Corrugated cladding is a metal exterior wall covering used for durability, cost, and aesthetics. Steel, aluminum, and copper are commonly used metals. Corrugated iron has greater structural strength and flexibility. Steel is cheap but corrodes easily, aluminum is weatherproof but dents easily, and copper oxidizes but looks amazing.
Corrugated cladding is a type of metal exterior wall cladding. Several types of metal are used in cladding, but steel, aluminum and copper make up the majority of them. This type of wallcovering is used for a variety of reasons, but primarily because of its durability, cost, and aesthetics. The most basic style of corrugation is a wave pattern, similar to the one found inside a cardboard box. Other forms of corrugated cladding have other folding patterns, but the patterns are always symmetrical.
Wall cladding is made from corrugated iron rather than sheet metal for a variety of reasons. Corrugated metal has greater structural strength perpendicular to the corrugation. Also, the material has greater deflection parallel to the corrugation. This will give the building greater structural stability when pressed from one direction and further flexibility from the other, which can protect a building from certain environmental threats. Additionally, corrugated sheets stack better and are easier to transport and use than flat sheets.
There are a huge number of different types of corrugation, but they all have one thing in common. Wavy trim is always a repeating pattern. Metal can have a non-standard design, but the format will always repeat in the end. This allows the sheets to stack more easily and reduces their cost, but also allows the sheets to have a specific structural and flex rating.
While a number of different metals can be used for corrugated cladding, most often these are steel, aluminum, or copper. Steel cladding is cheap and easy to use. Most of the time it is galvanized steel which means it is specially machined to resist corrosion which is covered with zinc. The zinc layer protects the steel from water and prevents it from rusting.
The biggest disadvantage of steel siding is its tendency to corrode. As time and the elements wear on sheet metal, the base metal is slowly exposed. Once steel is exposed to the elements, it will quickly rust and fall apart.
Corrugated aluminum siding looks and costs very similar to steel and is nearly weatherproof. The downside is that aluminum is very soft in comparison and dings easily. This material cannot be used in any place where the building may be impacted, such as a cargo area or a place with frequent hailstorms.
The last common metal is copper. It sits between steel and aluminum in terms of strength, but has a very unique set of features. When exposed to the elements, copper oxidizes but does not flake. Also, copper looks amazing both when oxidized and when protected. As a result, copper is as often used as a decoration as it is used as an actual wall covering.
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