We have all seen what can happen if non-combustible cladding is NOT used on the exterior of a building…
Fire.
And fire is perhaps the most frightening of things in a building. If the cladding, a façade, or ceiling is non-combustible, the fire finds it difficult to spread. But if the wrong cladding is used, a fire will spread quickly and easily. And that is something that nobody wants to contemplate in any way. When a building is designed (and no building can be put up today, legally, with the wrong cladding), it must include non-combustible cladding. And this cladding can look great.
Check your cladding
Firstly, check your cladding now. Is it non-combustible exterior cladding?Your building may have been erected when the building laws were different. Or perhaps your building team skipped the important non-combustible cladding bit in error. It is never too late to change things, so check out your building right now, and ensure that it follows all safety regulations, including the materials that have been used. Then, if you are in the process of erecting a building, go through the designs. Look at the facades and the ceilings. Look at the cladding. Is it non-combustible? It should be, but if it isn’t, quickly get hold of the right team of non-combustible cladding experts. And if your design is still on the drawing board, chat with the experts in cladding, ceilings and facades, ensuring you have the perfect design and safe building materials.
Facades, ceilings and exteriors.
When someone drives or walks past a building they might think, ‘great architecture’, without giving thought to who designed the exterior, who designed that amazing ceiling, and who put up the facades. They might not give any thought to how safe the building is, or what it took to design and build it. They notice the magnificence or the style or the beauty. But great thought has gone into those facades, ceilings and exteriors, and every corner of every building is thought through very carefully. And with each tiny detail comes safety. Safety is always at the forefront of any building design. A facade and a ceiling and an exterior can look absolutely incredible, while being non-combustible. And this ultimately is what everyone wants.
How to get that incredible facade
A building is made up of many different components and different people work on all the components. For the facade and the ceilings, and the cladding, you would work with an architectural cladding expert. They would give you ideas and quotes, and would sit with you and brainstorm the right cladding for the right design. It’s a beautiful process when you see what is available, and how creative, bold and stylish you can go. Chat to the specialists, look through the galleries, collaborate with your designer, and ensure that your non-combustible cladding is safe, stylish and beautiful too.
Written by WHIA Staff Writer Luke Bonaventura
