The exterior window framing trim of the house allows you to make the facade complete and neat: you can use several materials and techniques. Such simple actions allow you to achieve original effects and design your home in such a way that it begins to look more sophisticated.
Such solutions were popular in the architecture of past centuries – window openings with such a design looked especially majestic. A peculiar decorative element becomes a full-fledged part of the architectural ensemble.
The benefits of window framing
Window framing is not only a tribute to aesthetics. Such nice additions have several advantages:
- protect glazing from heavy rainfall and gusty wind;
- the facade begins to look more beautiful and livelier;
- changes will affect the inside of the house – it becomes clear that the frame is reliably protected from various negative manifestations;
- beat the window opening: in some cases, it looks disproportionate or even crooked before processing. The properly made design allows you to get rid of such a problem.
You can do such construction work yourself – just familiarize yourself with the basic rules. For example, framing windows made of polystyrene foam is a fairly simple technique that will allow you to put in order not only the facade but also the view of the window from the inside.
What materials can be used to frame the window?
Window frames can be made from several different building materials. The most popular options are as follows.
Polyurethane
The stucco molding is curly and durable, it will delight with its pristine appearance for a long time – about 25 years on average. Such options do not fade in the sun and are not affected by heavy rainfall. The only caveat is to choose the right paint for polyurethane.
Brick
Brick window framing is most often used if the entire building is made of this building material. Convenience lies in the fact that the cladding is carried out at the stage of final work on the processing of the facade of the house as a whole. For this type of work, decorative brick is used – it looks presentable.
Stone
Stone decoration of window openings – magnificent options for those who appreciate the magnificent elements in the design of the exterior. These are complex architectural variations that involve the use of brackets, castle stones, carved details, and much more. For the design of buildings, it is recommended to use artificial stone – it is light and quite durable.
Wood
Elements made of natural wood are another common option for decorating the facade. To frame the windows on the facade, designers can use different types of wood that will be in harmony with the general appearance of the exterior. This design has one significant drawback – a rather high cost. This is because the craftsmen need to be very scrupulous in the manufacture of cladding: use curly carvings, paintwork, and much more. The result is an original design that blends in with the facade.
Gypsum
Plaster stucco molding is another classic variety that has been used for several centuries. Despite the beautiful appearance and individual approach of the masters, construction work requires a lot of time and also is characterized by the complexity of the process. The popularity of this type of decoration is now quite low – despite the durability and beautiful design, it is notable for its high cost and duration of production.
Plastic
Framing windows on a facade made of plastic are affordable options that are not as aesthetic as the other options. In most cases, these are standard white linings that are in harmony with modern solutions in the design of the exterior. To achieve a magnificent effect will not work – from the point of view of design, they are inferior to the above variations. In addition, plastic panels are not so durable: they can be damaged by heavy rainfall and significant gusts of wind.
Styrofoam
Foam windows made of polystyrene are one of the most common and practical options. For such construction work, especially processed raw materials are used – extruded polystyrene foam. Polyfoam is characterized by significant resistance to mechanical damage and strong gusts of wind.
Such material enjoys well-deserved high popularity. Polyfoam allows you to create thermal insulation – thanks to this, the house will be warm in winter and cool in summer. It lends itself well to the processing process and is lightweight and easy to install. You can also perform polystyrene finishing yourself: you just need to remember a few important rules.
DIY foam window framing
Polyfoam is often used as a frame for windows on the facade. This is primarily due to the low weight and versatility – the cladding is suitable for any building material of the facade. This material also provides good thermal insulation, and also allows you to achieve optimal protection against moisture. If necessary, the decorative framing of the windows can be painted in any necessary shade, which will harmonize well with the entire facade as a whole. The main thing is to choose a high-quality paint that will not fade in the sun and retain its presentable appearance even many years after the repair work.
Many of them perform window frames from polystyrene on their own – this allows you to save money and do everything in the way you would like. From the very beginning, it is worth paying attention to the design of the openings – this will affect how to install stucco molding. If the opening is straight, it is necessary to mount the slopes from the outside. If there is a quarter in the structure, then it will itself be a slope. Foam frames for windows made of polystyrene should be purchased separately.
If necessary, the platband can be chosen not with a rectangular, but with curly carving – thanks to this solution, the whole look will be more aesthetic and beautiful. This design method remains one of the most budgetary and practical. DIY framing of windows with foam should start with surface preparation. It must be thoroughly washed from dust and dirt, be sure to remove drops of mounting foam. If necessary, with a standard cement mortar, it is necessary to repair all cracks and irregularities, and large pits. Be sure to apply a primer coat.
For work, it is best to choose foam sheets whose thickness is at least 5 mm. From them, it is necessary to strictly cut the workpieces, which will then be installed in the right place. So that the slope is well fixed on the surface, it is treated with cement glue, and then the foam blank is pressed firmly. With the help of the level, it is necessary to ensure that each slope must be glued evenly. After the cement mortar has dried, the result is fixed with dowels. A layer of starting putty is applied to the fixed polystyrene from above, and then a reinforced mesh is pressed into the putty area.
In order for the corners to remain in good condition, special metal pads must be placed on them. At the very end, you need to apply a layer of finishing putty, sand with a trowel, and then proceed to paint. Framing window openings is a simple procedure that can be performed independently.
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