- What will be the projection of cladding finished face from the external wall?

If the wall is in absolute plumb and at right angles, the projection of cladding finished face will be around 85mm. A projection up to 110mm can be achieved in company supplied brackets. Any further deviation due to difference in plumb or architectural requirement will require tailor made brackets or M.S. fabrication, as the case may be.

- Can we change / open / replace any tile at intermediate levels or one will have to open the tiles from top to that level?

Usually, in this type of cladding system, the tiles are to be opened from top but we can provide you a profile at every two to three floor intervals which allows one to remove tiles in that particular area only.

- Can we get any specific color choice in tiles?

We have a range of 250 tiles in various finishes like glossy, honed, textured, Lapato etc to choose from. If you have a requirement for a specific color / texture / design which is not available with us, we can develop the same provided the requirement is for more than 2000 sq.mt area.

- How can I order samples and what is the minimum order quantity of Alutile Systems?

You can call up our regional office near your city or mail us at ‘info@alutilesystems.com’ and place an enquiry. Our representative will contact you shortly. The minimum quantity of Alutile Systems cladding the company will execute is 200 sq.mt area over a single wall.

- What are the standard tile sizes and tile thickness available for cladding?

Standard size of the tiles available are 600mm x 300mm, 600mm x 600mm, 900mm x 450mm, 900mm x 300mm, 900mm x 300mm. The wooden finish tiles are also available in the size of 900mm x 900mm, 1200mm x 600mm, 1200mm x 300mm, 800mm x 800mm. One can also use above 100mm wide strips or odd size tile cut from the standard tile depending on requirement. The thickness of tiles is usually 9.5mm to 12mm depending on size of the tile.

- What safety system is adopted to prevent the vitrified tile from falling off?

The anchoring systems for the vitrified tiles as well as their thickness are tested for wind resistance and rain penetration test and the ventilated wall. To prevent tiles from falling off or tile fragments from breaking off, glass fiber, anti-alkaline treated netting is applied to the back of the tiles at the factory, using polyurethane resin to keep the fragments together.

- Which parameters affect the cost of ventilated walls?

An obvious variable determining the price of a ventilated façade is the cost of the tiles, to which we must add: - Exposed or concealed anchoring units, Wall modularity, Number of tile cuts, Dimension of order, Presence of corners and fragmentation of surfaces, Location of site, Wind loads, Amount of labour works involved, etc.

- How do the stone finished vitrified tile features affect a ventilated façade?

In a ventilated wall, the outer facing must not only be attractive, but also remain unaltered over time, be resistant to the elements, have low-absorption properties and not be too heavy. Vitrified tiles feature all of these qualities which make them technically superior to quarried material/artificial stone and qualify them as one of the most suitable natural materials to be used in ventilated walls.

- What maintenance does Alutile Systems ventilated façade require?

Thanks to the use of stone finish vitrified tiles, ventilated walls do not require any maintenance, except for a regular washing of the vitrified tiles. This can be done with water to remove any residue of atmospheric sand dust deposited on the outer surface of the tiles. The frequency of washing depends on the amount of dust and smog present in the air.

- What is the lead and delivery time for the on-site supply of a ventilated façade?

Generally speaking, whenever there is adequate stock of vitrified tiles in the required sizes for a given project, two to three weeks should be allowed for preparing the final drawings and the component materials for the structure. It will take approximately four to six weeks for cladding 800 square meters area, depending on the number of openings and cutting to be performed at site.

- What specifications does a building wall require if it is to be covered with a ventilated façade?

The wall of a building must have three main characteristics:
1. A “physical” continuity, with no surface hollows which might connect the inner rooms with the outside, so as to guarantee an additional barrier to air and water.
2. A mechanical strength equal to the one required to bear the loads of the wall is subject to areas where there is no ventilated wall (as the ventilated wall transfers all the loads it is subjected to, on the wall itself, by concentrating them in the specific bracket anchoring points).
3. Sufficient overall flatness, including shifts of plus or minus 15mm, in order to allow alignment of the ventilated wall.
4. To withstand design wind load for extreme conditions.

- How are building movements absorbed by ventilated facades?

There are two main types of building movement which affect ventilated walls: those which affect the whole building and those which only affect portions of the building (concentrated around the building expansion joints). While the first ones do not generally cause problems for ventilated walls being built in modules based on the distance between the building floors, movement around expansion joints needs to be remedied by doubling the structure of the ventilated wall and by using suitable anchorage which avoids fixing any element to both portions of the building. The joint between the tiles must be kept to a minimum with the same size movement as that foreseen between the two portions of the building.

- How one can resolve technical queries at design stage of a project?

You can send your queries by email (info@alutilesystems.com) to our technical team through drawings or write-up. Our team will contact you and assist you.