Wall claddings come in different styles and vary in terms of composition, texture, and size. This article discusses some significant types of wall cladding materials that are popular in the Malaysian market.
Cladding your walls effectively provides your building with much-needed protection from external elements that can negatively affect the building facade. Not to forget, Malaysia is susceptible to natural hazards, such as flooding and drought, making wall claddings all the more important.
What Is Wall Cladding?
Essentially, wall cladding is the practice of laying one material on top of another to provide an attractive and protective layer or skin over the walls. The types of wall cladding materials range from wood, stone, vinyl, metal and more.
Cladding is typically utilised as a control feature, offering a degree of weather resistance, thermal insulation, and acoustic treatment while also enhancing the building’s aesthetic quality.
Why Should I Choose Wall Cladding?
Undoubtedly, there is a myriad of reasons why you should opt for wall cladding. Listed below are some of the important benefits of wall cladding you should know:
- Delivers aesthetic value while safeguarding the underlying structure.
- Enhances the structure’s mechanical strength and improves its resistance to extreme weather conditions, temperatures, sunlight, cracks, chemicals, and more.
- Improves thermal insulation to increase thermal efficiency.
- Ensures adequate acoustics for sound absorption or insulation.
Read More: Roof Insulation Malaysia: 5 Important Benefits To Know
Types of Wall Cladding Materials Available
1. Coated Steel
Used across commercial, industrial, and even residential sectors, coated steel is a very flexible material that requires little maintenance. The material boasts a high resistance to weather damage and extreme corrosion protection.
At Swissma, we partnered with BlueScope to provide the premium COLORBOND® steel coated with Zincalume®, an aluminium and zinc alloy coated steel substrate. COLORBOND® steel is a timeless product that delivers iconic building facades.
2. Aluminium
Aluminium offers great resilience, which results in lesser maintenance or replacement, as well as long service life. The best thing about aluminium is that it can be applied to almost all architectural projects, no matter the scale.
Additionally, aluminium panels are easy to shape and better at accommodating complex designs than other types of wall cladding materials. This versatile material can be manipulated safely without losing its structural integrity.
3. Stainless Steel
Stainless steel cladding has excellent corrosion-resistant properties and is able to withstand aggressive chemicals and acids. Together with its high tensile strength, this sustainable material is guaranteed to maintain your building facade for years.
Stainless steel can be purveyed in different shapes and forms. Moreover, its glossiness provides an aesthetically beneficial quality, resulting in a more refined, contemporary, and polished finish.
Read More: A Quick Guide to Industrial Roofing and Cladding for Factories Malaysia
4. Titanium Zinc
Another popular cladding material in the industry is titanium zinc, which has been used in all kinds of construction projects for more than 200 years. As a lightweight cladding, it helps to significantly reduce production and installation costs.
Also, titanium zinc cladding does not rust (non-ferrous) with age and creates a barrier to extreme weather conditions, which makes it suitable even for seaside resorts. Furthermore, its surface depth assures a long lifespan, enabling peace of mind for owners.
5. Copper
Lastly, copper remains a favourite among architects and building designers due to its versatility. Copper looks aesthetically pleasing in both historical and contemporary designs, allowing the material to stand out among the rest.
Suitable for all shapes and designs, copper is a very malleable and durable material, which simplifies the installation process for larger buildings. Additionally, copper has high corrosion resistance and naturally develops a protective patina to maintain its good condition.
Malaysia’s Reliable Wall Cladding Systems Provider
Swissma offers a variety of metal wall cladding systems designed to meet your building requirements. Explore our website to learn more about our services and products.
