Is there a good alternative for aluminium composite?

[Garrickt Dartnell]

Hi Emyr,

As with most materials you do get different grades of aluminium composite. With some of the higher end materials performing better than cheaper alternatives. Also "special effect" composite such as brushed aluminium or metallic finishes can have a shorter lifespan so it is always worth double checking with your supplier

If you are looking for maximum lifespan, it may be best to go with 11 Gauge aluminium which will be far more durable and much stronger than ACM. However the materials costs will increase…

[Robert Lambie]

Yes, classic characteristics of budget aluminium composite material.
we have all been stung by it at some point over the years. myself included and only a few months ago!
we had bought Black ACM sheets and used them on a shop fascia sign. everything was fine except the face of the sheet was going very matt, colour whitening and pitting on the surface. we had bought this several years ago from Rightons so we called them, as well as sent pictures. 48hrs later we had two new sheets of a better brand delivered to our door. shouldnt have happened in the first place but i cant applaud them more for how they dealt with it.

anyway, the core of ACM, the aluminium skin thickness, the quality of the aluminium used and colour coat applied all play part of the quality of an ACM sheet.

Far too many suppliers out there punting 3mm composite as… well 3mm composite. there is a difference in how they are made, white 10×5 sheet compared to another cheaper, should not be how you decide on making your purchase. Some great brand names out there and some daft brand names… all ending in bond… some would be as well called BrookBond or JamesBond going by the how crap they perform.

aluminium sheet is same, you get cheap and quality made. prices can be a bit higher based on supplier and colour finishes tend to be just white or mill finish unless buying specialist. weigh a bit heavier too which is important trying to handle a 10×5 sheet.