A curtain wall make it possible to create a unique and attractive architecture of the building, as well as save up to 20% on heating and air conditioning costs.
A ventilated facade is a non-load-bearing building decoration system, the design of which provides a constant process of natural ventilation of the wall to create a comfortable microclimate in the premises
Usually, a ventilated facade consists of three main elements: a steel substructure, insulation and facade cladding. If the wall of the building has sufficient reduced heat transfer resistance, for example, it is built of sandwich panels, then a ventilated facade can be used without insulation only as a decorative cladding.
The name “ventilated facade” means that its design has a ventilated air layer, which ensures air movement caused by the difference in atmospheric pressure between the base and the parapet of the building. Such ventilation removes moisture from the load-bearing wall and insulation, and also helps to reduce its heating. Such properties of the ventilated facade are key to increasing the energy efficiency of the building. As the height of the building increases, the speed of air movement in the substructure increases, therefore, to ensure maximum durability and energy efficiency of the facade, it is necessary to use wind protection, and in some cases, also a vapor barrier.
Architectural appeal
Most modern buildings in the world are constructed with glazing and ventilated facades. Due to the wide choice of cladding options and the possibility of their combination, hinged facades make it possible to create unique real estate projects and increase the commercial attractiveness of buildings.
The facade can be perforated, which makes it possible to create images and logos on the cladding. By additionally installing a dynamic lighting system, such as Ruukki Emotion, the building will attract attention not only during the day, but also at night.
The main difference between ventilated facades is the variety of types of facing materials, among which the most popular are:
Galvanized steel with polymer coating is mainly used for the manufacture of steel ventilated facades. To arrange premium facades, more expensive claddings made of Cor-ten, copper, aluminum, titanium-zinc and stainless steel are used.
Energy Efficiency
An important advantage of ventilated facades is their ability to ensure high energy efficiency of buildings. Thanks to the mineral wool insulation, which is in a dry state, the ventilated facade allows to reduce heating and air conditioning costs by up to 20% compared to other facade structures. For facade insulation, mineral wool with a density of 75 to 150 kg/m3 is usually used, which keeps its shape well, is resistant to weathering and provides optimal thermal insulation.
Comfortable indoor climate
A ventilated facade is arranged with a vapor-permeable thermal insulation layer and is able to effectively remove excess moisture from the load-bearing wall structure that may appear during the building exploitation. This prevents the appearance of mold in the wall structure and contributes to the creation of a comfortable indoor climate.
Durability
The service life of ventilated facades is determined primarily by the quality of the materials used and installation. Therefore, before buying a ventilated facade, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the declarations of conformity, certificates, warranty obligations and technical documentation, as well as check the characteristics of the cladding material, substructure elements and fasteners.
Unlike plastered facades, which quickly fade under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the cladding of ventilated facades ensures color stability for decades. Steel cladding with PVDF coating additionally has a self-cleaning effect, when contaminants do not linger on the surface and are very easily washed off by rain, which reduces facade maintenance costs.
Sound insulation
Thanks to the multilayer structure of materials with different densities, ventilated facades provide the maximum level of noise insulation of buildings. High-frequency sound waves are reflected from the facade cladding, while low and medium frequencies are absorbed by mineral wool.
All-season quick installation
Due to the absence of wet processes and the complete factory readiness of structural elements, ventilated facades can be installed in dry weather at any time of the year. The installation technology does not require adjustment of elements, as well as elimination of unevenness of the load-bearing wall, which significantly reduces the time and cost of finishing.
The technology of arranging ventilated facades ensures quick covering of the insulation with cladding, which minimizes the possibility of its getting wet during installation.
Undemanding to the supporting structure
Unlike facades decorated with plaster, for which the wall of the building must be flat, cleaned and primed, ventilated ones can be mounted on an unprepared or uneven surface. To create a flat surface of the external cladding, brackets with adjustable extension are used, which make it possible to level even significant non-flatness of the load-bearing wall.
High maintainability
The advantage of ventilated facades is that most systems allow you to easily replace elements of individual sections of the cladding in case of their damage. In this case, it is important that the system supplier ensures maximum color matching of the new facade material to the existing cladding. In case of replacing a part of the facade that has been exposed to ultraviolet light for a long time, it is necessary to select new elements taking into account possible fading.
Price
A ventilated facade is more expensive than a structure with bonded thermal insulation (plaster finishing). At the same time, facade insulation using the bonded method has rather limited architectural possibilities, therefore it is rarely used for commercial real estate.
High qualification of installers
Installation of ventilated facades should be performed only by experienced specialists who are familiar with the configuration of the chosen system, the technology of assembling elements and the features of fastening.
High requirements for the quality of materials
When arranging the substructure of a ventilated facade, it is recommended to use galvanized metal elements made of structural steel, stainless steel or aluminum systems with a guaranteed yield strength of the material. If the brackets and purlin substructures are made of steel of a smaller thickness than the calculated one, or have a low degree of galvanization (less than 190 g/m2) or unprotected edged ends, then such a system will have low durability.
According to the requirements of DSTU V.2.6-35, only non-combustible materials can be used in the construction of a ventilated facade with single-layer thermal insulation. For facades with double-layer thermal insulation, the internal insulation can be made of materials of the flammability group G1 (A2-s1,d1 – B-s3,d2) and G2 (C-s1,d0 – C-s3,d2). For buildings of I-IVa degrees of fire resistance, the use of foam insulation and/or vinyl PVC siding is prohibited. Therefore, the insulation of the ventilated facade is usually carried out with mineral wool.
The need for design drawings
Ventilated facades, unlike plastered ones, require the development of a project that includes the layout of cladding elements, substructure and junction nodes, as well as a description of the installation technology.
Example of a facade project
The advantages of a ventilated facade significantly outweigh its minor disadvantages. At the same time, the disadvantages of a ventilated facade can be perceived as advantages, since high requirements for the quality of materials and the need for a professional approach to design and install ultimately allow you to get a beautiful and durable facade.
To ensure durability, high energy efficiency and greater architectural expressiveness, it is recommended to order ventilated facades on a turnkey basis with a comprehensive guarantee. In this case, the supplier bears full responsibility for the design and can comprehensively conduct a geodetic survey, develop a facade project, supply a set of necessary cladding materials and accessories, and perform installation work.
Installation of ventilated facades consists of the following stages:
Rauta offers high-quality ventilated facades with a wide selection of cladding. The company’s specialists will help you develop a facade project and purchase facade metal cassettes or another type of cladding depending on the customer’s needs. Ventilated facades from Rauta can be manufactured with perforation and an internal lighting system, which further expands their architectural and functional capabilities.
Video: production of perforated ventilated facades
