ACM Versus Fiber Cement: Know the Difference For Your Design

It’s good to have choices as you survey materials for use in your next exterior or interior project.  Along with traditional materials, the industry is seeing an increase in the use of fiber cement, especially in the Quick Service Restaurant and Hospitality segments.  While it does the job, it also may limit the options available to designers and architects.

Multiple materials can (and do) come together to create a breathtaking design, but ensuring your brand identity and its color palate are reflected can be tricky with fiber cement because of its limited selection. If you are searching for a matte finish, with little gloss and a more neutral tone, we invite you to explore our matte products and consider them as either part or the whole of your building’s envelope.  Our matte finishes have a number of advantages ─ beyond attractive color ─ over materials such as stucco and fiber cement.

Color.   We offer a variety of finish colors including mattes, shimmers and prismatics – all available in a huge range of glosses from low to high gloss (6 – 70) so you do not have to settle on your vision. Our mattes, in particular, give you a fade-resistant solution similar in aesthetics to fiber cement.

Flexibility.  Our matte aluminum products inspire unlimited design ideas for interior and exterior fabrications. Other building materials may not have the ability to bend to your specifications, or could otherwise stretch to a point where the color becomes uneven. Our mattes, by comparison, maintain even, quality hues every time.

Warranty.  We stand behind our matte finishes (and all our colors) with some of the best warranties in the industry on finished panels.  

Fire Resistant.  ALPOLIC^®/fr panels have been tested to the NFPA 285 standard for fire safety and are independently evaluated for fire-test performance.  They carry the Warnock Hersey (WH-ETL) Mark, which means they have been certified-compliant by the building and construction industry’s most rigorous product testing organization.  Maintaining the WH-ETL Mark is a continuous process, requiring quarterly inspection audits from Warnock Hersey to ensure ongoing compliance.  

The versatility of ALPOLIC^® products allows you to match any of our matte finishes with supplemental fiber cement, stucco or other materials.  Send for free samples before you decide, and see the brilliance of color and the possibilities for your project.