clay tiles

With ArGeTon clay fa?ade tiles it is possible to obtain timeless and state-of-the-art fa?ades with the unique characteristics of ceramics. Clay tiles decorate fa?ades all over the world The idea of using clay tiles for front-hung, back-ventilated fa?ades is not new; it originated in the early 1980s. By then, the search had begun for an attractive, timeless and modern facade appearance that would also radiate the distinctive character of ceramics. For this reason ArGeTon developed its unique system of clay tile facades. For more than 25 years this innovative ceramic fa?ade material has proved its weather resistance and aesthetic properties by having been specified on numerous high profile International new builds and renovation projects in New York, Beijing, Qatar, Dublin, Stockholm, London, Vienna, Moscow and Berlin. The basis of the system are clay tiles that are fired at very high temperatures in a specially developed rolling kiln. This ensures that every individual tile corresponds to the highest standards of weather resistance and long life. A high-tech calibrating installation guarantees that the clay tiles are produced in an extremely precise format, which is essential for a perfect and noticeable joint play.The system The visible part of the fa?ade plate system consists of clay tiles available in a large range of shapes, formats and surfaces and can thus meet the creative wishes of architects and property developers. In addition the clay tile fa?ade can be easily combined with modern construction materials such as glass, aluminium and steel. Available in Tampa, Lineo and Terzo ranges that are all offered in different sizes (maximum length being 1300 mm) and colours. The plate heights are between 150 mm minimum and 400 mm maximum, while the thickness is 30 mm throughout. The colour scale of the ArGeTon tiles are comprehensive and vary from strong tile-red via warm earth and pastel shades to modern grey tones. At present there is a choice of 13 colours which are all achieved by means of special colourings and sophisticated methods of firing. Importantly, all the ArGeTon ceramic tile materials are through coloured. The Tampa tiles posses a smooth, flat surface and overlap in the horizontal joints so that the plate support is completely hidden. The Lineo model has two or four 3 mm deep groves, that give the fa?ade a harmonious structure, while the Terzo plate, with deep horizontal grooves ensures a modern appearance. The so-called Baguette element is the Barro rod tile in dimensions 50/50 mm or 69/69 mm. It rounds off the programme with its aesthetic quality and high sun protection qualities. Structural properties The technical and physical values of ArGeTon tile plates are officially tested by the Material Test Institute in Dresden as well as by the Material Test Institute for the Building Industry in Hannover. They posses the following properties: Frost resistance to DIN 52252 Part 1 Non-combustible Shape stability Heat insulating to EnEV the thickness of the heat insulation is independent of the sub-structure. The damping material can be selected as desired; the fastening can be carried out in accordance with the respective manufacturers instructions. Water drainage and transfer to the outside of the facade is ensured by means of head and drip notches on the tile plates. Ventilation and venting is achieved by the small horizontal joint gap between the tiles. The back ventilation of the facade is given by a sufficient spacing of min. 20 mm to the wall or the insulation. The additional sound insulation of the building by the ArGeTon tiles is approximately 9 dB according to construction. Ball-impact safety is proven by its high break-resistance.Fastening to an aluminium sub-structure Clay tiles are preferably fixed to an aluminium sub-construction. This permits a millimetre-exact alignment of the fa?ade. Also large distances from the wall (due to great thicknesses of the heat insulation) can easily be bridged with an aluminium sub-structure. The carrier profiles are fixed to the wall consoles by means of stainless steel screws or blind rivets of aluminium. In this, one fixing point per carrier profile must be fixed and the others can be sliding in order to ensure heat expansion. The consoles are fixed to the wall by means of approved wall anchors and bolts. Subsequently the tiles are fixed to the vertical wall either with special supports or the latter are provided additionally with horizontal profiles on which the tiles are to be mounted. The heat insulation is applied between the vertical carrier profiles. The joints of the clay tiles overlap horizontally so that rainwater is transferred to the front side. In this way, even in extreme weather one obtains an almost perfect, watertight system. By means of special U supports achieved a permanent ventilation gap can be achieved between fa?ade plates and carrier profiles, whilst condensation can flow off on the inner surface of the tile without coming into contact with the sub-structure or the heat insulation. In addition, the back-ventilation ensures that the water evaporates quickly. The vertical joints between the tiles are 4 or 8 mm and are covered by a W-shaped joint profile of powder-coated aluminium. These joint profiles permit the draining of the water, prevent any possible flapping noises and also provide a perfect vertical view. ArGeTon tiles are distinguished by solid double-walled quality, are coloured throughout and have no limitations as regards installation, execution and quantity. Each fa?ade tile is individually anchored and, thanks to the simple-to-handle erection system, can be easily fixed and replaced. Interesting designs The plain fa?ade design with perfectly aligned horizontal and vertical joints fit in equally well on classic and modern buildings. Thus, for instance, the combination with other materials can lead to surprising results. The variety of shapes, surface structures and colours give the architect scope for new and interesting designs as illustrated by the international projects mentioned above. Last but not least, the ArgeTon fa?ade tile system can also be used on circular buildings and wavy surfaces. For these applications, purpose designed vertical carrier profiles are used, which help the plates to follow the curves of the supporting frames. For more info on the WIENERBERGER range of ArgeTon clay fa?ade tiles: www.argeton.de