All about pine planken

Planken is a versatile natural wood finishing material, processed using innovative technologies. Used for external and internal facing work. In Europe, this finishing material has been known for more than 50 years, in our country it appeared relatively recently, but is already in high demand.

A high quality board is used for the production of planken. The result is an elite finishing material in the form of planks, processed from all sides, including the sides and end sides. The boards have beveled and rounded side cuts. And although the planken is similar to the lining, there are significant differences between them.

• The plank board has water-repellent properties.
• Material has no grooves, during installation, it does not need a frame base, which allows you to carry out installation yourself, only after carefully studying the instructions.
• Simplicity of design allows you to easily replace one board with another without disassembling an adjacent surface area. The panels are quickly assembled and do not need additional processing for many years.
• Planken finish is different wear resistance and durability.
• The mounted panels have gaps between the surfaces, due to which there is constant ventilation to ensure no condensation. The thickness of the planken varies from 1 to 2 cm, there are no standards for the length, but usually manufacturers offer material in lengths of 2 and 4 m.

For facade cladding, planken is mainly used, made from autoclaved pine boards. Such thermally treated pine wood is collectively called thermosine. Angarskaya larch is especially popular as a raw material for planken production. Thermosine planken is considered to be an ideal finishing material for exterior finishing works, since the technology of heating the board in the steam chambers causes the resin in the upper layers of the wood to harden. As a result, the facing material will not release resin in hot weather in direct sunlight.

The use of pine in houses or apartments fills the room with a delicate coniferous aroma, creates a favorable microclimate and easy disinfection of the atmosphere. Oak panels are always prestigious, expensive, soundly and beautifully. The facade of such panels will not lose its representative appearance for decades. Linden, beech, dahoma and other trees have a peculiar pattern and aroma.

The advantages of planken should be outlined.

• The processing of the boards takes place on automated lines woodworking industry. Quality and accuracy control is ensured in intermediate areas.
• The board is processed from wood of certain species in full compliance with the specified technical characteristics. In the process of production and constant control, material is rejected even with small deviations from the required parameters.
• During the production of wood sapwood, knots and other flaws are removed. The rich tint and texture palette makes it possible to combine planken with surfaces and materials of different quality.

The production processing of the material technologically ensures the appearance of the finest gaps between the surfaces during installation, as a result of which natural ventilation is formed. This guarantees the safety of the heat-insulating layer between the wall and the facade, since breathable panels do not allow condensation to form and rotting.

The modern market offers several varieties of planken, which depend on the type of wood, geometry of the board, installation methods, beveled or straight configuration.

• Beveled pine plank, also called oblique or rhombus, is considered universal. It is used both in interior and facade works. Visually, the end face resembles a parallelogram. The oblique view has no grooves or spikes, which does not allow it to be closed into a monolith, but this ensures a constant ventilation effect. A plank laid with an oblique cut down from the outside prevents water droplets from entering. From the side, the facade, made of rhombus, resembles solid wood.

• Straight planken has clear side cuts, resembling a lining in appearance. The antiseptic and varnished surface gives the buildings a Scandinavian look.

With its aesthetic appeal, the straight type has reduced performance. Uncovered joints of individual cladding elements quickly become clogged with dirt. The straight slotted plank is more efficient and reliable. Such a solution creates surface protection against penetration of an aggressive environment.

There are 5 grades of this finishing material in the price category.

• "Extra". Most often, the grade is used for interior decoration of residential and public premises. Virtually no flaws, the board is selected with the same external and technical characteristics.
• "Prima"... In this class, no more than two defects are permissible, indicated for the Extra variety. It is used in the decoration of non-residential premises, as well as baths, saunas, catering areas.
• "AB"... This variety can be of any natural or mechanical type as long as it meets the requirements of DIN-68126. Used in outdoor work.
• "VS"... The same flaws are allowed as in the previous variety, but without any restrictions.
• "WITH". The lowest quality grade used for technical purposes only.

Pine planken is used not only as a facade finishing material, but also for interior finishing works on loggias, balconies, attics, living quarters and baths. Its resinous structure retains a delicate spruce scent for many years.

It is applied and in the construction of fences... In addition, designers create decorative awnings, volumetric panels and even furniture. The scope of application is huge - it all depends on desire and imagination.

Before proceeding with the installation of facade boards, they prepare the crate. Larch logs are impregnated with an antiseptic, fixed on the walls over a layer of insulation with screws or self-tapping screws. Lags are attached at a distance of 1 meter from each other. The location of the lag is perpendicular to the direction of the facade coating. If the board is cut off, then its ends are also covered with an antiseptic, like everything else. If the facade is planned to be painted, then the outer side is not covered with the composition, since this will damage the high-quality painting.

The second row of planken is laid first. This is done for the purpose of further convenience in work - a rail is attached in place of the first row. The position of the rail must be checked with a laser or water level - the board must be strictly horizontal (unless, of course, a different arrangement is conceived according to the project). The starting rail is then removed and the first row is mounted in its place.

The end ends are cut at right angles, and the corner ends are cut 45 degrees. The fasteners should be mounted on the back - to the right and left of the center line. Plastic devices are installed between the rows of boards to adjust the width of the required gap, since the board can expand over time. As the installation progresses, the fixtures are released and used for the next rows. The third and subsequent rows are mounted in the same way.

To simplify control, several marks are applied to the crate over the entire height. After the second row and the rows above are secured, the starter bar is removed and the first row is installed. To do this, the plank is inserted into the vacant space, the upper fasteners move under the second row, and the lower one is fixed with self-tapping screws. In this way, the cladding is continued along the entire facade.

For information on the advantages of planken from needles, see the next video.