Author
Nigel Payne - Flat Roof Specialist
Aluminium is increasingly becoming one of the most popular choices when it comes to rainscreen cladding. From its durability to its low environmental impact, there are tons of reasons why it reigns supreme.
Read below as we describe in detail the 5 top reasons why it is the cladding of choice for many buildings.
1. It’s Lightweight
One of the key benefits of aluminium rainscreen cladding is how lightweight it is. Compared to other materials like ceramic or concrete, aluminium is much lighter, making it easier to handle and transport.
Tall buildings often need materials that can withstand heavy winds and structural stress without affecting their stability. Aluminium is perfect for dealing with these stresses thanks to its lightweight nature, making it an ideal choice.
Another great advantage of lightweight aluminium rainscreen cladding is how easy it is to install compared to other types. The lightweight panels are easy to handle and position correctly, which helps make things more efficient, creating faster installation times.
2. Durability Benefits
Another underrated feature of aluminium rainscreen cladding is its long-term performance and overall durability.
It is very resistant to corrosion; unlike many other building materials, aluminium does not rust when exposed to moisture or heavy weather conditions.
As well as this, aluminium rainscreen cladding requires hardly any maintenance. Unlike more traditional materials such as wood or steel, which often require regular sealing and other repairs to reduce deterioration. Aluminium doesn’t need this.
3. Great Design Flexibility
When it comes to aluminium, it is known for its malleable material and the fact that it can be easily shaped and formed without weakening its structural integrity.
This is perfect for architects needing materials for unique designs that set buildings apart from your average run-of-the-mill buildings. Things such as irregular cladding shapes and perforations are perfect for giving rainscreen facades more character.
Also, aluminium rainscreen cladding provides more customisation options, allowing architects to tailor the material to their desired aesthetics. This cladding can be customised in terms of colours and finishes to provide something that is just impossible to do with other materials.
4. Improved Fire Resistance
Using fire-resistant materials in big buildings is vital. One of the best features of aluminium is its high melting point. At around 660°C (1220°F), aluminium rainscreen cladding will be able to keep its integrity under some of the most extreme heat conditions.
When it does encounter fire, this rainscreen will act as its own barrier, stopping the flames from quickly reaching other parts of the building. As aluminium does not burn easily or release lots of heat energy, the fire will be isolated and unable to cause more chaos.
Moreover, aluminium is non-combustible. Because of this, it does not create dangerous toxic smoke when exposed to high temperatures. This is beneficial not only to those inside the building but also firefighters trying to stop the spread of the fire and extinguish the flames.
5. Sustainability
Sustainability is one of the most impressive features when it comes to aluminium rainscreen cladding. Did you know that it is 100% recyclable? Unlike other cladding materials, many of which end up in landfill, aluminium can be recycled again and again without any loss in quality.
In addition, it provides a big benefit in terms of energy consumption when recycling compared to making it from scratch. Manufacturing aluminium requires quite a lot of energy, increasing greenhouse gases, whereas recycling it only requires a small fraction of that energy, helping reduce carbon footprints.
Another great reason to use aluminium rainscreen cladding is its longevity and low maintenance requirements, as we’ve mentioned before. As it is a highly durable material that doesn’t rust, it is perfect for remaining strong against harsh elements, meaning that constant maintenance is unnecessary.
This is great for reducing the consumption of resources needed for maintenance as well as lowering the carbon footprint that regular maintenance and replacements cause.
Use Aluminium Rainscreen Cladding For Your Buildings
All in all, you can see why more and more people are using aluminium rainscreen cladding for their buildings. With its high longevity, sustainability advantages and fire resistance, your buildings will be in safe hands for a long time with this material.
Are you interested in finding out more about aluminium rainscreen cladding? Talk to our experts at Bailey! With many years of experience installing this type of cladding onto different buildings, we can give you peace of mind that everything will go well.
Contact us today, and we’ll be glad to help you with your next project.
