The Better Cut Sandwich Panel

Installation of sandwich panels is a very important stage in the construction of the building, and equally responsible. The important nuances here are not so much how to fix the sandwich panels, but how to install them in the technological process. Their service life and energy efficiency of the building as a whole depend on this.

Avoid mistakes and mistakes

A large number of errors during the installation of sandwich panels is associated with an inattentive, fluent reading of the design and installation documentation that accompanies them, and it often contains comprehensive information about panels and connecting elements.

But even the exact following of the instructions cannot insure against some errors during installation, namely:

• Metal sandwich panels must be free from damage and no signs of corrosion. In the same condition should be the metal frame on which the fastening will be made;
• If the panels are attached to a wooden frame, it must be saturated with antiseptics and insecticides;
• Contaminated sandwich panels cannot be cleaned with detergents containing alkalis, acids and abrasives;
• The protective film must not be exposed to direct sunlight. It should also be protected from solvents;
• The protective film must be removed from the sandwich panels no later than one and a half weeks after installation, but in very hot and very cold weather this cannot be done;
• You can’t walk on sandwich panels, lay various objects on their surface and attach anything to them.

How to lift and install the panels?

The transport package with sandwich panels (see the technical characteristics of these products in this article) rises to the installation height with special equipment. Vacuum lifts.

If a conventional crane is used for these purposes, a number of measures must be taken to prevent damage to the panels:

• Soft slings are used to lift the transport package. In this case, the capture of slings of the package itself is not allowed. The lock parts of the panels are protected from possible damage by slings with spreader bars, at least 122 cm long, evenly located above and below the bag;
• The sandwich panel cannot be lifted directly from the pallets.

Also, in the process of work, the following rules should be followed:

• The panels must dock strictly at an angle of 180 degrees, i.E. Vertically. Docking from a different angle can lead to deformation of the locks;
• Installation should be carried out with extreme caution in order to avoid damage to the protective coating. Otherwise, the service life of the panels will be significantly reduced.

We will cut it. Just what?

Panel cutting must be done horizontally. Horizontal control of the lines of the upcoming section is carried out on both sides of the panel by the building level. First, the metal is cut, then the insulation layer.

When using an angle grinder, a high temperature arises at the site of the cut, which can lead to ignition of the insulation. In addition, superheated metal loses its corrosion resistance, therefore, for cutting sandwich panels, only a circular or band saw for metal or a jigsaw are used. As an exception, and only with small amounts of work, metal shears are allowed.

The Better Cut Sandwich Panel

With panels where wood or PVC is used as a cover, everything is easier. They are cut with a jigsaw or an ordinary hand saw.

Hold, but in moderation

Fasteners for sandwich panels are selected taking into account the type of structure and its thickness. As a rule, self-tapping screws (self-tapping screws) are used for this.

Their length is the sum of the thickness of the panel, frame and compensation for the height of the rubber washer (5 mm). The latter is required for use with self-tapping screws. It does not allow the metal head to damage the panel when screwed in and seals the mounting point.

The panel 6 m long is fastened with six self-tapping screws, 4 m long and less. Four, more than 6 m long. Eight. Self-tapping screws are fastened with a screwdriver with a pre-adjusted tightening force.

When properly tightened, the washer does not deform and at the same time is sufficiently tightly pressed to the metal. Too tight tightening crushes the washer; not tight enough does not ensure tightness of the fastener. Strongly unacceptable is an oblique landing of a self-tapping screw.

Vertical and horizontal mount

Fastening a sandwich of panels to metal structures can be carried out in two directions: vertical and horizontal. Both installation methods have their advantages and disadvantages.

If the floor has a small height (from 3 to 6 m), vertical installation is used. The panels are attached only to the guide profiles of the floor and ceiling, and are rigidly connected to each other. The integral and robust construction thus created is free of “cold bridges” and has no heat loss. Significant funds are saved during installation, since there is no need for lifting special equipment and scaffolding.

However, you can not do without them if the height of the floor is more than 6 meters. Perhaps, instead of scaffolding, a carriage will be needed to provide facade work at a height. All of them, in addition, are inconceivable without the use of a truck crane. Strengthening the metal frame of the building also requires additional costs to prevent deflection of high panels.

The cost level at this wall height can be reduced by horizontal installation of sandwich panels. They are laid out one on top of the other and attached edges to the columns of the frame. In this case, a continuous skin is also formed. However, for horizontal installation, it is necessary that the distance between the columns of the building frame is no more than 6 meters.

When installing sandwich panels, either the horizontal or vertical method should be used. Their combination is unacceptable.

You can see how to properly mount the panels in the below:

The nuances of installing sandwich panels

With a vertical installation method, the panel that abuts against the joint is laid out first from the corner. With horizontal. At first, the first row from the base is executed, and only after it is the next. Regardless of how to mount the sandwich panel, the work ends with the installation of an additional panel. If necessary, its dimensions are adjusted in place by cutting.

Sandwich panels should not be in direct contact with the supporting structure. To avoid this, perform gasket gasket. If the panels have a polyurethane foam insulation, mounting foam is used; if from mineral wool. The same material. Polymer tape and silicone sealant are also used.

With vertical installation, it is necessary to achieve the most tight connection of the castle part of the panels. However, the panels should be pressed extremely carefully so as not to damage them. With horizontal installation, the density of the docking of the locking parts is ensured by their weight.

To seal the connection from the outside, silicone sealant must be added to the lock, but so that it does not react with the coating of the panels. Adjacencies from external influences are protected by special additional elements. Strips.