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The Benefits of Effective Wall Cladding

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Metal wall cladding is growing increasingly more prominent in commercial and residential projects. It is predominantly helpful for protective and aesthetic functions, dependent on the material and the application. Today, there are a plethora of wall cladding materials to choose from to suit every builder or designer’s tastes and preferences.

Cladding, which comes in diverse textures and designs, can bring your exteriors and interiors to life by adding a vivid and sophisticated aesthetic to otherwise more standard buildings. You can apply wall cladding to an intermediary layer of battens or spacers to give interior or external walls a decorative layer, 

If you have considered utilizing wall cladding in your upcoming project, this post will cover everything you need to know about it, including its function, benefits, and different types. 

The Basics of Wall Cladding

The procedure of cladding involves laying one material on top of another. Cladding is not only employed on exterior walls, but it is also essential in adding an artistic feature to interior design. It is typically non-structural, implying it does not affect the architectural foundation nor support weight. Most importantly, it is intended primarily to be durable, and it may bring advantages such as waterproofing and insulation.

Exterior & Interior Wall Cladding

Exterior Wall Cladding

The technique of coating a structure with another material is referred to as exterior wall cladding. The purpose of exterior wall cladding is to enhance the appearance of a particular wall. However, it also contains certain practicable benefits, making it an excellent and cost-effective solution to transform the look and design of an exterior wall.

Interior Wall Cladding

Interior wall cladding also serves as a protective coating for commercial buildings’ internal walls. Interior wall cladding materials come in numerous designs, styles, and colors to suit your preferences. Aside from its attractive appearance, premium interior wall cladding in certain applications can be resistant to scratches and abrasion, with higher intensity durability.

Types of Wall Cladding

Brick Wall Cladding

The oldest and most common type of wall cladding material is brick. In comparison to alternative building techniques, brick cladding dramatically reduces production expenses, which will help you save money, time, and effort. Brick comes in a wide selection of colors and can be finished to give various aesthetic options.

Zinc Cladding

Zinc is a very unique and useful material to be used as building cladding. Many of us are familiar with the oxidation process that takes place on steel, which forms rust after some time. Zinc has incredible corrosion resistance and is the material of choice for roofing and other external architectural applications due to its longevity and durability.

The beauty of zinc isn’t only in its patinated color, but also because it provides longevity for your building. A properly designed system can last 60 years or more under most climatic conditions and has the ability to heal over time scratches that were once present, making them virtually disappear.

Wooden Cladding

Wooden cladding comes in a panel, shingle, and horizontal board varieties. The solid wood is appealing, warm, and rustic, making it a favorite pick among many homeowners. Aside from that, it is also an excellent natural cladding and insulator that is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Stone Cladding

Stone cladding is a decorative coating consisting of either simulated or real stone. It is vital in overlaying cement, steel, or concrete walls. Genuine stones such as slate, sandstone, and granite, and compounds that resemble natural stone but are lighter in weight, such as veneer, are also useful in this cladding method.

Vinyl Cladding

Vinyl cladding is a low-cost, simple-to-manage material that fits excellent on multiple kinds of structures. What’s more, it is also easy to incorporate insulation, and can be installed quickly and at a reasonable cost.

Stucco Cladding

In stucco cladding, products such as crushed stone, recycled concrete, gravel, and sand are being employed. Stucco cladding is prominent because of its adaptability, rot protection, durability, and fire resistance. Stucco cladding adds a lot of curb appeal to the interior of your property.

Ceramic Cladding

Ceramic cladding is not easily prone to damage and is highly resistant to adverse weather. It has the ability to survive for quite a long time with little wear and tear. It is also resilient against harmful UV radiation, so sun exposure, rain, or growing pollution levels do not affect the ceramic covering.

Aluminum Cladding

Aluminum claddings are the most durable and have a long life expectancy. Such exterior cladding requires minimal management and is often visible on a storehouse of a building’s walls. 

The Advantages of Wall Cladding

There are several advantages to using wall claddings. The following are among the primary benefits of utilizing wall cladding in your ongoing construction project:

  1. Supply ideal insulation and acoustic for sound absorption
  2. Increase the mechanical strength of the structure
  3. Chemical and air pollutants will not be present
  4. Strengthen resistance to cracking as the temperature goes up
  5. Serve as a decorative element
  6. Offer resistance to sunlight and UV damage
  7. Reduce the amount of water absorption
  8. Act as thermal insulation

Consult the Metal Experts for Your Next Project

MetalTech Global is the nation’s premiere distributor and fabricator of coil, sheet and finished architectural metals products. Working with our affiliates, we are promoting the use of sustainable metal products in the building. 

