Cladding Materials

Which Metal Cladding Is The Right Choice?

That’s kind of like asking which is better between a Swiss Army knife and a Bowie knife. The latter is only of minimal use in opening a can of beans, but will probably be more effective in a one-on-one fight with a polar bear. The answer, of course, is that it depends on the application.

Here are a few of the choices and their properties:

Copper Cladding

Copper is a popular choice because it is low cost, light weight, attractive, and malleable. You will often see copper cladding in Melbourne, sometimes alone and sometimes mixed with other cladding materials to create a mosaic effect.

Zinc Cladding

Although metal gives a modern appearance, zinc has actually been used as cladding since at least the 1700s. Architectural zinc is usually an alloy, so it contains a bit of titanium and copper as well, which increases the malleability and tensile strength compared to pure zinc. It’s an environmentally conscious choice, because it is 100% recycable and does minimal harm to the environment.

Aluminium Cladding

This is the prestige cladding choice. It provides the highest strength-to-weight ratio of the common cladding materials, and is the most versatile. It is also resistant to surface marking Despite these advantages, you will not commonly see aluminium cladding on Melbourne buildings because it is more expensive than zinc or copper.

So Much More Than Your Average Copper Cladding

The look of an aluminium facade on Melbourne buildings is highly desirable, but the higher cost usually means builders who prefer metal cladding will look to copper or zinc cladding for Melbourne clients, depending on the budget and the needs of the project.

The right choice will always be the one that is suited to the image you want to project about your business.

Copper is a material associated with warmth (due to its colour) and frugality (due to its traditional use in low denomination coinage). It’s an excellent choice for buildings that house art galleries, shops, and financial industry business types.

Zinc is associated with strength, durability, and environmental consciousness. It’s a very versatile choice suited to many applications. It is a cost effective cladding for the exterior facade of factory sites, apartment buildings, and public buildings such as railway stations. It’s ability to withstand weather also makes it good for bus shelters, sheds, and any type of building that is exposed to rain, wind, snow, salt air, etc.

Aluminium is what you use when you want to present the best possible look and money is no object. It’s a badge of prestige that encompasses an entire wall. It’s an especially good choice for interior cladding.

It can actually be a good idea to incorporate a mix of different panel materials within a single installation. Aluminium is good for highlighting around signs. Copper cladding panels are good for a decorative touch, as you can get fine copper cladding details incorporated into your panels. And zinc gives you a good all-round panel material that can stand up to nature.

Starting out a new project is always a daunting prospect, particularly if it is your first time to undertake a building project or if you have just moved into a new home, or office building and are thinking in terms of making the best decisions to secure it for the next few decades.

Regardless of whether you are considering interior or exterior surfaces, we expect that you have already come across cladding materials as a potential option. For some, this might seem like a preposterous idea, however, the reality is that more and more homes and businesses are recognising the cost savings cladding can have and are opting to install these surfaces both inside and outside their homes.

Here at Profacade.com.au, we established our specialist architectural wall and roof cladding business here in Melbourne back in 2007 and in just over a decade have developed a reputation as the go-to experts in this field. While some companies will talk up the benefits of timber, PVC and brick options, we believe that metal is the only way to go when it comes to cladding that will sustain you for decades, provide a low maintenance solution and give your home or business a modern, stylish look that simply won’t go out of fashion.