carvings on platbands:
- Flat-cut, based on cutting lines along the outline of a pattern or design. geometric, there are curved and straight lines in the work.
- contour, images are created by lines and notches.
Plastic trims
Plastic platbands are more resistant to moisture on the surface, do not deteriorate under the influence of temperatures and have the longest service life. Modern technologies make it possible to produce plastic trim to match the design of wood.
Naturally, there will be noticeable differences in the contrast between natural wood and artificial wood, but do not forget about the other positive characteristics of plastic.
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.
Wooden platbands
The most common are wooden frames. Therefore, the types of wooden platbands are divided into the following types:
- Made from natural wood
- Environmentally friendly
Natural platbands are made from 100% wood. To extend their service life, such platbands are treated with special materials that protect the surface from environmental influences.
Environmentally friendly platbands are made from safe materials that, in the event of a fire, will not release harmful combustion products into the atmosphere.
Wood itself is a soft and plastic material, so it is possible to make a platband of any shape and any size, which is a huge plus and significantly distinguishes wood from the background of platbands and other materials.
How to make templates for carved frames (stencil)
Optimal and simple ways to make templates for cutting.
Using a graphic editor
There are many programs for image processing (Photoshop, etc.).
Photocopying
If you don’t want to deal with programs, you can make a photocopy of the drawing and immediately set the desired copy size (enlarge, reduce, compress, expand). Or scan and print the sketch on a printer in the desired format.
Manually - scaling by cells
In the end, you can make a template manually using the technology of scaling (copying) by cells (linear scaling).
By scaling by cells, you can change the proportions of the drawings. For example, you don't like the original form and you want to change it. To do this, when transferring the drawing, keep one of the sides at the original size, and increase the second in the new square.
Scaling by cell
Changing the proportions of a picture when scaling by cells
Installation of platbands
Beautiful wooden trims are installed in three ways:
- Overhead
- Telescopic
- Finnish
Installation of overhead trim is done on the outside of the house and the window frame. Telescopic mounting has a curved “L” shape and is inserted into the window grooves.
The Finnish installation of platbands can be immediately noticed by the presence of a canopy over the window and the simplicity of the form. The choice of platbands depends on your taste preferences.
False theories and a modern master
Many far-fetched theories about the origin (etymology) of this or that ornament should not frighten the owner of a wooden house who has started work. Curly line so called “snakes” is a simplified relief pattern.
In the same way, there is no need to be afraid of diamonds. There is an opinion that they are supposedly a symbol of the Slavic goddess of swamps Mokosh. But the diamond looks more like a lake; it is often tinted blue. By definition, the scary and unpleasant cannot penetrate into decoration techniques. Even the lions on the oldest Suzdal temples smile.
Material for the manufacture of wooden platbands
Many frames are created to match the old design of the 18th century from natural wood, but what kind of wood is best to use, read below. The ideal option is to use the type of wood from which the house is made, so as not to disturb the structure and design of the house.
In other cases, it is best to make platbands from oak or beech. Due to the density of the material, it will be expensive to make a designer model yourself or simply apply threads without special material.
If you are planning to start making wooden frames yourself, then it is best to use cherry or sour cherry. These varieties are more susceptible to carving and are more often used than others when creating platbands yourself.
Regardless of the type of wood, you need to remember the main rule - any wood must be varnished to protect the wood from environmental influences.
To emphasize the uniqueness and good taste of the owner of the house, wooden door frames will be an excellent addition to window frames. Thus, we can conclude that the use of platbands gives solidity to the house, and due to the universal component - wood, the platband can be made to order, taking into account your preferences.
Window casings as a symbol of protection in Russian architecture
It just so happened that it was the village huts that were, are and will be the bearers and guardians of the authentic culture of the Russian people. Moreover, each element of the facade can tell a knowledgeable person almost everything about the area, as well as about the preferences and fears of the owner of the hut.
Particularly informative were the carved window decorations, which received special attention, because people considered them not just an “eye,” the main sense organ of the home itself, but also an effective talisman of the family hearth.
