Advantages of wood look aluminum

Our wood finish aluminum provides the wood look that architects and designers desire, which is often impossible to achieve.

By utilizing aluminum, a lightweight, non-combustible material, designers can avoid issues such as weight restrictions and fire standards that may force designers to sacrifice overall design intent.

Below we show you the advantages of aluminum as an alternative to wood and the various options we offer for feature walls, ceilings and facades.

Why use wood-look aluminum?
Aluminum offers a wide range of finishes as an interior lining or exterior cladding product, and is often used for the following applications

Exterior walls
Interior walls
Cornices
Ceilings
Interior to exterior transitions
Areas requiring Group 1 rated or non-combustible materials

In addition to powder coating and anodizing options, wood look options are a popular choice, primarily because they offer more benefits than traditional wood batten and cladding - 

Aluminum is considered non-combustible and meets Group 1 criteria.
The primary factor for designers and architects choosing to use wood-look aluminum products is to meet fire protection requirements. Aluminum meets the highest fire protection standards and can be used for almost any application.

Aluminum is Stronger 
Compared to wood, aluminum is stronger and more resistant to movement. This allows lengths of up to 6 meters and more space between fixtures, minimizing visual interference and allowing for faster installation.

Aluminum lined products are lighter in weight and more resistant to movement.
Aluminum compression strips and cladding are typically much lighter than wood alternatives due to the hollow shape of the strips and the reduced thickness of the cladding panels. This means that the entire feature wall or ceiling weighs less and requires less structural support.

Wood products are also susceptible to movement due to factors such as humidity, whereas aluminum is highly resistant and will not warp or cup like wood.

Aluminum requires less maintenance.
When used externally, traditional wood facades typically require maintenance every 6-12 months, which can even include repainting, depending on the desired outcome. This maintenance time can be minimized by using wood-look aluminum, which requires little to no maintenance.

Wood look options
We offer you two wood look options, a wood finish aluminum and a real wood veneer series, allowing us to provide the right solution for your project's needs.

Both series are manufactured in a similar way, by wrapping aluminum slats in a thin layer of coating. This process is carried out in our China factory, using the highest quality materials from around the world. A specially designed wrapping machine glues the coating in place and then uses a series of rollers to ensure a strong joint.

Wood Finish Aluminum
Our line of wood finish aluminum uses a thin vinyl coating that is wrapped around the aluminum slats. A realistic wood look pattern is printed on this coating to provide the aesthetics of the wood. We offer 10 colors based on real wood species, but upon request, we can match existing colors or discuss any special requirements.

Appearance Grades
The great advantage of our wood finish aluminum is its ability to be used both indoors and outdoors. The aluminum, cladding and the glue that holds them in place are extensively tested to ensure long-term performance.

High fade resistance
An important aspect when choosing a wood alternative is the ability of the coating to retain its color. Many designers choose wood-look aluminum to avoid the natural graying process that wood undergoes. Long-term tests conducted under simulated weather conditions have shown that our wood-look aluminum is three times more resistant to fading than other wood-look powder coating competitors.

Real Wood Veneer
As the name implies, our Real Wood Veneer uses actual wood instead of vinyl cladding or woodgrain powder coating, so it is only suitable for interior applications. This veneer is cut from timber less than 0.5mm thick and delivered in rolls.

This veneer is then applied to our aluminum panels, blades or cladding using our Australian factory's cladding machine. Because of the additional processing required to use real wood, real wood veneer is available in a smaller range of 4 colors. Some of the advantages of this wood look option are

Natural variations
Recreating the natural color variations offered by wood can be a challenge for any wood alternative. The natural features that give wood its character, such as knots and gum patterns, are difficult to replicate to scale in a repeating pattern. Real wood veneer can provide this level of variation by using real wood as its coating, often making it indistinguishable from a traditional wood feature wall or ceiling.

Authentic Materials
Many designers try to avoid using materials in their projects that might be considered inauthentic. Often, issues such as fire standards conflict with this approach, as materials like wood do not meet the fire requirements of a particular region. Our real wood veneers offer the best of both worlds by utilizing real wood as a coating while maintaining fire protection standards.

Choice of sustainable sources

Where sustainability certification is required, our real wood laminates can be sourced while maintaining chain-of-custody requirements, allowing designers to find a balance between the unique needs of their projects