Sandwich panels
Choosing the colour and profile of sandwich panels from façade samples
At a glance
Two metal colours can look close on a small swatch yet differ visibly across a long façade viewed from the entrance. Gloss, profiling, panel orientation and light all affect the appearance. Before ordering, request samples of the actual skins, place them in their intended orientation and view them alongside the door and trims. Here is how to record your choice and specify it in the order. This is particularly useful for phased work, when adjacent elevations may be supplied at different times.
Request the right sample
Record supplier, coating, shade and profile on the back of the sample so it can be identified after several weeks of discussions.
Check that the sample represents the external face. If the supplier has provided only a flat piece of coated steel, ask to see a section with the proposed profiling too.
Orient the sample as it will be installed
Stand the sample upright at the proposed wall and align the ribs as shown on the drawing. Light catches a horizontal profile differently from the same skin turned through a quarter turn.
Mark the top on the reverse of the agreed sample. If several colours are involved, prepare a labelled board assigning each sample to particular walls, corners or the band around the door.
Check the close-up and the approach view
View the alternatives from the distance at which people will usually see the building. From the driveway, fine profiling can merge into an even surface while a flashing line remains distinct.
Repeat the comparison in shade and in daylight falling on that wall. A phone photograph records the sample arrangement well. Keep the physical sample for colour decisions because display settings and camera processing affect the image.
View adjoining materials together
Hold a piece of flashing against the panel at roughly the actual corner angle. Surfaces specified in the same colour may reflect light in different directions. Check the junction with the door frame or track as well.
Confirm that the coating suits the service environment. A loading area and a sheltered office wall can look similar while facing different exposure to dirt, cleaning and impact.
Plan batches across building stages
If a long wall will be built in two stages, ask whether panels forming one continuous field can use coated steel from the same batch. Mark the delivery split on the elevation so installers can allocate the packs.
For an extension, compare the new sample with a cleaned area of the existing wall. The original colour reference gives a starting point, while the site comparison shows the effects of exposure and use.
Record the complete selection
Before approving a dark finish, ask the supplier to check the limits for that panel at the proposed length and fixing arrangement. File the response against the relevant elevation reference.
On the order, state colour reference, coating system, profile, orientation and external face. Retain the signed sample for acceptance. Any discrepancy can then be assigned to the precise feature that differs.
7 branches. Materials closer to your project.
- SEROCK — Dzierżenin 34 E
- BŁONIE — ul. Sochaczewska 138A
- RADOM — ul. Grobickiego 8
- ŁÓDŹ — Natolin 8
- OLSZTYN — Barczewo, ul. Prosta 9
- WROCŁAW — ul. Jerzmanowska 10C
- GORZÓW WLKP. — ul. Zielona 33/34