By looking at the window frames you can determine where you are and what people were most afraid of.
The tradition of decorating a window opening came to Russia back in the 17th century from Italy after the opening of the first glass factory. Only in a European country was this part of the house decorated with small columns, porticos and other elements made of stone, but in our territory it was replaced with wood, because only a few could afford stone houses and, accordingly, the entire decor.
The shutters protected from the sun, and in the north they were closed on a polar summer day to sleep, and in the south so that the house did not heat up.
Initially, when installing platbands, the practical function was pursued - to close the connecting seams between the window frame and the frame. But simply installing a piece of board was not interesting, so the craftsmen began to decorate this element with fancy patterns that had their own meaning in each area.
Window frames until the 17th century. had a simple design symbolizing the sun.
It is noteworthy: The term “platband” sounds differently in different regions, for example, in most regions of Central Russia it is “cabinet”; in areas bordering Belarus, it is known only as “lishtva”, and in the Urals – “belendryas” or "window".
Circles and diamonds depicting the heavenly body mean protection from darkness and night evil spirits. As we managed to find out, the technique of making carved frames does not have clearly defined canons; the only predetermining rule is axial symmetry - this is when the left side of the composition mirrors the right.
The lower part of the casing (called the window sill) is less decorated and symbolizes Mother Earth and the fertility of the field.
You can also see a general feature of the platbands, which is inherent throughout the entire territory of Russia - the upper part has a more openwork pattern, and the lower part is simpler and more modest. In all other respects, only the handwriting of the master and the preferences in the design of the inhabitants of the region and the specific owner in particular are determined.
The “expensive-rich” style is typical for small merchants, who in this way tried to increase their importance.
Interesting fact: There is an opinion that the most exquisite and rich carvings decorate the estates of wealthy owners. But as it turns out, this is a misconception, because representatives of high society do not need to show or prove their importance and high status in this way; everyone already knows and respects them. But those who suddenly became rich, popularly called “rags to riches”, tried to raise their authority with magnificent decoration and loudly declare themselves successful.
Sometimes the roof of the casing was decorated with semicircles, which symbolize the heavenly goddesses of the “birthing women.”
Naturally, the carved frame served not only a practical and aesthetic function, it played the role of a powerful amulet against the evil eye, attacks on the house by dashing people and evil spirits. Despite the fact that Christianity was preached in Russia, all folk traditions are pagan in nature, therefore the main symbols decorating the house were the sky god Svarog and the sun god Dazhbog. They also did not forget about the role of mother earth - the progenitor of all blessings.
The curls around the central circle do not just decorate, but indicate the continuous movement of the Sun.
Since, according to popular belief, all parts of the casing corresponded to the cardinal directions and seasons, the location of each symbol was thought out to the smallest detail, with special attention paid to combination with each other. So, for example, the symbol of earth and fertility would never be placed on the upper part, called the pommel or kokoshnik; the sun sign dominates there, because the image of the luminary or its symbol (as a rule, it is a rhombus or a symbolic design in which the sun is clearly visible).
In the Yaroslavl, Ivanovo, Moscow, and Rostov regions, snakes and dragons were depicted on the platbands, which were also considered a talisman.
The ornate carved design was created not only in order to protect their home from various troubles and misfortunes, but also to wish a happy life to the owners of this house and their descendants, because if the log house is installed correctly, it will serve faithfully for more than a hundred years.
In the old days, the house was protected not only with the help of shutters and doors, but also with the help of various “benevolent” signs - amulets.
According to knowledgeable people, in the old days, using the patterns of the platbands, traveling people unmistakably determined where they were. Moreover, it was not the territory as such that played the dominant role, but local customs and, of course, the master who made carved elements for the entire area. Just as the famous Gzhel or Gorodets painting was determined by the hand of the artist, so wooden architecture begins with the carver.
