Choosing The Right Material
I’ve worked with a lot of metals over the years, by far my favourite is Aluminium. Being specialists in fabrication and installation of products for the outdoors it only makes sense that we have a love for this great metal, aluminium. In this post I’m going to talk about some common questions we are faced with and how things are shifting towards a higher use in Aluminium over the years.
TimberAlternative: it’s not uncommon for us to be requested to replicate or redesign existing concepts from timber to aluminium. For example,we had a client approach several months ago who was in the process of building a newhome. This home was a very nice Hampton Style, beach, coastal living with plenty of white freshly painted timber finishes.
We were tasked with replicating the timber designed front fence, pedestrian gate, double sliding gate and entry Arborin Aluminium but upkeep thebright white timber style. The key benefits for switching from timber to Aluminium: Upkeep, or lack of: Timber can be high maintenance and would require repainting over the years.
The environment: timber is much more affected by the elements is terms of longevity than aluminium. Over time the sun, rain, and humid air willnegatively affect the exposed timber to possibly create cracking, bending, or warping. This can seriously reduce the curb appeal of even the nicest house.Footings at ground level must be clear from sitting water to avoid rot. Although timber is great product, in my opinion if you can achieve the same desired look or result using Aluminium for fencing ang gates, it’s a no brainer. We completed this project on time and to budget, we provided Aluminium posts, custom made feature post caps, fencing panels, 3 gates and an entry structure with side screens. All that ticked the design box, suited the house and “white timber” style perfectly. This fence and all products will be bright, straight, and intact for years to come with very little upkeep required at all, the occasional clean to protect the surface. If you want to consider an alternative material here are a few benefits of aluminium, it’s Light weight, 100% Recyclable and Corrosion Resistant. Hence why we love this metal!