Window sill installation: material selection, installation features

When the owners equip their home, I want each element to meet a number of characteristics: high quality, reliability, practicality, long life, but the appearance is no less important. One of the important stages of arrangement is the installation of window sills. Now the market offers a fairly wide selection of materials that can meet the highest requirements. However, during installation, it is necessary to take into account the features and follow the rules that will help ensure reliable operation.

Features and recommendations

When choosing a material, it should be borne in mind that the window sill is that element that lends itself to mechanical stress, the effects of temperature, moisture, sunlight. At the same time, he must perform protective functions and not lose his aesthetic appearance. And if the appropriate material is found that can fully meet the requirements, the main step is installation.

Material selection

If you give preference to PVC material, the owners can save due to the low cost, but this saving has its drawbacks. Such window sills are easily susceptible to mechanical stress, scratches remain on the surface, except that they are not heat-resistant. An improved version - with an acrylic coating, it is heat-resistant and this coating is resistant to abrasives.

When choosing a natural stone, the owners can count on high quality material. This material belongs to a high price category, but it is easily susceptible to mechanical stress.

In the case of artificial stone, there will also be a high cost, in addition, such a surface is easily damaged and scratches remain on it. Also a minus is the fact that the material is susceptible to high temperatures.

Such material as wood is environmentally friendly, suitable for any interior and is able to meet the highest requirements, prepare the main material for installation.

There are general recommendations that must be followed, regardless of which material is selected:

• Be sure to take care of the gutter through which water will be discharged. To do this, a teardrop is installed, the depth of which should be up to 20 mm. It is mounted on the edge of the window sill, the distance should not exceed 60 mm (from the edge).
• Installation takes place in several stages, the final installation can occur only after the bottom plugs are prepared.
• When the old window sill is dismantled, on the side slopes it is necessary to remove the entire solution to the wall and clean it of dirt.
• When installing, you must take into account that the canvas should slightly enter the wall, for which the connectors are cut.
• It must be remembered that moisture can collect on the windowsill due to condensation, so that it can go towards the radiator; during installation, care must be taken to tilt it up to 5 mm.
• All gaps must be treated with foam.

In addition to general recommendations, each material has its own installation features that must be observed.

Plastic

When installing a plastic window sill, the main thing is to follow the general recommendations. The only thing you need to pay attention to preparation, if the installation of the PVC window sill involves sawing the material.Do not press the material hard, cut it as carefully as possible to avoid chips.

1. After dismantling the old windowsill, you need to get rid of debris, thoroughly clean the work surface;
2. Then with the help of beacons and level a new window sill is set. So that moisture that appears from the condensate does not linger on the installed window sill, it is tilted slightly down by about 5 mm;
3. All the free space is easily filled with foam. This procedure does not require accuracy and calculation, since the surplus is easy to cut with a knife.
4. The ends of the windowsill must be protected with plugs.

The window sill to be installed can be fixed with glue, mortar or screws, but they must be on mechanical supports. It should be noted that during the heating season warm air should rise without problems up to the plastic windows and slopes. For this, the protrusion should not exceed 60 mm. It is necessary to take into account the length of the window sill, it should not exceed the width of the window by more than 20 cm.

Tree

It is immediately worth noting that installing a wooden window sill with your own hands is a rather laborious and difficult process, but at the same time, installing wooden window sills is popular, because this material is quite practical, environmentally friendly and has a beautiful appearance. Of course, the installation of a window sill in a wooden house is more popular, this corresponds to the interior, and with proper installation it guarantees a long and reliable service life.

1. Before installation, you need to carefully prepare the material. It should not have knots or any defects. The slab must be sanded and polished on each side.
2. On the lower side you need to apply an antiseptic that will protect the canvas during operation from mold and fungus.
3. You need to take care of the gutters, they are cut at the bottom of the board, with a width of 7 to 9 mm and a depth of 5 mm.
4. When the stove is ready for installation, it is cut to the desired size. Approximate dimensions: the length exceeds the window width from 10 to 15 cm, the protrusion inward is less than the window width from 5 to 8 cm.
5. The next stage of work depends on the surface on which the plate will be installed. If this is a tree, then it is enough to treat it with an antiseptic. When the walls are made of brick or stone, lime-gypsum mortar will be necessary for the work.
6. Next, the board must be placed on a quarter of the timber (bottom) of the box, after which it needs to be fastened to the box. For this, you can use the usual long nails, hats must be chopped off.
7. When the surface on which the canvas is laid is not smooth enough and has differences, special wedges should be used, which are fixed with a solution.
8. After the stove is installed, you must immediately remove the excess solution.
9. All gaps and voids are filled with foam.

If we talk about which array is better to choose, then most often used oak, beech, pine or larch.

Granite

If the installation of a granite window sill occurs immediately after replacing the windows and this is the last repair work, the procedure can be started immediately after the mounting foam has dried. If the room will undergo repair work, it is better to postpone the installation until their completion. The thing is that the surface of granite is very susceptible to mechanical damage.

• In order to protect the surface from damage during the installation process, it must be glued with a protective film.
• Next, you need to prepare the surface for installation. Knock down all the excess stone, remove the old solution. Before installation, you need to check whether the plate easily lies on the surface, whether there are any elements that interfere. During the fitting, make sure that the distance between the plate and the profile should be as small as possible. We must not forget about the tilt of the frame, which will help get rid of moisture.
• Then you need to treat the surface with a special primer.It is necessary to apply cement-polymer glue, it is intended for work with natural stone. If artificial material is used, glue or mortar can be used.
• When applying a bonding agent, it must be remembered that too large a layer can contribute to the fact that a heavy slab simply eats away, so it is better to use beacons made of stone, which will not allow the slab to move until the glue completely hardens.
• Be sure to wipe the surface of the plate well after working with glue - this can be done with a damp sponge. Stains may form from glue residues, which can only be removed by grinding.
• At the last stage, it is necessary to process the seams, for this it is better to use a sealant that has an adhesive property.

Before choosing a window sill, namely the material from which it will be made, you need to take into account the conditions in which it will be used. Most often, the installation of the windowsill on the balcony, on the loggia is carried out in the process of installing windows. If replacement is necessary, it is best to seek the help of specialists, since such work requires compliance with certain technologies.

In addition to the stage of working with the windowsill, you need to understand that the installation of slopes is an equally important process. When self-installation occurs, the advantage is that the host controls every process. Sometimes this is not very well reflected in the final result. If you make the window sill very wide with narrow supporting external walls - this may affect its quality of operation and sooner or later it will need to be replaced, so it is very important to adhere to the basic rules and recommendations.