Even now, you can learn to accurately determine in which region the platband was made; to do this, it will be enough to know a few characteristic features. According to photographer Ivan Khafizov, who has been photographing platbands all over the country for more than 11 years and has more than 18 thousand photographs from 364 settlements in his collection: “In order to understand the platbands, you just need to look at a few collages . So, even a child will be able to tell how Ryazan platbands differ from, for example, Kostroma or Tomsk.”
Thanks to his works, we can now navigate the wonderful world of symbols and signs with which skilled woodcarvers have decorated the homes of the country’s inhabitants for many centuries in a row.
Photos of wooden platbands
Manufacturing procedure with slotted thread
We will divide the production into 2 stages: roughing and finishing.
Rough work
First you need to find and download the template. You will find sketches of drawings and stencils for wood carving below. It can also be drawn by hand and then perfected on the computer.
We apply the stencil of the ornament and pattern to the board and transfer the drawing with a pencil.
Now the main work begins. First of all, we take away the parts of the tree in the drawn slots. We do this with a drill and jigsaw according to the instructions.
In order for the jigsaw to cut inside the board, you need to drill a hole. The average width of the file is 10 millimeters, so the hole should be at least 11-12.
Insert a jigsaw file into the hole and cut along the contour.
Since we have a handicraft production, we do not set high requirements for evenness. Small mistakes are quite appropriate, especially since we will also remove them later.
So we cut out the entire platband.
By the way, instead of a jigsaw, you can use a hand router. In many cases it is much more convenient, for example, when drawing out roundness. And if you cut with a jigsaw, but you have a router, you can use it to bring the roundness to perfection. Even subsequent processing with sandpaper and a drill is not required.
When working, the nail file will always go to the side - this is normal. Just try not to go beyond the drawing lines.
We are talking about through holes, but what about slotted threads? For this case, we bought a set of cutters. There is nothing complicated here: we go along the contour with a hatchet or a blunt knife and then take away the material with semicircular chisels. To cut out egg-shaped recesses you need a cranberry - a spoon cutter.
Final finishing
Everything is cut out, all that remains is to bring our carved frames for the windows in a wooden house to marketable condition.
Grinding
It is best to buy planed boards. There are no scratches on it anymore, and the surface is even and smooth. If not, you will have to do it yourself. Let's start by grinding the plane. If you have an eccentric sander or grinder, just buy sanding wheels for it. No? You'll have to do it manually.
In this case, it is recommended to buy a sanding block. It costs only 2 dollars, but it’s twice as easy to work with. It doesn’t overwhelm the plane, picks up more wood at a time, and your hand doesn’t get too tired.
We start with P100 grit. She cleans up the biggest bullies. When they have already been removed, we move on to the P320. We derive a flat, almost smooth surface. Then we take the P600 and it may already be the last. After it, the wood will be slightly rough, almost mirror-like. We can continue, but there is no point in going higher than P1200.
We grind the slots with a flap wheel for a drill. Just insert it into the hole and press the button. Carefully walk along the bends.
Primer
Decorating windows with platbands will not last long if the wood is not primed. Moreover, we need soil with an antiseptic. Fungus, bark beetles, furniture grinder, blue stain - this is what we will have to protect ourselves from.
In the store we buy any antiseptic primer for wood, even an inexpensive one. It will prepare the material for painting and protect it from insects with mold.
Painting, varnishing
Well, it's time to give our platbands a new look. There are 3 options to choose from:
- Dye. The cheapest and simplest. You can take any moisture-resistant enamel or acrylic. But there are pitfalls here. Even exterior paint will crack and wash off over time. Once a year it will definitely have to be changed, and this is: sanding, priming, painting, and so on every year. And it hides the beauty of the wooden texture.
- Varnish. In fact, its only advantage over paint is that it does not hide the wood. Otherwise, the same disadvantages. Only the varnish is also more expensive.
- Oil. Perhaps oil impregnation is the best solution. Firstly, the platbands look like decoration. The oil impregnates the wood fibers, making the pattern and shape more expressive. You won't have to change it for years. But there are also disadvantages: it will show all the errors, it takes a long time to harden, it’s expensive.
So we have finished making carved platbands with our own hands. All that remains is to install them.
