What Do Installers Need to Know About Working with Aluminium Cladding?
Aluminium cladding systems are straightforward to work with, but they are not forgiving of poor technique. The material machines cleanly, fixes predictably, and goes up quickly when the preparation is right. When the preparation is wrong - wrong blade, wrong drill bit, rough handling - the result is visible and expensive. Aluminium shows every scratch, every burr, and every dent. The difference between a fast, clean installation and a slow, costly one usually comes down to the basics: correct tools, correct technique, and careful handling.
This guide covers the practical considerations for installers working with aluminium panel systems and extrusions on facade projects. It assumes competence with general construction practices and focuses on what is specific to aluminium.
What Tools Are Needed for Aluminium Cladding Installation?
The tool requirements for aluminium facade work are not exotic, but using the wrong tool for the material is the most common source of problems on site.
Cutting. Aluminium extrusions (interloQ panels, conneQt battens) should be cut with a standard aluminium cutting saw - a drop saw or mitre saw fitted with a fine-toothed carbide blade designed for non-ferrous metals. Blade selection matters: use a high tooth-count blade (typically 80-100 teeth on a 250mm blade) with a negative or zero rake angle. This produces a clean, burr-free cut without grabbing the material.
For solid aluminium sheet panels (element13), a track-guided circular saw with the same type of non-ferrous blade gives straight, clean cuts on wider panels. Jigsaws with fine-toothed metal-cutting blades are suitable for curved or irregular cuts, but produce a rougher edge that may need finishing.
Avoid abrasive cut-off discs. They generate heat, leave rough edges, and deposit ferrous particles on the aluminium surface that can cause galvanic corrosion spots over time.
Drilling. Use HSS (high-speed steel) centre-point drill bits for clean, accurate holes. Centre-point bits prevent the drill from wandering on the smooth aluminium surface, which is a common problem with standard twist drills. Drill at moderate speed - too fast generates excessive heat and can cause the aluminium to gall around the bit.
For pre-punched panels (interloQ panels come with pre-punched fixing slots), drilling is only required for non-standard details.
Fixing. Rivets and screws are the standard mechanical fixings for aluminium facade systems. Stainless steel rivets (typically 4.8mm or 6.4mm) or stainless steel self-drilling screws are used depending on the system and substrate. The critical requirement is that fixings are compatible with aluminium - stainless steel or aluminium rivets are suitable. Mild steel fixings should not be used, as they will corrode and stain the panel surface.
Handling and protection. Clean gloves (nitrile or cotton, not leather work gloves that carry grit), protective film on panels (leave it on until the last possible moment), and edge protectors for transport and stacking.
What Are the Common Cutting Mistakes?
The three most frequent cutting problems on aluminium facade jobs are all avoidable.
Using a ferrous metal blade. Blades designed for steel have aggressive tooth geometry that grabs aluminium, produces ragged edges, and can pull the workpiece into the blade. Always use blades rated for non-ferrous metals.
Cutting without support. Aluminium extrusions, particularly wide panels, need to be fully supported on both sides of the cut. Unsupported material flexes during cutting, producing an uneven edge and potentially bending the panel.
Not clearing swarf. Aluminium chips are soft and sticky. If swarf is not cleared from the cutting area, it gets trapped between panels during installation and scratches the finished surface. Brush or blow out the cutting area after each cut, and clean panel edges before installation.
How Should Panels Be Fixed to the Substructure?
The fixing method depends on the cladding system.
Interlocking panel systems (interloQ). Panels engage with each other through a tongue-and-groove interlocking joint. The first panel in each run is mechanically fixed to the substructure through the pre-punched slots, and subsequent panels interlock with the previous panel and are fixed at the top or bottom edge. This conceals the fixings and produces a clean face with no visible fasteners.
Fixing slots are elongated to allow for thermal movement. Do not over-tighten fixings into slotted holes - the panel must be able to move as the aluminium expands and contracts with temperature changes. A rivet or screw that clamps the panel rigidly through a slotted hole defeats the purpose of the slot and can cause panel distortion.
