INSTALLATION PROFILES AND ACCESSORIES - SOLID

Solid composite cladding panels and profiles are designed for use as external cladding on buildings. Products should be stored indoors, in a dry place, at normal humidity, away from heat sources, protected from direct sunlight, on shipping pallets or shelves not less than the length of the packaging. Do not allow the ends of the package to be unsupported. The products must be transported in a horizontal position at a temperature not exceeding 60 °C.

* Use conventional carpentry tools for cutting or drilling the profiles. Fine-toothed saws must be used: mechanical tools for machining must be used at the same or higher speeds as for woodworking.

* A natural feature of composite material is the dimensional variation due to temperature differences, which requires the product to have expansion joints. In the case of an annual amplitude (difference between maximum and minimum temperature) of temperatures (in the calendar year prior to installation) for a given installation location:

- below 50°C, a expansion joint must be provided every 10 m,

- above 50 °C an expansion joint must be provided every 8 m.

* A system element, e.g. a transformed universal U-profile, can be used to make the expansion joint.

* Adequate ventilation should be provided at the bottom (about 150 mm from the ground) and top of the wall (about 20 mm). Heat accumulation is a natural characteristic of the panels.

* Adequate expansion clearance must be maintained.

* The product must not be modified by surface treatment or coating with a layer of other material.

INSTALLATION

The supporting structure (grid) can be made of wooden slats as well as metal profiles mounted directly on the walls.

The wooden slats and the metal profiles must be levelled using a spirit level so that they form a flat surface; if necessary, wedges must be used to level the slats.

The wooden slats must be made of high quality wood, smooth and free from defects, with a moisture content of 15-18%, suitably impregnated, and measuring 40 x 60 mm.

* UW/CW profiles shall be used for the metal structure (grating).

Both the metal profiles and the wooden slats shall be installed at a maximum distance of 40 cm from their center.

When installing the panels, the screws should not be tightened all the way (so that the screw head directly touches the panel surface) as this may limit the ability to expand/contract the panel. A small distance should be left between the bottom of the screw head and the panel surface to allow horizontal movement of the panel after it has been secured to the battens.

* When installing the panels and fasteners, the screw should be positioned in the middle of the mounting hole. Fixing by direct drilling of the panels is not permitted.

*For the installation of facade panels, screws conforming to the technical specification given by the manufacturer must be used. The use of tapered head screws that do not meet the manufacturer's specifications is not permitted.

* When connecting the panels to each other, no space must be left between them, either in horizontal or vertical connections. The panels shall fit as tightly as possible into the interlocking joints.