Terracotta vs Ceramic Cladding Facade Systems
When we talk about cladding systems, terracotta cladding can refer to the material itself or a colour scheme. Ceramic cladding is a versatile, contemporary facade solution that offers outstanding aesthetic and functional characteristics.
Terracotta as a material is less dense compared to ceramic, making it more susceptible to water absorption. When it comes to facades, higher water retention results in a heavier structure, which is not ideal since it will require substantially more strength to carry the facade.
Nevertheless, if you still want the overall finish of a terracotta cladding, KLAY offers a wide range of ceramic facade systems with terracotta tones. We can help you achieve the appearance of a terracotta facade that you like minus the disadvantage of higher water absorption.
KLAY is a proud Australian agent for German manufacturer Agrob Buchtal, including the Agrob Buchtal Ceramic Facade Systems. True to its European heritage, the ceramic facades they produce are of top quality and design, including German terracotta-coloured cladding systems.
Terracotta Wall Cladding System or a Ceramic Facade?
Terracotta wall cladding requires greater structural capacity and more time for installation compared to a ceramic facade system. With ceramic cladding, you get a low maintenance cladding solution that is also fire-proof and impact resistant.
If you want to install a terracotta wall cladding system, you might want to try a ceramic cladding system instead. Ceramic is notably strong, durable and relatively lightweight – which significantly reduces the load to the substructure and exterior of the building as compared to terracotta.
If you are looking for a supplier of terracotta cladding in Melbourne, you might want to consider KLAY’s ceramic solutions. While we don’t carry terracotta wall cladding, we offer ceramic cladding facades in terracotta tones, which is infinitely better as ceramic gives you the finish of terracotta wall cladding without having to deal with some of the disadvantages that come with terracotta cladding.
Terracotta Facade Cladding
Terracotta facade cladding poses some disadvantages that make it less than ideal as a cladding material:
- Terracotta is a spongy material so it needs to be glazed to ensure that it will not absorb water, which can result in a heavier facade.
- If the glazing of a terracotta cladding is not done accurately, it can lead to water leaking and other related problems.
- Terracotta has a high chance of oxidation in the open air, making it vulnerable to colour changes and stain absorption.
If you want a more practical cladding material that is aesthetically pleasing but low maintenance, then ceramic cladding systems will be a prudent choice. Ceramic cladding is colour fast, impact-resistant, UV resistant, and weather-resistant. Ceramic facade systems are also eco-friendly since they’re made from natural raw materials and are recyclable.
Ceramic Facade System with a Terracotta Cladding Texture
The beauty of a ceramic facade system is that you can get all the benefits of wall cladding without experiencing the common problems that come with a terracotta cladding system.
The ceramic products that KLAY carries, which includes the range of Agrob Buchtal Ceramic Facade Systems include the rear ventilated curtain wall ceramic facade systems which offer an unparalleled mechanical fixed solution for building facades and civil infrastructure projects.
The Agrob Buchtal Ceramic Facade System system provides a cost-efficient, non-combustible, highly durable, and maintenance-free cladding, perfect for both new construction projects and renovations. The Agrob Buchtal system is composed of the three main systems – the KeraShape, KeraTwin, and KerAion.
Within the three systems, there are hundreds of colours and finishes available, including ceramic facade systems with a terracotta cladding texture. Our ceramic products are so well made, they’re difficult to tell apart from terracotta products. With the benefits and features that a ceramic facade system offers, it is indeed the perfect material to use for wall cladding.
Terracotta Tile Cladding
Terracotta tile cladding is manufactured from a combination of water and natural clay pressed in a vacuum and fired at a high temperature to achieve a hard and compact finish. But one of the problems with terracotta cladding tiles is that they are not water-resistant. Water absorption can be a huge problem with walls because it tends to be heavier, which requires more space and a heavily built structure.
The solution? The KeraTwin range, manufactured from ceramics, which is predominantly a rectangular panel format that is available in 11 various surface profiles. The KeraTwin ceramic facade system boasts a selection of over 100 different colours and finishes with the panel formats are up to 1800x600mm. Finishes include gloss, matt, stain matt, timber, metallic, stone, and concrete finishes.
The KeraTwin system can be applied in many different ways due to a large range of mechanical finishing options that can accommodate vertical, horizontal, and overhead solutions, including a range of conventional bond patterns.
The surface profiles include the conventional smooth panel and the three-dimensional reliefs with additional ten different profiles, including the “negative” grooved, “positive” grooved, irregular grooved, brushed, stripy, shed, sine wave and new wave profiles and the recently released Canyon and Kaijo profiles.
The KeraTwin range can be used individually as a stand-alone profile to give an impressive memorable facade or can be combined with other profiles to present distinct variations. The surface profiles presented by Agrob Buchtal offer unlimited design options to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences.
Ceramic Facades With a Terracotta Tone – Cladding Australia
With the array of design options and benefits ceramic facade systems offer, it is the best material for building any type of facade. KLAY offers a wide range of ceramic facade systems that suit even those with the most discerning taste.
Our ceramic facades are maintenance-free and carry generous credible warranty periods with 50 years of expected design life.
Equipped with the Hytect coating, which utilises titanium dioxide as the raw ingredient for a photo-catalytic physical reaction, or ceramic facades provide a self-cleaning, anti-graffiti & anti-bacterial surface that ensures a long-lasting finish without the need for expensive and demanding maintenance requirements.
If you’re looking for a supplier of terracotta cladding in Australia, KLAY offers ceramic facades with terracotta tones. You can have the lightweight properties of a ceramic product with the look and feel of terracotta – with the additional benefit of highest versatility. Contact KLAY if you have any questions or wish to know more about our terracotta tone cladding systems as well as the other ceramic facade solutions we offer.
