Building designs benefit from the warmth and the texture provided by natural wood. However, in applications where weight, fire resistance or maintenance is a concern, timber-look aluminium battens and cladding provide an innovative alternative.
Timber-look aluminium beautifully captures tone and grain, balancing style with functionality.
Let’s take a look at the main advantages, finish options and applications that make Sculptform’s aluminium wood-look cladding and battens stand out in Australia’s modern architectural landscape.
As a non-combustible material, aluminium meets the National Construction Code (NCC) requirements for use in fire-rated zones. Timber-look aluminium allows designers to achieve the visual impact of wood while maintaining compliance and safety, making it ideal for facades, soffits and other applications where real timber can’t be used.
Aluminium maintains its shape and alignment over time, resisting warping, shrinking and swelling that can occur with natural timber due to changes in moisture or temperature. This stability allows for greater use, with fewer fixings creating cleaner, more consistent lines on facades and ceilings. Timber-look aluminium offers a clean appearance, faster installation and improved structural integrity, which are all crucial for large-scale or precision architectural applications.
Timber-look aluminium battens and cladding panels have hollow profiles and thin wall sections, which are much lighter than timber. The reduced weight eases structural loads and simplifies the design of frames and supports, allowing faster, safer on-site handling. Being lightweight also enables greater design freedom for facades and ceilings where weight restrictions or limited access would otherwise limit timber use.
Unlike natural wood, timber-look aluminium doesn’t need regular sanding, sealing or re-staining to maintain its finish. A practical and long-lasting material, it resists warping, rotting, cracking and pest damage, even in coastal or high-UV locations. The protective surface coating preserves its colour and texture for decades, reducing costly maintenance over the building’s lifespan.
Sculptform’s advanced Wood Finish coating is built for Australia’s harsh UV exposure. It prevents greying and discolouration, which are issues that often affect real timber. Extensive testing under simulated and real weather conditions shows that our coatings deliver up to three times greater fade resistance than standard powder-coated alternatives. This long-lasting performance means your timber-look surfaces stay vibrant and consistent for years, reducing the need for refinishing and preserving the design’s intended appearance.
Sculptform offers two distinct timber-look technologies to suit different design and architectural needs:
Wood Finish Aluminium
A high-performance vinyl wrap applied to aluminium battens and cladding, featuring photorealistic timber patterns based on real species.
Key advantages:
“The Wood Finish Aluminium was the right solution for this installation, enabling us to comply with fire compliance requirements. The light weight nature of the aluminium profiles was a key factor in this decision, enabling us to avoid installation additional structure to facilitate the new installations.”
Our Real Timber Veneer combines genuine timber with the structural integrity of aluminium. A fine layer of real wood (under 0.5 mm) is wrapped onto aluminium battens, blades or cladding, creating a truly authentic finish for internal applications.
Available in: White Oak and Walnut
Key advantages:
Timber-look aluminium is a versatile solution, which allows designers to bring in the timber form to projects where strength, fire compliance or minimal maintenance are priorities. Its flexibility makes it suitable for a wide range of architectural applications across interior and exterior environments.Common uses are:
See and feel the difference of Sculptform’s aluminium wood-look siding.
Request a free sample of our Wood Finish Aluminium or Real Timber Veneer options to find the perfect match for your next project.
Q. Can aluminium wood-look cladding be used outdoors?
A. Yes, wood-look aluminium is designed for outdoor use. It withstands UV exposure, resists fading and warping and holds up against weather damage over time.
Q. Is timber-look aluminium compliant with fire safety codes?
A. Yes, timber-look aluminium can meet fire safety codes, offering a compliant alternative to natural timber in restricted zones.
Q. What’s the difference between timber-look aluminium and real timber veneer?
A. Timber-look aluminium is a durable metal product with a realistic timber finish, while real timber veneer uses a thin layer of genuine wood.
Q. How long does timber-look aluminium last without maintenance?
A. Timber-look aluminium battens can last decades without maintenance, retaining their colour and shape even in harsh climates.
