Window Finishes: Material Selection

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

How to trim a window opening

The windows in the room serve as a source of natural light. Their decoration can be just neat, or it can be a decorative element that complements the overall stylistic design of the entire room.
You can invite a specialist in this field for the process of finishing window openings, but it will be much more economical if you finish the window opening with your own hands.

Material selection

Process window decoration, as a rule, should be carried out both indoors and outdoors, this will give the window a seal.
Finishing window slopes and openings can be performed:

• Siding.
• Stucco.
• Plastic.
• Wooden clapboard.
• Decorative plaster.
• Natural or decorative stone.
• Stucco molding.

Tip. The choice of decoration in most cases depends not only on the style of the room. A large role is played by the quality of the windows themselves, which can be plastic, metal-plastic and wooden.

How is vapor barrier slopes made?

If plastic and metal-plastic windows in their appearance completely do not have significant differences, then the wooden windows in the house will be environmentally friendly and look much more original.
Although, modern manufacturers of plastic and metal-plastic windows began to produce frames with imitation wood. Such actions make the use of windows more universal and can be installed in a wooden house, which does not violate the aesthetic integrity of the entire structure.
Photo finishing window slopes and openings are quite diverse. In this type of work, it is possible to give the room some zest in the design.

Siding for finishing window openings

Decorating window openings with slopes from siding looks rather unusual.
Such a finishing material is characterized by excellent technical properties, it:

• Durable
• Practical.
• Does not burn.
• It does not fade.
• Easy to install.
• Moisture resistant.
• Not affected by changes in climatic and weather conditions.

Siding is used for both outdoor and indoor use. The main difference between such finishing materials will be their appearance.
If siding panels are used indoors, then special strips of such finishing material are used outside.
In order to fasten the siding, you will not need to pre-align the surface. It is mounted on a special crate, which is made of wood.
To install the siding you will need:

• Wooden bars.
• Siding.
• Starting strips for installation of material.
• Wood screws.
• Sealant;
• Level.
• Construction stapler.

Initially, the crate is made:

• To do this, specially prepared wooden blocks are attached to the surface of the slope. It is fixed on the slope with dowels.
  With the help of wood screws, all the elements of such a design are fastened together.
• On the crate around the entire perimeter of the window, a starting strip is attached for mounting the siding with ordinary screws.

Tip. For such work, it will be better to use a construction stapler, the brackets of which will not occupy space inside the starting line and will be invisible.

• After the start strip is fixed on the crate, you can proceed to the installation of the panels themselves. They are inserted into this strip and fixed in it with the help of a stapler.
  To decorate the external and internal corners of the window opening, decorative elements are used in the form of special external and internal corners for siding.

Finishing window openings with plaster

The process of finishing window openings with plaster

To date, the decoration of the slopes of the window opening can be varied. Despite the large number of finishing materials that can be used for these purposes, stucco is still very popular.
The use of such finishing material already initially requires skills in this area, but if desired, this whole process can be carried out personally. To do this, there is a training video in which the entire process of plastering a window opening is shown from beginning to end.
In order to finish the slopes with plaster it will not be necessary to level the surface in advance. She must be well prepared for such work.
The use of plaster itself is already leveling the surface.
For this process you will need:

• Two spatulas (large and small).
• Mortar of starting plaster.
• The solution of the finishing plaster.
• Level.
• Sandpaper.

Tip. In order for the plaster to have a high degree of adhesion to the surface of the slope, it will be necessary to make small holes on the slope with a hammer. A solution will enter them, which will ensure the strength of the entire finish.

To finish the window openings better, very often for these purposes special profiles are used to decorate the window slopes. What are they?
This is a metal profile, which along its length can correspond to the height of the window opening with a grid for plaster attached to it.
Using a profile for finishing window slopes is quite simple. To do this, a layer of starting plaster is applied to the surface of the slope itself.
It is sold in bulk form. On the packaging of such material there is a special instruction.
It says how much fluid will need to be added to get a quality plaster solution.

Attention! Stir this solution until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Types of metal profiles for finishing slopes

So:

• After the starting plaster layer has already been applied, a profile is applied to it. Only you need to do this so that the metal profile itself is at the end of the window opening.
  After that, another layer of plaster is applied over the mesh. Then you will need to wait until such a surface is completely dry.
  Then the layers of the starting plaster are processed with sandpaper and the finishing plaster is applied on top of them.

Tip. These two types of plaster cannot be used as a substitute. Each of them has its own properties.

• A layer of finishing plaster is able to eliminate bumps that appeared as a result of applying the starting layer. After drying, the finish layer is also subject to sanding.

Finishing the slopes of window openings with plaster is considered a practical way, since it will be possible to glue wallpaper on this material or apply a layer of decorative plaster. And you can just paint the slope in the desired color.
The price of this type of finishing work is quite affordable and it is for this reason that this method of decorating window openings is still popular.

Plastic for finishing window openings

Slopes for finishing window openings can be made using plastic. Such material is currently popular in window slopes because of its cost and practicality.
It has excellent technical characteristics.

Plastic panel finishing steps

Properties of plastic lining:

• Durability.
• Practicality.
• Easy to clean.
• Easy to install.
• Moisture resistant.
• Strong enough.

Today there is a large selection of finishing material, in a variety of colors and sizes. It will be possible to choose the best option not only in color, but also in cost.

Tip. Only clean the plastic with a damp cloth, as abrasive detergents can damage its surface.

Plastic lining can be sutured and seamless, have a glossy or matte surface. The choice will depend on the interior of the room.
Plastic lining is fastened as well as siding panels on a special crate. It is also made from small wooden blocks.
To install a plastic lining you will need:

• Level.
• Stapler.
• Wood screws for the manufacture of crates.
• Wooden blocks are small in size.
• Plastic lining.
• Decorative elements (internal and external corners).

Elements of a wooden crate are fastened together using self-tapping screws. The crate itself is mounted on the surface of the window opening with dowels.
On top of it, around the entire perimeter of the window, a starting strip is mounted, into which a plastic lining will be attached.
You can find such a finishing material that will match the width of the window opening. This will greatly save the time that will be spent on finishing and money.

Finishing window openings with stucco molding

Finishing window openings stucco began to appear in the modern type of repair relatively recently. It gives the window opening an extraordinary luxury.
The only thing you need to pay attention to is that the slope surface must be perfectly even so that you can create a unique design for such a surface.
Only a professional in this field can cope with such work. The stucco molding consists of plaster and gypsum mortar.
For this reason, to finish the slopes in this way, you will need to turn to a specialist for help.
Finishing slopes of window openings can be made with a variety of materials. More practical and durable at the moment are plastic, siding and plaster.
More modern and original - stucco molding and natural or decorative stone. Each style of decoration is more dependent on the interior of the room.
Very rarely pay attention to the material from which the windows are made.