Façade-Mounted Zip Screen
Façade-mounted zip screen — screwed directly to the building's outer face. Wind load, ground behind cladding and stainless elements.
The Wind's First Greeter
A zip screen mounted to the façade does not stand behind any sheltered volume. Pressure and suction load the fabric and the channels directly; the connection's real job is this.
For this reason the element selection differs in façade mounting. Steel plugs, stainless screws and solid carrier ground are standard; the cladding and the insulation layer do not count as carriers.
Connection by Façade Layer
On the outer surface the visible material and the ground carrying the load are mostly not the same thing.
| Layer | Connection | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete façade | Steel plug full depth | The most stable scenario |
| Brick surface | General-purpose plug | On hollow brick the plug type changes |
| Over insulation | Long plug into the carrier wall | The insulation board carries no load |
| Panel cladding | Into the frame behind the panel | The panel itself is not a connection ground |
Four Rules in Façade Work
Stainless element
Every screw open to the weather corrodes. An element outside the stainless series produces stain and loosening.
Reaching solid ground
Cladding and insulation carry no load. The screw length is chosen to pass these layers and reach the wall.
Sealing
Every hole opened to the façade is a water path. The connection points are closed with a suitable filler.
Preserving the channel axis
On a wavy façade the channels cannot be held on the same vertical. Correction is done with a backing filler.
The Façade Set-Up Order
First the carrier is found, then the line is drawn. The order does not reverse.
- 1
The carrier ground is sought
The solid wall behind the cladding layers is detected by drilling or building knowledge.
- 2
The housing and channel lines are dropped
On the façade plane the housing level and the channel axes are marked with a laser.
- 3
Long pluggings descend
The screw length is chosen by the total of cladding thickness and wall depth; the points are distributed.
- 4
Sealing and test
The connection heads are closed; the system is lowered a full cycle and the clasping is verified on both channels.
The Wind Class's Meaning
The system's endurance starts at the connection but does not end with it. Fabric type, channel depth and the product's wind class work together; a system mounted with a weak connection stays below its class.
In façade work product selection and mounting are discussed together. The same system does not live the same life on a sheltered terrace and on an open façade.
Questions About Façade-Mounted Zip Screen
Can a zip screen be mounted over external insulation?
Does a façade mounting rust?
Can it be mounted on a shopfront façade?
Related pages: Wall-Mounted Zip Screen · Ceiling-Mounted Zip Screen · Zip Screen Systems
Send the Façade Photo
Once the façade layer and the opening measurement are shared the connection plan is drawn.
