ACM panels are quickly becoming the go to cladding option for designers and builders in the know. Understanding the benefits of this versatile architectural paneling system can be advantageous for anyone looking to spruce up an older building or to create a beautiful finish on new walls. The finest commercial panels Toronto has available are cost effective options that create a modern, sleek, and smooth surface.
What are ACM Panels?
ACM (or aluminum composite material) panels are made from painted coils of aluminum. They’re cut and formed to specific shapes and sizes by an experienced fabricator, and are lightweight, great at deflecting the sun, and when purchased from a reliable company, are one-hundred percent recyclable. ACM panels can be installed both indoors and out and can be a valuable tool in the hands of an experienced designer or builder. Unlike vinyl panels, ACM panels aren’t prone to delamination. Aluminum itself is highly resistant to corrosion and is malleable enough to be easy to work with while being strong enough to create a durable finish. No other commercial panelling system comes close to the convenience and longevity of ACM panels.
Easy Set Up
One of the best parts of aluminum commercial panels is the ease at which they can be installed. Once the aluminum rails and trim around windows, doors, and ventilation are installed, the panels go up very quickly. The first panel is leveled with care at the top of the wall and mounted to the rails. The following panels are mounted to the first panel as well as the rails by way of an elegant tongue and grove set up. When the height of the wall has been covered, the same process begins on the next column.
Find a Great Warranty
Aluminum commercial panels can be a great option for dozens of applications, but choosing the right fabricator is as important as any other decision in the design process. There are quite a few companies out there making aluminum panels, but not all are able to create the award winning products offered by the best in the industry. One thing to look for is a warranty. There’s a lot to be said for a company that stands behind their products with a strong warranty. A company that doesn’t offer a warranty usually knows that their product isn’t worth protecting. The most experienced fabricators offer customers and unheard of industry leading warranty of up to forty years on their products.
Why Cladding is the Best Exterior Solution for Commercial Construction?
Drive by any recently completed commercial project, or renovation and you’re likely to be struck by a vision of slick, streamlined modernity. If you’re wondering how architects and developers achieve this unique look for their properties; and why the effect is so highly coveted, the answer lies in the basis of all great design, form and functionality.
What is a Façade?
The word façade comes from the French word for face, taken in the context of construction a building’s façade generally refers to one or more sides of its exterior walls. Façades are supposed to provide lateral and vertical resistance against the wind, rain and other weather elements, and they can also be used aid in the insulation and fire safety of commercial buildings.
A wide variety of façade systems are currently in use; and the specific material chosen for these systems is largely dependent on the scale, location and planning regulations governing a building project. While traditionally brickwork was often used for commercial façades, modern construction techniques have largely relegated this practice to the wayside.
Nowadays buildings façades are built using a light metal “inner wall” that’s then reinforced by an outer application. These “outer walls” may take the form of boards, panels, tiles and sometimes even perforated sheets. The external application employed must offer:
• Great aesthetics consistent with contemporary design principles
• Efficient thermal insulation
• Good lighting during the daytime
• Some level of interior soundproofing
• Resistance to UV rays and solar heat gain
• Resistance to infiltration by moisture and exterior air
• A link to the general environment.
ACM Panels the Best Choice for the Modern Façade
Cladding usually offers the best compromise between all of these elements. These exterior applications are available in a variety of materials from wood, to vinyl to metal; most of these solutions will offer some degree of added strength to a commercial building structure, and depending on the general design they can also provide vital visual appeal.
However, in recent years one particular solution seems to have been favoured by contractors and architects more often than not, ACM panels.
Some of these insulated metal panels are fire resistance core and provide versatility and lightweight construction to suit the needs of any commercial project. This form of cladding is now the most popular exterior application for building façades making up an impressive 60% of roofs and walls for commercial and industrial buildings.
Modern designing flows from function, and ACM panels are hard to beat in this regard. They provide best-in-class reliability and longevity; requiring little to no maintenance or upkeep. That represents real world savings for any commercial developer. In addition, they can easily be factory engineered with insulating elements that help prevent heat and sound transfer; that translates to awesome energy efficiency.
ACM panels are often the first choice when it comes to building upgrades or renovations due to their flexibility and ease of application. These cladding solutions can be easily integrated into pre-existing timber, stone or cement structures. Add to that, the fact that ACM panels are available in an enviable range of colours and styles, and you can understand why you find these materials on the façades of most new commercial projects today.