There’s an impressive amount of options out there for commercial cladding. From modern designs to traditional brick masonry, the choices for designing your exterior are seemingly endless. But while you might have the perfect design in mind, not every cladding option can deliver the results that a commercial exterior needs.
Here’s a breakdown of the more common types of commercial cladding options available today and which works best for specific scenarios.
Modern Metal Cladding
A modern commercial building deserves a bold design. Architects have been building with exterior wall panels to bring drama and sleek protection to commercial exteriors. Using steel, aluminium, copper or zinc cladding gives your design style and protection, but some building owners might not want the cost that comes with choosing metal.
Many metal exteriors come with a relatively easy installation, with panels that are attached to the exterior using a fastening system.
Functionality: Metal cladding delivers modern style and can protect your building’s design when panels are treated to prevent corrosion. Depending on your commercial building requirements and local building and safety code, you might need to consider a different material that can withstand severe weather and potential storm damage.
Maintenance: The maintenance of metal exteriors is a bonus for the busy building owner. Metal exterior cladding won’t require much upkeep if it comes with a protective finish. However, some metal is softer than other types of metal and might need repair or replacement if there are any dents or scratches after severe weather hits.
Durability: Metalworks hard to protect exteriors but is prone to rust and corrosion over time, especially if you’re in a wet, coastal climate. Some types of metal are more weather resistant but might come with a higher price tag. One reason zinc and copper are more expensive is their unparalleled resistance to corrosion.
- Working With Wood
Wood has been a common choice for cladding for over a century and gives commercial exteriors a touch of natural warmth. However, building owners that choose wood will need to consider their selection from a few angles.
Installation: Wood panels have been used for more than a hundred years on all types of buildings. Because it’s such a well-known material, wood is often considered easier to install because of how familiar installers are with it.
Functionality: Wood offers great design to exteriors, and it’s long been cherished for the style that it delivers. When it’s treated with a weather-resilient finish and maintained consistently, it can protect and enhance a building design for years, with the caveat that proper maintenance is followed.
Maintenance: The maintenance of wood exteriors is often the biggest drawback. Wood products require regular upkeep and will need to be refinished every few years. If you don’t put in the maintenance, building owners could see costly damage to their exteriors.
Durability: Wood cladding is considered a high-dollar exterior material because of how much upkeep is required to keep it from deteriorating too quickly. And therein lies one of wood’s greatest drawbacks: lots of maintenance. Wood siding must be painted or stained regularly or it is vulnerable to rot, weathering, and damage from sunlight and insects.
Architects today need durable, design-forward exterior solutions they can depend on. There are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to cladding, but fibre cement has grown in popularity more recently because it offers multiple solutions for building owners. From outstanding weather protection to low maintenance, fibre cement exteriors offer solutions for commercial buildings around the world.