Types of coating
Marble
The marble slabs most used in ventilated facade cladding have a thickness ranging from 2cm to 3cm: slabs with a thickness of less than one centimeter would be excessively fragile, poorly resistant to bending and shear stresses. Since it is a porous material, it tends to absorb oily substances, which is why it is sometimes subjected to specific protective treatments. The cost of a slab varies depending on the quality of the marble, its origin and the type of processing adopted, as well as, obviously, the geometric dimensions. The marble slabs can have the surface worked according to various techniques such as smoothing, bush-hammering, flaming, sandblasting and brushing.
Porcelain stoneware
Porcelain stoneware tiles are obtained through the sintering process of ceramic clays, feldspars, kaolins and sand, raw materials which are first ground, then finely atomised until a powder with a homogeneous grain size suitable for pressing is obtained. During cooking, however, various deformations occur on the previously pressed material. Post-firing dimensional shrinkage is around 7%, so larger products (60x60cm, 120x120cm) are usually rectified using wet grinders after firing.
Laminate
The use of high pressure laminate (HPL) panels for ventilated facades is quite recent, as the latter is a new material for the construction field. The production technology of high pressure laminate panels uses sheets of cellulose fibers impregnated with thermosetting resins for the internal layer while for the external layer it uses sheets of cellulose fibers impregnated with aminoplastic resins. As regards the variety of aesthetic effects that can be obtained, the laminate can be produced in a wide range of colors and with various surface finishes: smooth, embossed and even silk-screened, allowing various designs to be created on the facade. The formats used are almost unlimited. Finally, other characteristics not to be underestimated are its lightness, its ease of handling and ease of being cut into pieces with common woodworking tools and its ease of transport.
Cotto
Terracotta is a building material of artisanal or industrial production suitable for floor covering, obtained from a particular treatment and firing of clay. Depending on the type of clay used, the color spectrum can vary from yellow ocher to amaranth red. In the past it was used as a poor material in the construction of rural houses; today it has become a valuable material and increasingly requested on the market.
Fibercement
They are cement-based slabs reinforced with organic, natural and synthetic filaments that can reach large sizes with high tensile strength.