How do you install sandwich panels? Assembly Instructions
Step-by-step installation instructions for sandwich panels.
How do you install sandwich panels? Assembly Instructions
The first stage in the investment process is the purchase of the right material.
It is worth putting trust in the biggest manufacturers with long years of experience - they are able to guarantee the reliability of materials, short delivery times, and full support during the process of ordering.
Balex Metal provides
- full support of their representative on the investment site
- individual customer service
- technical consultation
- support by specialists in the design office
- transport of materials to the investment site
What are sandwich panels intended for?
Sandwich panels for roofs and walls constitute a cladding material which acts as a thermal insulator. Thanks to the fast assembly process, such panels are commonly used in almost every type of industry.
It is estimated that the erecting of buildings using timber-frame technology (sandwich panels) can be completed even 6 months faster compared to the buildings constructed using standard technology, e.g. masonry.
Sandwich panels are most often used for erecting:
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storage facilities
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logistics centres
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sports facilities
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cold stores and freezers
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large retail stores
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production halls
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office buildings
Sandwich panels are also used in housing development. For instance, garage designs and modern houses based on sandwich panels are very popular.
More about sandwich panels:
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Sandwich panels - what should we know?
How much do sandwich panels cost?
It is very difficult to determine a universal price for the installation of sandwich panels, as many different components need to be included in the cost estimate for the construction, and the different scales of investment.
As a rough estimate, the following costs of material purchase can be assumed:
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The price of a sandwich panel with a foamed-polystyrene core - from PLN 50 per m2 net
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The price of a sandwich panel with a mineral-wool core - from PLN 79 per m2 net
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The price of a sandwich panel with a polyurethane core (PIR) - from PLN 58 per m2 net
In addition to the price of purchasing sandwich panels, the following must be taken into account in the cost estimate:
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Labour costs
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Rental of basket and vacuum elevators (recommended by Balex metal)
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Purchase of accessories (fasteners, flashings, seals) - they account for approx. 10-15% of the purchase cost of all materials
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Transport - Balex metal provides transport for the sandwich panels, if requested by the customer
Step-by-step installation instructions for sandwich panels
The installation of sandwich panels can be divided into a number of stages.
1. The transporting of panels to the construction site, and unloading
For packages up to 6 metres in length
The panels can be unloaded manually or with a forklift. It is recommended to use forklifts with adjustable fork width - the minimum fork spacing should be 2m with a width of 150mm.
For packages exceeding 6 metres in length
Such packages should be lifted using conveyor belts and spreader booms. The indicated spacing of belts for packages from 6m to 12m is 2-4m. For packages longer than 12m, the spacing of transport belts is 3.5-4.5m.
Avoid point supports when unloading panels. Otherwise there is a risk of damaging the lining of the lowest panel.
2. Quality control of the completed structure
Prior to the installation of panels, it is necessary to check whether the structure to which the sandwich panels will be fixed is straight. Even the slightest deviation in implementation can result in leaks occurring at the joints between panels, which produces the so-called “wave effect” (the panels are not on one plane).
3. Removal of the protective film
It is best to remove the film just before transporting the panel to the place of installation. It is not recommended to remove the foil after installing the panel.
4. Sealing
Before fixing the panel, attach strips of PES sealing tape. It is to be fixed to the structure in places where it will be in contact with the internal lining of sandwich panels.
The use of seals effectively prevents from mechanical damage to the lining.
5. The installation of sandwich panels
The safest and most-recommended assembly solution is the use of vacuum lifts for the transporting of panels.
Install the first panel using fasteners penetrating the entire thickness of the panel, up to the construction element.
6. The installation of door profiles, window profiles, and skylights
The installation of door profiles and window profiles, i.e. windows, doors, gates, small windows, etc., requires a separate description.
In the case of roof panels, these also include skylights. The entire range of small windows supplied by Balex Metal features locks, which facilitate their fixing to sandwich panels, without the need to purchase and install additional elements to fit them.
All sandwich panels by Balex Metal can be easily cut on site, using standard metalworking tools, for example:
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Jig-saws
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Reciprocal saws
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Nibblers
It is not allowed to use any high-temperature cutting tools, e.g. angle grinders. This could damage the anti-corrosion coating.
7. Assembling subsequent panels
When installing subsequent panels, it is very important to make sure that the panels are pressed down correctly, in order to ensure the maximum tightness of the fasteners.
If pressed down correctly in the fasteners, Balex Metal panels completely eliminate the problem of so-called “thermal bridges”.
The locations where panels are joined without any fasteners (e.g. a horizontal joint between one panel and another, on a column, or a joint between a wall panel and a roof panel), must be additionally sealed, for example with low-pressure polyurethane foam or butyl.
8. Masking treatments
The last stage is the installation of masking treatments, e.g. joints, corners, wind braces, ridges, or plinths.
9. How to attach small elements, e.g. a company logo, lighting elements, or a monitoring system.
Balex Metal allows the installation of small components without the need for an additional substructure. However, in that case, the following recommendations should be followed
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The maximum load exerted by the fastened elements is 10kg/m2.
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The fasteners must penetrate the whole panel (the core and both linings; it is absolutely prohibited to fix them only to one lining).
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Apply a washer with a minimum diameter of 40mm to the opposite side of the fastened element (it is necessary to distribute the loads over as much area as possible).
