Choosing the Right Wall Cladding

Wall cladding systems are designed to provide aesthetic finishes to building facades while also protecting against weather. These panelized wall assemblies have a variety of types and materials that serve different purposes. Understanding the differences in cladding panel types is essential to choosing the right cladding for your building’s needs. Below, we break down the different types of cladding material and their pros and cons. For a quick comparison chart, click the link below.

ACM Panels

ACM (Aluminum Composite Material) panels consist of 2 thin aluminum sheets bonded to a core material, either polyethylene (PE) or fire-retardant (FR/mineral-filled), and can come in a variety of thicknesses which influence impact resistance. Core selection is critical, as it impacts fire performance and can cause fire code scrutiny. These panels are popular because they’re lightweight, more cost-effective than others, easy to fabricate, easy to install, and highly customizable. This makes ACM panels ideal for applications aiming for aesthetics, like commercial exteriors, retail centers, or corporate offices.

Pros: lightweight; cost-effective; easy fabrication and installation; customizable appearance.

Cons: fire performance depends on core type; impact resistance varies.

MCM Panels

MCM (Metal Composite Material) panels are similar to ACM panels but refer to panels with stainless steel, zinc, copper, or titanium sheets bonded to a core. These difference in metal skins can impact the panel’s durability, corrosion resistance, and cost. Material selection can also cause the panels to be heavier than ACM panels, as metals vary in weight and FR cores are heavier than PE cores, but can also improve their fire resistance. These factors, combined with their distinctive, premium appearance, make MCM panels a good fit for high-end commercial or institutional, civic, and cultural buildings.

Pros: improved fire resistance over ACM (though material dependent); high weather durability.

Cons: more expensive than ACM; material impacts heaviness.

HPL Panels

HPL (High-Pressure Laminate) panels are made of layers of wood or paper fiber fused together with resin under high heat and pressure, and then topped with a protective resin overlay. This construction makes these panels solid, UV-resistant, and highly dense, capable of resisting impacts, scratches, or graffiti. They also come in a wide variety of colors, textures, patterns, and finishes for customizable appearances. HPL panels can be more rigid and therefore harder to install. As with ACM and MCM, their fire performance depends on material and thickness. These panels are ideal for high-touch or high-traffic environments because of their durability. Their nonporous, antibacterial, and antifungal surface also makes them ideal for hospitals, clinics, or commercial kitchens.

Pros: variety of appearance options; UV stable; high impact resistance.

Cons: high cost; harder to install; fire performance depends on material and thickness.

Fiber Cement Panels

Fiber Cement panels consist of cement, sand, or cellulose fiber composites. This makes these panels non-combustible and a great option for applications with strict fire codes. They also have high moisture resistance and low maintenance requirements. Their composition, though durable, does make them more brittle than other materials, and can be prone to chipping, cracking, or breakage during handling or installation. Their material also makes them heavier than other panels. These panels are a good option for any commercial, institutional, or multi-family facades.

Pros: fire-resistant; moisture-resistant; long service life.

Cons: material type impacts heaviness; limited flexibility; high-risk of breakage.

Metal Panels

Unlike MCM panels, which are 2 metal skins bonded to a non-metallic core, metal panels are single skin panels with a solid thickness and no composite core. This gives these panels high durability, impact resistance, and fire-resistance. It also makes them more rigid and difficult to fabricate, as well as generally heavier than MCM panels. Metal panels are also prone to “oil canning,” which occurs when metal expands and contracts due to temperature changes, causing the panel to develop a wavy distortion or wrinkling. These panels are solid options for healthcare or industrial facilities, and particularly ideal for applications with strict fire requirements. These panels also come with a variety of profile options, which can directly affect water management, structural performance, and visual appearance. Here are some metal panel profile options:

• Flat-locked: small panels mechanically folded and interlocked for a scaled, textured appearance and have good adaptability for curves or transitions.
• Standing seam: vertical panels with raised interlocking seams common in wall and roof applications. This profile has high resistance to wind-driven rain.
• Corrugated: repeated wave or rib patterns gives a utilitarian, industrial appearance. It has high impact resistance and effective water shedding when properly sloped and overlapped.
• Perforated panels: hole-punched pattern that is ideal as a secondary skin or screen. Allows for airflow and light transmission but should not be a primary weather barrier.

Pros: durable; high-impact resistance; non-combustible.

Cons: heavier than MCM panels; difficult fabrication; can experience oil canning.

Wood Panels

Wood panels are made of either natural wood, thermally modified wood, or engineered wood composites. These panels give a warm and natural appearance to a building’s façade and are therefore ideal for occupant-centered designs or as accent cladding. Wood panels are great at regulating internal temperatures, absorbing sound, and reducing noise pollution. They’re also good for environmental sustainability as they’re made of renewable material. These panels do require precise moisture detailing and fire treatment, and maintenance is essential to upkeep treatments to prevent graying, rotting, or insect damage. Wood panels are not a good fit in humid or coastal environments (exception: see “rainscreens” below) or in buildings with strict fire code requirements.

Pros: Warm aesthetics; sound absorption; sustainability.

Cons: Higher maintenance requirements; fire and moisture concerns.

Additional Consideration: Rainscreens

Rainscreens are a type of wall cladding but have an important distinction to be aware of. Rainscreens are more about how the cladding manages water rather than what is on the wall. Rainscreens can be made up of any panel type or material listed above. The key is in the ventilated air cavity; if cladding doesn’t have a ventilated air cavity for moisture drainage and evaporation, it isn’t a rainscreen. Understanding exactly what a rainscreen is and how it differs from standard wall assemblies is crucial to ensuring you’ve chosen the right cladding for your needs. For example, having a proper rainscreen assembly with wood panel cladding is a smart choice, as it will help prevent moisture accumulation that leads to premature panel failure.

Whether you’re looking to match specific aesthetic elements of a building or looking for a reliable, long-lasting panel, cladding type matters. Understanding the composition and pros and cons of each panel type is an essential first step to choosing the right wall cladding for your commercial building. For help on choosing the right cladding type or to explore products, submit the form below to contact our Architectural Solutions team.