What are ventilated facades?
Ventilated facades are a building envelope system that consists of a system of plates anchored to metal profiles, usually aluminum, which are fixed to the building facade.
Ventilated facades get their name from the gap between the outer plates of the ventilated facade and the wall where it is anchored. In this gap the air is filtered producing a chimney effect entering cold from the bottom and leaving warm from the top of the ventilated facade. This effect produces the passive ventilation of the building, hence the name ventilated facade.
Ventilated facades are also called “double wall” or transventilated facades. Ventilated facades in colder countries are used with insulation. These insulators are placed between the anchoring wall and the external cladding of the ventilated facade, thus achieving greater thermal insulation performance.
Characteristics of ventilated facades
The main characteristics of ventilated facades are their ability to replace panels that have deteriorated or broken over time. The manufacturer of the ventilated facade panels must be able to replace the deteriorated parts. There are ventilated facade systems that repair broken or deteriorated panels on site, such as the concrete ventilated facade.
As a thermal insulator, ventilated facades are a great insulator, where energy consumption is reduced by 25-40%. Other benefits of the ventilated facade are the acoustic comfort. Ventilated facades reduce external noise. Another characteristic of ventilated facades is the total impermeability of the building.
In building renovations ventilated facades are widely used, as it is a direct application coating that does not generate waste. Ventilated facades hide elements such as cracks or electrical conduits and enhance the value of the building.
Elements that make up a ventilated facade
The elements that make up the ventilated facades must be in perfect condition, such as the supporting wall of the ventilated facade or the cladding of the ventilated facade. In the case of metal elements, they must be quality materials.
Elements that make up a ventilated facade:
1- Supporting wall
2- Anchoring and retaining brackets
3- Aluminium profiles, support of the ventilated facade that is anchored to the brackets
4- Anchorage of the ventilated facade plates to the aluminium profiles
5- Ventilated facade plastering
Types of ventilated facade
There are many types of ventilated facades on the market today. Generally, the choice of ventilated facades depends on their aesthetic finish, as they can be a highly decorative element. The manufacturer of ventilated facades adapts to the needs of the architect, and carries out the production of the ventilated facade in one run for the project. The ventilated facade is not produced in phases as it can give problems of de-tuning and quality.
The sizes of the ventilated facades depend on the type of material and the characteristics of the building. The poor choice of the ventilated facade can cause problems, even be dangerous during the movements of the trade or wind.
In the following table we inform you about the types of existing ventilated facades and their performance. We classify from green to red according to the performance of the ventilated facade. Being green the optimal material and red the less advisable material.
Type of damage/1 piece
Ventilated Facades of
CONCRETE
Ventilated Facades of
METALS
Ventilated Facades of
WOOD
Ventilated Facades of
STONE
Ventilated Facades of
POLYMERS
Ventilated Facades of
CERAMICS/TERRACOTTA
Ventilated Facades of
CRYSTAL
Bending strenght
High
High
High
High
depends on
Low
Low
Hidden anchorage system
Yes
No
No
No
depends on
Yes, omega piece
No
Fire Resistance
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
With application finish
Yes
No
Expansion tolerance
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Impact strenght
Yes
Yes, under deformation
No
No
Yes
No
No
Antifungal
Yes
No
No
Yes, duration 6 months
depends on
Yes, duration 6 months
depends on
Repairable panels
Yes
No
No
No
depends on
No
No
Perforated panels
Yes
Yes
No
No
Not recommended
Yes
No
Dimensions
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Wide range of sizes
Ability to reproduce 3D shapes
High
High
No
No
High
No
No
Ability to reproduce textures
High
Medium
Low
Low
High
Low
No
Sustainable manufacturing
CO2 Emissions
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Types of fasteners for ventilated facades
There are many variants of fixing systems for ventilated facades. Depending on the type of ventilated facade panels, these are the most common types of ventilated facade fixings.
