Metal Cladding: A Durable and Sustainable Exterior Solution for Canberra Buildings

As a building material, metal cladding offers unparalleled strength, aesthetics, and sustainability for new construction and renovations across Canberra. Compared to other exterior options, metal stands up exceptionally well to our region’s climate while allowing creative expression through various textures and finishes. This guide will explore everything you need about metal cladding for residential or commercial projects in Canberra.

Metal cladding refers to exterior wall and roof systems made from sheet metal rather than masonry, wood, vinyl, or other materials. Metal cladding is praised for its extreme durability, fire and pest resistance, thermal performance, and customisable visual appeal. It also pairs well with sustainable architecture practices.

In our climate, metal cladding resists damage from hail storms, standing up to severe weather events better than most alternatives. Properly installed metal cladding prevents leaks over decades of exposure to rain, wind, and other elements. Thermal movement is accounted for in well-designed systems to prevent noise or deterioration.

About sustainability and green building codes, metal cladding offers recyclability, low maintenance needs, and long service life, reducing demands for replacement materials over time. We’ll explore sustainable metal cladding options later in this guide.

Common Metal Cladding Types Used in Canberra

The most popular metals used for building exteriors in Canberra are aluminium, galvanized steel, zinc, copper, and composite aluminium. Let’s look at the defining features of each:

Aluminum Cladding Aluminum is ultra-lightweight yet durable, corrosion-resistant, and easy to maintain. It can be painted or powder coated for colours that won’t fade over decades outside. Aluminium cladding handles our climate well and is the most affordable architectural metal.

Steel Cladding Steel cladding offers supreme strength and ruggedness. Special coatings make steel highly scratch, fire, and pest-resistant. Steel stands up to weather exposure with galvanisation for a lifetime or more. Although durable, steel cladding is still relatively affordable.

Zinc Cladding Zinc develops a distinct dark grey patina over time due to oxidising when exposed to air and water. This protective layer makes zinc cladding deficient maintenance while giving buildings a unique, lived-in look. Zinc offers self-healing properties should minor scratches occur.

Copper Cladding Copper is eye-catching in its unmistakable reddish-orange tone. Left unsealed, copper will patina to a stately green over many years outside. Naturally, corrosion and fire-resistant copper cladding can endure a century or longer with little upkeep. It adds vintage character to new and old buildings alike.

Critical Considerations for Metal Cladding Performance

We touched on some inherent benefits above, but let’s look closer at what makes metal cladding well-suited for Canberra’s climate and building needs:

Thermal Insulation With insulated cores or backings, metal cladding systems resist heat flow, keeping interiors comfortable year-round. This saves substantially on HVAC costs compared to less efficient building envelopes.

Acoustic Insulation Noise control is another advantage of insulated metal cladding. Sound dampening makes metal roof and wall systems ideal for urban sites, entertainment venues, multi-resident housing, and other noise-sensitive buildings.

Weatherproofing Metal cladding repels liquid water while allowing water vapour diffusion. This breathability prevents moisture buildup within wall assemblies. Proper detailing and installation are vital to realise weather-tightness.

Fire Safety Non-combustible metal cladding meets the highest standards for fire resistance, an essential factor for specific building types in Canberra. Aluminium and zinc, in particular, hold elite fire safety certifications.

Sustainability Beyond durability, metals like zinc, copper, and aluminium feature high recycled content. They’re also fully recyclable at the end of service life. Permeable metal facades even allow plants to grow up the sides of buildings.

Applications for Metal Cladding

Metal cladding allows for beautiful, high-performing building exteriors across all sectors:

Residential Homes For new homes, extensions, or renovations, metal roofing and siding offer curb appeal and reliability. Complex roof geometries are simple with metal’s flexibility. Popular finishes include Colorbond steel and powder-coated aluminum.

Multi-Family Housing Metal lends well to balconies, sun shades, accents, and entire facades on condos, apartments, and care facilities. Interesting textures like perforated screens provide solar control while allowing views and airflow.

Commercial Buildings Metal roofing and walls suit all types of commercial construction but stand out in daring modern architecture. Shopping centres, offices, hospitality, and transport hubs all use metal to striking effect.

Healthcare Facilities Infection control and cleanability make metal ideal for hospitals, labs, clinics, and aged care homes. Acoustic isolation is also beneficial in these settings. Metal holds up beautifully even with heavy public use.