We envision that home and commercial construction will be committed to using only durable and reusable products. MetalTech Global can help your commitment be successful as durability, reusability, and sustainability is our area of expertise. We work with companies like elZinc America, VMZinc, Lorin Industries, and Hussey Copper to provide the highest quality architectural products in natural metals. 

While zinc has been used extensively in Europe for hundreds of years, it is a relatively new building metal in North America, and its potential for robust, beautiful structures is unmatched. As of 2021, MetalTech Global is the largest stocking center of architectural zinc in North America, with the capability of re-processing sheets and coils for customers on demand.

Contact us today for architectural metals, coils, panels, metal fabrication and cutting, folding, and more.

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Zinc And Sustainable Development

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zinc sheets

Designing a building with Zinc Sheets And Sustainable Development materials that will hold up to the elements and time is often a challenge for builders. We understand how difficult it can be to choose the best sustainable products while still meeting project milestones. Your construction design must consider the types of materials used, material lifetime, and carbon footprint to be environmentally friendly.

We have many years of experience supplying architectural metals to builders and know which materials work best for each design. Out of all the metals we work with, zinc stands out as the most versatile sustainable material we offer.

Zinc has many attributes that make it a good candidate for sustainable development for years to come. Below we’ll describe why you should consider choosing zinc as your architectural metal of choice.

What Is Zinc’s Environmental Impact?

Zinc is a vital element for the environment. We find it in the soil worldwide, and living things require small amounts to survive. The process of manufacturing zinc does not increase the amount of zinc within the soil nor harm water sources. The majority of environmental impacts of zinc production are from energy usage during primary production — creating zinc alloy directly from ore without the inclusion of recycled products. We’ll touch on recyclability shortly.

Production

Zinc production’s most significant environmental impact is the energy demands required during mining and refining. For each meter squared of zinc sheeting produced, the process releases 16.02 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Since most of the carbon footprint of producing zinc is because of primary zinc production, higher recycling percentages continue to lower the toll it places upon the environment. The zinc production industry strives to lower energy usage by employing green energy alternatives and recycling as much zinc scrap as possible.

Recyclability

Zinc is entirely recyclable and does not lose quality nor properties no matter how many times it goes through the recycling process. In many cases, zinc alloy producers recycle up to 95% of the available zinc scrap. It’s estimated that approximately 30% of all produced zinc is from zinc scrap, and the remaining 70% is from mined ore. Each year the quantity of recycled zinc increases as refining technology advances towards the goal of recycling 100% of all zinc scrap.

How Long Is Zinc’s Lifespan?

Architectural zinc has a long lifespan of at least 100 years or more, depending on the location and the environment. The combination of metals that make up zinc alloy— zinc, copper, titanium, and aluminum, add strength and can handle changes in temperature without becoming brittle. Another factor contributing to zinc’s lifespan is the patina that forms on the outside over time. The natural patina forms due to oxidation, forming a protective layer over the zinc sheeting that can help “heal” scratches, gouges, and other minor imperfections in the surface.

Factors that Affect Lifespan

Few factors affect the lifespan of zinc. Saltwater weakens the natural patina that forms on the outside of zinc sheets. Therefore, zinc sheeting along bodies of saltwater without significant rainfall requires protective coatings to prevent accelerated wear. Acid rain also affects zinc sheeting similarly to saltwater by corroding the surface. It should be noted that zinc is highly corrosion resistant, however these factors are relevant to the lifespan and breakdown of any metal.

Is Zinc a Sustainable Resource?

Zinc is considered a sustainable resource due to its long lifetime and high recyclability. Another sustainability factor is the large amount of zinc contained within the Earth’s crust. Geologists estimate that the crust contains approximately 2.8 billion tons of zinc, meaning the element is abundant and highly sustainable. Something else to consider is that according to the United States Geological Survey, the lifetime reserves for zinc have remained unchanged since 1990, even with an increase of production of over 80%. 

Zinc Is The Architectural Metal of Choice for Sustainable Design

MetalTech Global is the nation’s premiere distributor and fabricator of coil, sheet and finished architectural metals products. Working with our affiliates, we are promoting the use of sustainable metal products in the building. 

We envision that home and commercial construction will be committed to using only durable and reusable products. MetalTech Global can help your commitment be successful as durability, reusability, and sustainability is our area of expertise. We work with companies like elZinc America, VMZinc, Lorin Industries, and Hussey Copper to provide the highest quality architectural products in natural metals. 

While zinc has been used extensively in Europe for hundreds of years, it is a relatively new building metal in North America, and its potential for robust, beautiful structures is unmatched. As of 2021, MetalTech Global is the largest stocking center of architectural zinc in North America, with the capability of re-processing sheets and coils for customers on demand.

Contact us today for architectural metals, coils, panels, metal fabrication and cutting, folding, and more!

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