Real metal, laminate and metal-effect finishes compared

At a glance

A practice summary written for specifiers, not taken from a product data sheet. Fire class is deliberately absent from the table: it depends on the product and its core, so ask for the report.

Seven constructions, one look

The question behind the comparison is simple: is the face the same thing as the body? In solid sheet it is. In every other construction a thin layer of metal, or something that looks like metal, sits on something else, and the ‘something else’ decides weight, the look of a cut edge, what a dent does, and how the panel behaves in a fire.

None of the constructions is better in general. A feature wall that no one will touch can be a laminated panel; a bar front that is leant on, kicked and wiped every night is a different brief. Choose by the demand placed on the surface, then write the choice on the schedule.

What you give up when the metal is only a skin

• The edge. A cut edge of solid sheet is metal. A cut edge of a clad board, composite or laminate shows its core. Designers either fold the metal round the edge, cap it, or accept the line. Say which on the drawing.
• The dent. A thin skin dents and the dent shows through the finish. Solid sheet can usually be worked or refinished; a thin face usually cannot, so the panel is replaced. Ask the supplier what replacement means for a panel in a run.
• The patina. A real metal layer can take polish and patination; a printed or coated effect cannot, and it can wear to the layer beneath. Our patination sheet covers what a real surface does. Whether a given sprayed or cast surface patinates, and how it ages, is a question for the partner workshop to answer with a sample.
• The weight. A panel with a lighter core is easier to handle and fix. Solid sheet weight is arithmetic: see the weight calculator sheet.

Sprayed metal deserves a separate word. Our liquid metal page describes real metal powder in a binder applied over a prepared substrate, so the face is a genuine metal layer, and the substrate (timber, MDF, resin, fibreglass or composite) sets weight and shape. That differs from a printed metal-effect and from solid sheet; it is a third thing and should be specified as such, with a sample.

Fire: the class belongs to the product

In England, Approved Document B Volume 2 sets the classification of the surface of walls and ceilings in buildings other than dwellings, using the European classes of BS EN 13501-1. The table below is Table 6.1 for non-residential accommodation in the edition read for this sheet.

Three points follow. First, a class is awarded to a tested product in a stated end-use, with its substrate and fixing; it is not a property of the word ‘aluminium’. Second, a composite panel is only as good as its core: the same skin over different cores gives different results, so the type name tells you nothing. Third, the Approved Document treats insulating core panels used inside differently: paragraph 6.11 says they should be sealed at joints and penetrations, that in high fire-risk areas such as kitchens only panels with a class A1 core should be used, and that the fixing should allow for delamination.

External faces are a separate regime. Regulation 7(2), explained at paragraph 12.15, requires materials in the external wall of a relevant building (a storey at least 18 m above ground, containing dwellings, an institution or a room for residential purposes, which includes hotels) to achieve class A2-s1, d0 or A1, with listed exemptions. If a metal panel is on an external wall, that is a question for the project's fire engineer, not for this sheet.

BS EN 13501-1 was last issued as the 2018 edition (published 31 January 2019, current when checked). Ask the supplier for the classification report for the exact build-up, including the core, the adhesive where there is one, and the substrate it was tested over.

Choosing, in four questions

1. Will anyone touch, lean on or clean the surface every day? If so, a thin skin or a coating is the weak point.
2. Is the edge visible? If so, how is it finished?
3. Does it need to patinate, or be re-polished, for the design to work? Only a real metal layer can.
4. Which Table 6.1 class applies to the room, and what report does the product carry?

Sample the actual build-up, edge included, and keep the signed sample as the reference: see metal finish sample approval. For the care of the finished surface, see cleaning and maintaining metal finishes.

Wall panel [ref]: [solid [brass] sheet [3] mm / metal-clad board, [1.5] mm [brass] on [board type] / aluminium composite, [4] mm / metal-faced laminate / sprayed metal face on [substrate]]. The quoted construction is stated by the supplier, with face metal or layer, core and substrate, in writing. No change of construction without written approval.

Edges of [ref] to be [folded return / capped with [metal] section / mitred and sealed / left as cut, core exposed]. The core is not to be visible on the finished face or return.

Surface class of [ref] on [ceiling / wall] in [room type] to be not worse than [C-s3, d2] to BS EN 13501-1, as required by the project fire strategy. The supplier submits the classification report for the exact build-up, including core, adhesive, substrate and fixing, before ordering. Any exposed core to be declared.

A full-size sample of the quoted build-up, with a cut edge and a corner, to be approved by [designer] and retained as the reference sample dated [date]. Production to match the sample within the finish tolerance agreed in writing.

Standards and sources

• BS EN 13501-1:2018: BSI Knowledge, read 7 Nov 2026: published 31 January 2019, Current; replaces EN 13501-1:2007+A1:2009 (withdrawn); no amendments listed. The standard itself was not read.
• Approved Document B, Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings: 2019 edition incorporating 2020 and 2022 amendments, collated with 2025, 2026 and 2029 amendments (England); Table 6.1, paras 6.4, 6.11 and 12.15 read 7 Nov 2026. Check which amendments apply to your project.

Questions we are asked

Is aluminium composite panel allowed inside a building?

It depends on the product, not the type. Approved Document B sets a class for the surface of walls and ceilings (Table 6.1) and has specific conditions for insulating core panels used internally, including class A1 cores in high fire-risk areas. The classification report for the exact panel and core decides.

Is liquid metal real metal?

Our materials page describes it as real metal powder in a binder, applied over a prepared substrate, and a genuine metal layer rather than a paint. It differs from solid sheet in thickness, in the substrate behind it and in how it repairs. Ask the partner workshop for a sample and its process data.

Can a metal laminate be patinated?

Only if its face is a real metal layer thick enough to take the treatment. A printed or coated metal-effect cannot. Ask the supplier whether the face is real metal and have it sampled.

Why does the edge matter so much?

In every construction except solid sheet the edge reveals the core. Folding the metal round the edge, capping it or accepting the line are all legitimate, but the choice should be on the drawing.

How do I compare cost?

This sheet gives no prices. Ask each supplier to state the construction, thickness, edge treatment and fire report they have priced, so the quotes are like for like.