Nowadays it is very common to see buildings with ceramic facades. In general, they are beautiful, versatile and give the appearance of a new and showy building, don't they?
It is not for nothing that this type of external coating is preferred for composing the decoration of buildings. With the diversity of textures, colors and options available on the market, they satisfy all tastes and are commonly used both to restore old buildings, giving that more modern touch, and to make new buildings even more attractive.
However, its care requires a lot of attention. That is why we will explain the problems that ceramic coating can cause and what measures to take so that this does not become an even bigger problem.
Can we get started?
You can understand the preference when choosing ceramic cladding for the facade of a building due to its long durability, easy application, good resistance and the enormous variety of models.
First of all, you need to be careful when choosing What type will be used. The ideal is to choose a material that is suitable to be applied to facades that will be completely exposed to the sun, rain, humidity, heat, that is, all the actions of the weather and movements of the building structure itself.
A tip: when opting for external façade cladding, it is recommended to buy an excess quantity of parts if you need to replace them in the future and do not run the risk of not finding the same model available on the market. This avoids damaging the building's aesthetics.
So far so good?
Now let's move on to the most serious problems that may actually compromise the construction structure, which may take a lot of work to solve them. We will explain what are the causes of these pathologies, how to identify and solve them.
You may have heard that the main problem with ceramic coating is the detachment of the ceramic plates from the substrate, right? It is a very serious problem because of the risk of accidents occurring with pedestrians who pass near the building, so imagine the consequences of a piece falling on someone? So let's understand why this happens and what should be done to avoid this situation.
Ceramic Cladding Detachment on Building Facade
Identifying the Problem
This pathology occurs due to loss of adhesion of the ceramic substrate plates, caused by some factors, such as: flaws in the installation, incomplete filling of the back of the plates, water infiltration, inadequate application pressure, excessive movement of the building, lack of labor expertise in execution, excess open time of the adhesive mortar, expansion of the plates, error in the specification of the adhesive mortar, use of grout stiff and lack of drive joints.
There are other factors that can cause detachment and, often, they occur together, which complicates even more. A sign that may indicate when the plates peel off is the hollow sound on the plates when struck and the puffing of the finishing layer.
In addition to being able to cause accidents, detachment is a serious problem because its repair is neither cheap nor simple. Localized repair only on parts that are losing adhesion is not always sufficient once it occurs again in other areas of the coating.
Accident with Ceramic Coating
Most of the time, the ideal is to completely remove the outer coating and redo it in the correct way, which can be expensive and laborious. Therefore, in order not to reach that point, it is recommended to avoid the causes of this problem to ensure simpler maintenance, right?
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Cracks, Cracks and Fissures
These problems appear due to the loss of integrity of the ceramic plate surface, that is, cracks are ruptures that occur in the plate due to the action of forces that cause the separation of its parts and its openings are larger than 1 mm, while cracks and cracks have openings of less than 1 mm.
It is good to keep an eye out when observing these pathologies in the ceramic coating, because cracks, for example, can develop into a peel. The cracks, on the other hand, do not cause the plates to break completely and the cracking occurs on the enameled surface of the pieces, similar to a cobweb, which impairs the appearance of the building, giving it an aged appearance.
Some causes of these problems are dilation and retrenchment of ceramic plates, excessive structural deformation, absence of constructive details and retrenchment of the fixing mortar.
Efflorescence
You may have noticed some runny white spots on building facades, haven't you? Do you know what they are? They are whitish-colored crystalline deposits that appear on the surface of the coating through chemical reactions, compromising the aesthetics of the façade and are called efflorescence, a very common pathology in civil construction.
These deposits are formed when soluble salts are transported by water used in construction or even through infiltration, which, in contact with air, solidifies and forms whitish deposits.
To avoid this problem, the following factors must be eliminated: soluble salts, the presence of water, or the porosity of the coating component. It is also recommended, to avoid efflorescence: reduce the consumption of Portland cement or use cement with a low alkali content, use good quality ceramic plates and guarantee the time necessary for the drying and curing of all layers prior to the execution of ceramic coating.
The good news is that, in areas already affected by efflorescence, a simple wash is sufficient to remove the deposits. And, to never have to worry about this problem again, remember to, in addition to eliminating its causes, use Blok Eflohard, the perfect solution to combat efflorescence, okay?
Deterioration of the joints
The deterioration of the joints is a problem that can affect not only the seating and moving joints, but also the ceramic coating as a whole, since the joints are responsible for watertightness of the coating and the ability to absorb deformations. This pathology can be noticed when there is a loss of joint tightness and aging of the filling material.
The loss of watertightness may occur due to structural movements combined with weather conditions, which can cause cracks as well as water infiltration. In addition, attention should be paid to the seating joints, which may deteriorate with aggressive agents, such as rain, causing cracks.
Also, regarding the aging of the filling material, the sealant applied to expansion joints must be inspected and changed periodically to keep its action working perfectly. For the best performance, use BlokSil MS in the expansion joints for better grip and resistance!
Conclusion
Ceramic cladding on building facades is a great option, but have you seen that, if you don't take the necessary care, the problems are diverse and, many of them, annoying to solve, haven't you?
Even after reading these essential tips on ceramic cladding on building facades, this does not exempt you from consulting NBR 13755 for correct execution and maintenance. There, you will find which are the ideal plates, what is the correct form of application and everything you need to know to avoid the problems presented in this matter.
Also, we recommend taking a look at our website to learn about our products, which will certainly help you keep your building with quality, free of these pathologies.
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