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A long-time favourite and used for centuries, terracotta is recognised for its rustic and enduring appeal. This timeless beauty is now re-emerging as a trend in the design construction industry. Its earthy textures and warm tone have been reappearing in various structures and spaces over the past few years, and we love it!
Fairview's own terracotta façade system, Clayton is fully engineered and tested to meet the building specifications for new construction and rectification projects, both in Australia and globally.
Multifarious Design Elements of Terracotta Cladding
Colours
- Rich, warm, and earth tone colours can be produced by extreme heat in the kilns with no effect of the sun. By blending different types of clay materials and precisely controlling the firing temperature in the kiln, it is possible to produce terracotta cladding with a rich variety of colours. A unique feature of Terracotta is the result of the firing process during manufacturing which essentially locks the colour of the panel into the terracotta for the life of the product.
Textures and Finishes
- Available in different textures, this allows designers to play and experiment with the shadow effects on the structure.
- Terracotta cladding can be processed with a wide variety of surface texture treatments – including natural surface, sandblasted surface, wire struck surface, corrugated surface, grooved surface, linear surface, wood grain surface
Shapes and Profiles
- Terracotta cladding is no longer confined to a flat shape.
- Cladding can be installed both horizontally or vertically.
- Available in different profiles and cross-sections
Durable and Long-lasting
- The firing of Terracotta during the manufacturing process vitrifies the colour into the surface of the panel. This process results in Terracotta being resistant to ultraviolet radiation and corrosion – it does not fade in sunlight or from years of acidic rain.
- Weather-resistant and low absorption properties.
Energy Savings and Thermal Benefits
- Reduces the level of sound absorption.
- Outstanding thermal installation which helps to mitigate the heat-island upshot of larger buildings, and lower overall energy consumption.
- Terracotta is best at storing heat energy during the day and releasing it gradually at night.
Low Maintenance Cost
- Lower installation costs – fast and easy to install.
- The terracotta rainscreen cladding system does not use grout or sealants, therefore, reducing the need to maintain the joints.
- Life expectancy far exceeds that of other cladding materials.
- The surface of terracotta cladding is not likely to be dusty. It can be easily power washed every 2-3 years (or over even a longer period) and afterwards, it looks as if it were the original.
- Damaged tiles can be replaced individually without having to disturb adjacent tiles.
Safe, Eco-friendly and Sustainable
- Rated Class A Fireproof – During the manufacturing process, Terracotta panels are fired at over 1000°C for days on end. This seals the Terracotta and makes it almost fireproof. For this reason, the terracotta construction materials can withstand large, intense fires for longer than almost any other building material.
- Environmentally friendly building material which can be easily recycled, repurposed, or reduced to debris.
- Old Terracotta tiles can be smashed and put back into the ground or reused to make new Terracotta panels.
- Terracotta cladding is made 100% of clay, which is environmentally friendly and harmless to humans and the environment.
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