The right materials can be hard to find, and even harder to specify. Why? Generally, there is little correlation between beauty and performance. Attractive materials can be expensive to source and install or are wholly unsustainable from their inception to the end of the product life cycle. Similarly, many metallic surfaces may appear alike but not all metals, nor their coatings, are of equal worth. The key to keeping a specialty surface on your projects is correct specification; the below hopes to aid in properly specifying high performance specialty metals.

1. AAMA 2605 Rating

Exterior finishes are exposed to the elements, but can withstand some of the toughest climates. Look for an AAMA 2605 rating, the highest level certification for exterior finishes against humidity, salt spray, erosion resistance, chalking, fading, and color retention. Pictured: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel, Klai Juba Wold 

2. Single Skin Aluminum

Single skin metals are highly sustainable because they do not have a plastic core like other cladding materials, and are 100% recyclable.  Many are also entirely VOC free, making them ideal for interiors, especially food-related areas, with no off-gassing. Pictured: Hensel Phelps, ZGF

3. ASTM E84 Compliant

When you specify single skin metal, it is very unlikely a combustible core will be brought in as a substitute. But the surface material should also be fire rated and ASTM E84 compliant. This measures flame spread and smoke development of the material, ensuring compliance to many state or national building codes. Pictured: Portland Japanese Garden, Kengo Kuma & Associates

At Pure + FreeForm, we aim to make the specification process as easy as possible. All finishes and systems are single-skin aluminum that is AAMA 2605, ASTM E84 rated, and Red List Free, ensuring you can specify quality material for each project. Take a peek at all of our technical documents, now available on our website!