Cheaper alternatives to KompeFix?

[Alan Ambrose]

It's been recommended I use KompeFix ventilation strip to keep the wood wall battens and horizontal cladding apart - presumably to avoid trapping moisture between adjacent wood and allow for a little movement. That is:

 

https://www.russwood.co.uk/shop/product/kompefix/

 

It's only GBP 2.22 per m - which sounds OK value until I figured out I needed about 750m / 1,700 quids worth. 

 

 

Are there any good alternatives?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JohnMo]

45 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

Are there any good alternatives?

Fix without them?

[Onoff]

Being (half) silly...3D print the profile in say PETG as short strips with fixing slots in. Then glue on. You'd just import the profile above, convert to an SVG file and extrude, a doddle.  

 

Roughly a full infill, (solid), 250mm strip would weigh 34g. You could print diagonal on the bed to get a longer length but for batch printing a few at a time you'd have to work with the 256x256 bed. 

 

Out of a kilo of filament then you'd get 30 strips. 30 x 256mm is nom 7.7m. A kilo roll of PETG filament is circa a tenner on Amazon.

 

So about £1.30/m

 

Half the price! You could have that again as the strips wouldn't need to be full infill.

 

Just add in the cost of your time, electric and buying a printer! 

 

😂

[MikeSharp01]

We have purchased this with our cladding and they estimated 16 rolls, our cladding is vertical, I did the calcs and got a couple of rolls less but stuck with the estimate. We are not using their battening system as we don't have the depth. Instead I will make up some custom notched battens that create the air gap at the back, have the  top slope and allow the use of the Kompefix on the front face.  

 

 

[mjc55]

Hmm.  Is this not an (expensive) solution looking for a problem?

[MikeSharp01]

10 hours ago, mjc55 said:

Hmm.  Is this not an (expensive) solution looking for a problem?

Could be - but at least I am following the manufacturers recommendations so I should be able to have some comeback if it does not work. This is the drawing I will be following in spirit at least.

 

 

[Alan Ambrose]

I would have expected the slope to drain outwards, no?

[G and J]

We've followed the above (vertical cladding) the first vertical batten means the slope on the second horizontal batten allows the water to run off into the cavity....or at least that's the plan!

[BotusBuild]

Ooh, must remove the horizontal battens already installed and introduce them to a power tool 🙂

 

Won't bother with the spacers. Waste of time and money IMHO.

[JohnMo]

Are you all have open cladding, so you do get plenty of driven water in there? Otherwise a little OTT.

 

I would be more interested to see how you are keeping wasps out, one small crack or warp they seem to get behind the cladding, then they start building nests.