Educational Institutions For schools, childcare, universities, and community centres, metal cladding, hits all the right notes for safety, sustainability, noise control, and low maintenance. It also sends a message of innovation and future-focused education.

Heritage Restorations Metal restores historic charm to traditional stone and brick buildings, particularly to canopies, spires, and decorative elements. Copper and zinc patina naturally blend with existing materials over time, as seen on many iconic Canberra landmarks.

Best Practices for Metal Cladding Installation

Thorough planning and proper installation practices are vital to realising the potential benefits of metal cladding:

Substructure: Suitable framing and substrates provide strong support and allow thermal movement. Steel, timber, aluminium, or GFRG backing panels are standard solutions.

Attachment Methods

• Self-tapping screws, concealed clips, or structural adhesives all have their place depending on metal and substrate types. Joints allow for expansion and contraction between panels.
• Weather seal gaskets, joinery techniques, and perimeter flashings keep moisture intrusion at bay. Weeps and vents promote airflow and drainage internally.
• Safety-trained metalworkers observe precautions for fall protection, sharp edges, and handling large panels overhead. Rigging equipment safely lifts cladding materials to work areas.
• Inspection Points Cladding installers conduct frequent quality inspections per manufacturer and building code requirements before enclosing key junctions.

Ongoing Care for Metal Building Exteriors

Metal cladding delivers lasting beauty and performance in Canberra’s conditions with just minor upkeep:

Cleaning

An occasional gentle wash with low-pressure water removes airborne dust and dirt buildup from the metal cladding. More frequent cleaning maintains the appearance of showcase buildings.

Inspections

Annual walk-around assessments identify potential issues early before they require more extensive repairs. Inspect seals, flashings, penetrations, and joins.

Touch-up Painting

Minor scratches or natural weathering of paint coatings can be addressed with matching touch-up paint to protect underlying metals against corrosion.

Recoating

Restoring faded paint films after 10-20 years for some metals like steel maintains appearances. Thanks to their patinas, zinc or copper may never need recoating.

Cost Factors for Metal Cladding Projects

Installed costs ultimately come down to these key considerations:

Metal Selection

Copper and zinc cost more than aluminium and steel but offer exceptional lifespans to offset upfront pricing. Composite aluminium panels bridge the gap affordably.

Design Complexity

Primary rectangular forms prove more economical than curved shapes or intricate facades. That said, metal allows for nearly any building geometry desired.

Cladding Extent

Full-building envelopes require more excellent material and labour than accent walls or decorative features alone.

Accessibility

Multistory buildings drive costs up with additional safety and equipment requirements. Challenging install sites also add time and difficulty.

Sustainable Building Credits

Eco-conscious project owners can qualify for credits towards sustainability programs like LEED, Green Star, and NABERS with metal cladding:

Recycled Content

Post-consumer recycled aluminium, steel, and zinc qualify for points under green rating tools. Ask manufacturers for recycled metal options.

Reduced Maintenance

Infrequent metal cladding repairs mean less raw materials consumption over decades of use - a boon for sustainability benchmarks.

Responsible Materials

Cladding produced near Canberra lowers transport impacts and supports local economies - another plus for sustainability programs.

Thermal Performance

High R-values for insulated metal panels assist in optimising energy efficiency ratings. This saves operational costs and emissions for decades to come.

Local Canberra Metal Cladding Experts

Connect with reputable local suppliers and contractors for your next metal exterior project:

We source metal cladding from regional manufacturers. These outfits offer extensive colour, texture, and dimensional choices.

Architects: Work with building designers who are well-versed in specifying durable, creative metal envelope solutions matching your visual tastes and performance requirements.

Roofing Contractors: Our skilled local crews handle full-scope metal re-roofing and new roof builds.

Cladding Specialists: We install metal wall panels, rain screens, sun shades, and architectural features.

Going with Metal Cladding for Your Next Project

This overview presents solid arguments for metal as a resilient, sustainable cladding option. With proper planning and installation, metal delivers attractive, ultra-low-maintenance building exteriors that stand the test of time. Canberra Metal Roofers would be pleased to let you know which metal solutions suit your new construction or renovation plans. Please contact us today for a complimentary quote or design consultation.