When it comes to selecting the right aluminium batten or cladding for your project, there are often many things to consider. Profile size and colour are an obvious one, price range is usually up there too… but what are the other things you should be looking at when trying to select the best option to suit your project requirements?

We have created a quick list of things to consider so that you can be sure you are selecting the best option to meet your needs.

1. One-piece Vs two-piece aluminium batten

It may not seem like much of a difference, but this decision will make quite a difference to your installer and also how sleek and seamless the final finish will be. A one-piece aluminium batten is usually referred to as a rectangle hollow section or square hollow section – it is a rectangular or square aluminium batten that needs to be rear fixed to a rail or channel behind the batten so that it is secured. It is mostly suited to fencing or screens, as the final finish will result in a visible channel behind the batten.

A two-piece aluminium batten, like Alteria’s 30mm and 50mm range, comprises of a female profile batten and a male base batten that easily click together, and is suited for walls, ceilings, fences, screens and garage doors. This type of batten makes it much easier to install as the male base bracket can be installed directly to the wall or ceiling, and then the female profile is clicked over the top – the result is a seamless finish with no visible support brackets.

A two-piece aluminium batten can also be used for floor to ceiling applications, without the need for a base bracket. Mounting clips are secured to the female profile and then the male profile is clicked into place creating a stunning seamless floor to ceiling finish.

Make sure your aluminium batten also has colour matched end caps to create the final seamless finish for your project. Alteria offers screw-fit end caps (with colour matched screws) as well as a friction fit end cap that has no visible screw for a sleek finish.

2. Warranty requirements

Although a premium powdercoat finish is a durable and popular choice for aluminium battens and aluminium claddings, just like any external paint applications, it is still necessary to understand the cleaning requirements to make sure the colour can be kept at its optimum. It is also essential to consider the location of your project to ensure that the best finish, with the most suitable warranty, is selected.

For example, our Essentials 25 range and our Essentials 10 range include the same popular Colorbond colour options; however, the warranty periods and suited applications for the two ranges are different. Our Essentials 10 range offers a 10-year warranty and is only suited to residential class 1 – 10 buildings under 3 storeys. If your project is in a different class, or over 3 storeys, then you will need to select our Essentials 25 range – the warranty period for this finish range is 25 years and covers all commercial projects and classes.

It is also important to consider your proximity to coastal areas and other high corrosivity areas. These areas will almost certainly benefit from choosing an option from within Alteria’s Signature 15 or Signature 25 range.

3. Cladding locking clips – are they really needed?

When Alteria was designing our aluminium cladding range, our priority was to ensure the system was easy to install, without the need for unnecessary clips or components. Our system has been designed to have the perfect amount of flex within the two interlocking boards, to ensure the system is not only waterproof but also does not require locking clips.

The result means less aluminium is required for your project plus it is much faster and easier to install. It also means from a design perspective that the shadow line between the two interlocking boards can be moved to the desired width (up to 8mm).

4. Sustainability focus

As the world works towards net zero emission by 2050, we all need to start thinking about what part we can play in this task, and ensuring that the suppliers you use for your projects are also committed to offering sustainable products.

As part of Alteria’s commitment to providing a sustainable batten and cladding solution, we have affiliated with Capral Aluminium and only offer their LocAl Green lower carbon aluminium for all our extruded products. Capral’s LocAl Green aluminium means it only produces eight kilograms of carbon emissions per kilogram of aluminium, ensuring a 50% reduction in carbon emissions than the current global average for primary aluminium.

Alteria also has an aluminium recycling plan in place along with a combined effort to reduce our environmental impact in our daily operations.

If you want to make a Signature Statement with Alteria for your next project, please get in touch with us.

Architecture & Design Team

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Alteria Aluminium Systems

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