Installing exterior cladding on any commercial building requires skill and experience. While the options for cladding materials are endless, when compared to residential installations, there are several mistakes and pitfalls to avoid to make sure your cladding lasts for decades to come.

Avoiding costly mistakes, such as substandard installation or even the wrong material, is vital not only to the overall look of your building, but to its structure and energy efficiency. A good cladding contractor, like Oak Brothers Inc., will guide you through the process from cladding selection to the best installation.

What Is Commercial Cladding and What Is It Used For? 

Commercial cladding, often referred to as the exterior skin of a building, is the final outside layer that completes the structure, giving a building architectural presence, texture, and style while protecting it against the elements. 

Exterior cladding provides a barrier against rain, water, wind, and snow to make your building more energy efficient and protects the inside structure against rust or rot. Depending on the material used, cladding can also insulate interior spaces from noise or even the risk of fire. 

The material chosen for commercial cladding will determine how your building looks, whether it’s clad in metal, wood, stone, or brick.

What Material Options Are Available? 

There are several materials that can be used for commercial cladding applications, including metal, wood, brick, glass, EIFS, natural stone, manufactured stone veneer, and fiber cement or stucco.

Metal

Metal wall panels or cladding systems provide a more modern design and are customizable in terms of styles, sizes, and colors. Metal, which can be shaped into corrugated ridges or installed with a smooth or even wood-like finish, is an extremely durable facade for exterior walls.

Wood

Architectural wood cladding, which requires more maintenance, can be installed in strips with a variety of stains or finishes to include charred shou sugi ban, textured or brushed, opaque, translucent, or even uncoated to allow the grain to show through.

Brick

Brick has been installed on commercial buildings for hundreds of years, and while giving any building a more traditional look, it will also provide superior insulation and fire protection. As brick provides a classic exterior skin to any building, it does cost more to install.

Glass

Glass exterior cladding will give any building a sleeker and more modern look with the appearance of floor-to-ceiling windows. When glass is used to clad a building, it is engineered to stand up to UV radiation, wind, rain, and snow.

EIFS

Exterior Insulation and Finishing System, or EIFS, is a multi-layered panels that, when used to clad a building, protect it from temperature fluctuations as well as moisture. The layers are made up of an insulation board, a water-resistant barrier, followed by a base coat and a top coat, which is the decorative or textured portion of the panel that makes up the building’s design. A common mistake when installing EIFS is improper preparation and sealing, which can trap moisture underneath the water-resistant barrier. Trust a professional to install this and avoid potential mistakes!

Natural Stone

Quarried marble, granite, and limestone are among the numerous natural stones that have been gracing the exterior of historical buildings for centuries. Before manufactured products were available, these stones provided durability and protection from the elements. While more expensive than other applications, natural stone is often cut into thin, lightweight panels for easier installation.

Manufactured Stone Veneer

Manufactured stone veneer replicates the look of natural stone or thin brick without the weight or higher cost. Thinner stone veneers allow for installation without additional reinforcement and often come in a wider variety of styles, textures, and colors. Maintenance on manufactured stone veneers is minimal and the product is extremely durable.

Fiber Cement

Fiber cement panels have gained popularity in recent years due to their ability to give a building a more modern look, while also cutting down on installation costs. The large panels can be installed quickly using clips, while protecting buildings from moisture or even fire. The large panels are low maintenance and can be designed in a variety of ways, with the option of hanging them horizontally or vertically.

Stucco

Traditional stucco is a cost-effective and popular choice to clad commercial buildings. The cement-based plaster is easy to work with and provides design flexibility in terms of texture and color, while also offering protection against fire, rot, and pests.

Porcelain

Porcelain is available in a wide variety of colors and offers a durable, water-resistant, and fire-resistant finish for the outside of a building. Installation is trickier since porcelain is a heavier material.

Avoid Choosing the Wrong Exterior Cladding

While the options are endless when it comes to commercial exterior cladding, the choice you make is important, not only to how your building will look but also in how long the material will last in any given climate.

Choosing the wrong exterior skin for humid climates can lead to product failure or fading. Untreated wood in a cold, wet climate will break down more quickly than fiber cement or brick. Wood stands up better in drier climates, when maintained, while a rust-resistant metal is a good choice for humid or coastal areas.

The structure of your commercial building should also be considered when choosing exterior cladding materials, which vary in weight, size, and durability.

Finally, check cladding for the proper certifications to ensure the material you use is nontoxic and meets fire safety standards. Certain types of aluminum composite panels (ACM) and PVC can melt and spread fire and toxic smoke, while some panels with cores of polystyrene (EPS) or polyurethane (PUR) are also considered a fire risk.

Common Mistakes When Installing Commercial Cladding 

Given the endless options for cladding the exterior of a commercial building, there are just as many installation processes to get the job done right. 

The potential for installation errors or skipped steps can ruin a high-quality product. In addition to choosing the wrong cladding material for the building or climate, using the wrong fasteners or failing to waterproof surfaces and gaps can lead to moisture infiltration or weaken structural integrity.

While your contractor should be educated on the proper cladding materials to ensure energy efficiency, they should also ensure that all panels or stone pieces are clean and dry before installation. And, they should know how to properly cut and fasten every kind of cladding panel, stone, wood, or metal with consideration to expansion, ventilation, and water seepage.

When cladding is installed correctly, it will prevent water intrusion and mold growth and ultimately lead to lower maintenance costs for your building.

Choosing a reputable contractor with decades of exterior cladding experience over a smaller, general contractor or doing it yourself will protect your building from the elements while giving it the architectural presence it deserves.

Failure to Maintain Exterior Cladding

Another costly mistake is failing to inspect and maintain a building’s exterior cladding once it’s installed. Whether your building is clad in stone, wood, or metal, surfaces should be cleaned and treated on a regular basis to prevent staining, and joints should be inspected and filled to make sure moisture intrusion does not become a problem.

Maintenance processes and schedules will depend on the cladding. For metal, regular cleaning and inspections for dents, rust, and peeling paint are recommended annually. For wood, it’s recommended you clean, treat, and inspect for cracks or mold. Stucco or stone requires regular cleaning to prevent mold, as well as inspections for cracks that may need sealing. 

Regular cleaning and inspections of your exterior cladding will catch any issues early and ultimately prevent costlier repairs in the future.

Why Working with a Professional Helps You Achieve the Best Results 

Working with a reputable commercial cladding contractor, who knows every cladding product and all of the various installation procedures associated with each, is vital to ensure decades of life, energy efficiency, and architectural beauty for your building.

Oaks Brothers Inc. is a highly trained commercial exterior contractor with decades of experience in the Southern and Southeastern United States. They offer a variety of exterior cladding and skins, including stucco, plaster, EIFS, cultured stone, manufactured stone, and thin brick, to match your building’s design and provide superior energy efficiency and protection from the elements. OBI also provides insulation and fireproofing services.

Oak Brothers carries Arcusstone, a crushed limestone, polymer, and cement product that provides a decorative exterior cladding with the look and feel of natural stone. The product, which is often used on many LEED-certified buildings, is extremely lightweight, durable, and resistant to mold. 

Go with the company that has clad some of the most important buildings in the country, including the Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas; the Don W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium at the University of Arkansas; the Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland, Missouri, and the Oklahoma City Convention Center. 

Contact Oaks Brothers today to find out how they can help you insulate, fireproof, protect, and beautify your commercial building to ensure it stands the test of time.