Ventilated facade in Batumi: subframe, insulation and cladding

Ventilated facade in Batumi: what it is made of

A ventilated facade is cladding that hangs on a metal frame at a distance from the wall. An air gap remains between the cladding and the insulation, and the air in it rises from bottom to top, carrying away moisture from the wall and drops that get through the joints. A ventilated facade in Batumi works well because driving rain hits the cladding while the insulation behind it stays dry.

• brackets on anchors in the wall, with thermal break pads;
• mineral wool insulation in one or two layers with insulation dowels;
• a windproof vapour-open membrane over the insulation;
• vertical and horizontal rails on which the cladding hangs;
• cladding: porcelain, fibre cement, HPL, composite, stone;
• trims: reveals, sills, corners, parapet cappings.

Subframe and fixings by the sea

By the sea the frame of a ventilated facade must be aluminium alloy or stainless steel. We do not fit galvanised subframes on the coast: cut edges and rivet holes start to rust within the first years, and under the cladding nobody sees it. Cladding fixings are stainless, and wherever aluminium touches steel we fit separating pads, otherwise the metals corrode each other.

Brackets are fixed with anchors chosen for the wall. In concrete and solid brick these are ordinary expansion or chemical anchors, in aerated concrete and hollow blocks special anchors for porous substrates. Before installation we pull-test several anchors on site. If the block is weak, the brackets are moved to the concrete ring beams and columns, and the subframe layout is drawn around them. More about aerated concrete on the aerated concrete houses page.

Insulation and air gap

Ventilated facade insulation is mineral wool only: it is non-combustible and vapour-open. Boards are laid tight with staggered joints, each one fixed with dowels, and a windproof membrane goes on top so that the air flow does not blow fibres out. Our air gap is usually 40–60 mm: less does not ventilate, more starts acting like a chimney in a fire. At floor slab level in multi-storey buildings we fit fire barriers.

Cladding and layout

Before installation we draw the layout: where each joint runs and how the panels go around windows, corners and vents. If the layout is decided on site, narrow offcuts appear by the openings and the house looks careless. Cladding is chosen by weight, maintenance and budget. More about materials on the pages for porcelain on the facade, HPL panels and aluminium composite panels.

Cladding fixing can be visible, when clips or rivets show in the joints, or concealed, when the panel hangs on anchors in its back. Concealed fixing looks cleaner but costs more and needs a more precise subframe.

Earthquakes and noise

A porcelain or stone panel that falls from height during an earthquake is dangerous for people below. So bracket spacing, the number of anchors and the panel fixing method are calculated from the loads, and gaps are left between panels so that in a tremor they do not chip each other. To stop the facade rattling in the wind, panels are fixed without play and damping pads go wherever metal meets metal.

How much a ventilated facade costs

A turnkey ventilated facade with materials costs from 420 ₾ per m²: aluminium subframe, anchors, mineral wool with membrane and porcelain or composite cladding. With your own materials, installation starts from 135 ₾ per m². By cladding: porcelain from 445 ₾ per m², fibre cement from 365 ₾, composite cassettes from 380 ₾, HPL from 505 ₾. Reveals and sills from 54 ₾ per linear metre, scaffolding from 18 ₾ per m² of facade. The final cost is set from the layout and drawings, once the estimate is agreed.