– Ventilated facades: fixing with adhesive, as a secondary fastening element
– Ventilated facades: stapling
– Ventilated facades: rivets
– Ventilated facades: nail fixing
– Ventilated facades: fixing with guides
– Ventilated facades: pinning
– Ventilated façades: glued-on sleeve fixing
– Ventilated facades: fixing with embedded bush, patented by PANELTOR®.
Why use concrete for ventilated facades
Ventilated concrete facades offer a multitude of features that make this material ideal for new construction and building renovation.
The PANELTOR® high performance ventilated concrete facade offers a material that is durable over time, sustainable and highly adaptable to the architect’s, interior designer’s or planner’s wishes.
The PANELTOR® high-performance ventilated concrete facade offers unbeatable mechanical capabilities such as its high dimensional tolerance, great bending and compression patience or high impact resistance.
The PANELTOR® high-performance ventilated concrete facade has a unique hidden fixing system on the market, which allows large areas of the ventilated facade to be continuously clad.
Benefits of ventilated concrete facades PANELTOR®
Below are the tables showing the benefits of a PANELTOR® high performance ventilated concrete facade
THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC INSULATION
The ventilated facade is considered the most effective system for thermal and acoustic insulation, which reduces the energy consumption of the building by 25-40%, in addition to contributing to the sustainability of the planet.
Passive building ventilation
The open air chamber of the ventilated facades between the supporting wall and the exterior cladding allows air circulation, preventing humidity and condensation
REHABILITATIONS
The ventilated facade allows direct application on site. In the case of renovations, it is an ideal option for covering the old façade, as it hides cracks and damage to it. The ventilated façade hides the building’s own pipes and enhances the value of the building.
LONG-LASTING PRODUCT
PANELTOR® is UHPC (Ultra High Performance Concrete) reinforced with structural fibres, with great mechanical qualities.
The acquired benefits of both components make PANELTOR® large format panels for ventilated facades ultra-resistant (UNE 127748-2:2012).
Thanks to their composition, they are tolerant to flexion, compression and expansion (UNE 196-1:2018), which translates into a “long life product”.
Ventilated facades reparation
Below is a table comparing the possibilities of repairing ventilated facades according to the type of material. We classify from green to red according to the performance of the ventilated facade. Being green the optimal material and red the less advisable material.
Type of damage/1 piece
Ventilated Facades of
CONCRETE
Ventilated Facades of
METALS
Ventilated Facades of
WOOD
Ventilated Facades of
STONE
Ventilated Facades of
POLYMERS
Ventilated Facades of
CERAMICS / TERRACOTTA
Ventilated Facades of
CRISTAL
Scratches
Repairable
Repairable
Repairable
Repairable
Depends on
No repairable.
Bad manipulation. Danger
Repairable.
Bad manipulation. Danger
Cracking
Repairable
No repair.
Manufacturing defect
Repairable
Repairable
No repair.
Manufacturing defect. Danger
No repair.
Manufacturing defect. Danger
Repairable.
Danger
Peeling
Repairable
Repairable
No repairable.
Bad manipulation
No repairable.
Bad manipulation
No repairable.
Bad manipulation
No repairable.
Bad manipulation
No repairable.
Bad manipulation
Deformation
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/Handling
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/Handling
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/Handling
No repair.
Manufacturing defect
Repairable.
Bad manipulation / handling
No repair.
Manufacturing defect
No repair.
Manufacturing defect
Partial breakage of the part
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/handling
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/handling
Repairable.
Bad manipulation/handling
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
Depends on
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
Total breakage of the piece
Repairable.
Bad manipulation / handling
No repair.
Bad manipulation / handling
Repairable.
Bad manipulation / handling
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
No repair.
Handling defect
or manufacturing
More information about ventilated facades
The PANELTOR® technician’s department has made all the information and documentation on ventilated facades available to you. If you need more information about our products and systems for ventilated facades, you can consult other sections of this website or visit our download centre.
We also provide you with our data and contact form for any query.
Recursos
Products for Projects
PANELTOR® operates internationally
Our innovative concrete products are used all over the world
Article written by Sara Sirvent, MACRO Publicidad for PANELTOR FIBER S.L. ©2020