Sheet panel systems (element13). Solid aluminium panels are typically fixed to an aluminium or steel subframe using rivets or concealed bracket systems, depending on the facade design. Joint widths, sealant details, and fixing patterns are specified by the facade engineer. Follow the specified fixing pattern exactly - panel wind load performance is calculated based on the number and spacing of fixings.
Batten systems (conneQt). Battens are fixed to the substructure at centres specified by the design. Batten joints should be butted tight or gapped as specified, and fixing points should allow for thermal movement along the batten length.
How Should Aluminium Panels Be Handled and Protected on Site?
Aluminium surfaces are softer than steel and mark easily. Finished panels - powder coated, anodised, or woodgrain - are particularly susceptible to scratches, scuffs, and dents during handling, storage, and installation.
Storage. Store panels flat on a clean, level surface. If stacking, place protective spacers between panels. Keep panels out of direct contact with concrete or steel, which can cause surface contamination and staining. Store under cover if possible - while the panels themselves are weather resistant, prolonged exposure to site dust and moisture during storage is unnecessary.
Transport to installation point. Carry panels on edge or flat, with two people for larger panels. Do not drag panels across surfaces. The 30-second shortcut of sliding a panel across a scaffold board creates scratches that take hours to deal with.
Protective film. Most finished aluminium panels are supplied with a peel-off protective film. Leave this film on during handling and installation, and remove it only after the panel is fixed and the surrounding work is complete. Film that is left on for extended periods (months) in direct sunlight can become difficult to remove, so plan film removal as part of the installation sequence rather than leaving it until project completion.
Contact with dissimilar metals. Where aluminium panels or fixings are in contact with other metals - particularly steel or copper - a separation layer (such as a neoprene washer or isolating tape) is needed to prevent galvanic corrosion. This is standard practice for mixed-metal facades and should be detailed by the facade engineer.
Why Should You Never Weld Aluminium Facade Panels?
This comes up regularly enough to warrant a direct answer. Welding extruded or sheet aluminium facade panels is not appropriate in virtually any installation scenario.
Heat damage to coatings. Powder coat and PVDF finishes are destroyed by welding heat. The affected area extends well beyond the weld itself - heat discolouration, coating delamination, and loss of corrosion protection occur in a zone around the weld that cannot be acceptably repaired on a finished facade.
Heat-affected zone. Welding changes the temper of aluminium in the heat-affected zone. A 6060-T5 extrusion that is welded will lose its T5 properties adjacent to the weld, reducing its strength. This is a structural concern on load-bearing members and a dimensional concern on visible panels, where distortion from welding heat creates waviness in the panel surface.
Aluminium alloy weldability. While some aluminium alloys are weldable (and welding is routine in structural aluminium fabrication under controlled workshop conditions), the alloys and tempers used for facade panels are selected for extrudability and surface finish, not weldability. Attempting to weld thin-walled extrusions on site, without proper preparation and equipment, produces poor results.
The practical rule is simple: if a panel needs to be joined, it is joined mechanically - with rivets, screws, or brackets. If a design requires a welded aluminium element, that element should be fabricated in a workshop by a qualified aluminium welder, finished (coated) after welding, and installed as a completed piece.
What Separates a Good Aluminium Installation from a Poor One?
The answer is rarely about skill with the material itself. Most experienced facade installers find aluminium straightforward to work with once they have the right tools and understand the material’s characteristics.
The difference is almost always in the preparation: correct blade selection, clean cutting environment, careful handling, proper fixing technique, and protection of finished surfaces throughout the installation process. These are basic disciplines, but they are the ones that show up in the finished product. Aluminium rewards precision and punishes carelessness - and the results are visible for the life of the building.
Related Reading
- Aluminium Cladding Storage and Handling on Site
- Quality Control During Aluminium Facade Installation
- Subframe Design for Aluminium Rainscreen Cladding
- How to Order Aluminium Cladding: A Guide for Installers
Last updated: 4 April 2026