What ACM is, how it is folded and fixed, the finish warranty to ask for, the fire question to ask first, and where we have used it in New York.
Aluminum composite material is a sandwich: two thin aluminum skins bonded to a core, usually 4 millimetres thick in total. The skins carry a factory PVDF finish in any colour; the core makes the panel flat, stiff and light. It is routed and folded into trays, hung on a subframe, and it gives an old masonry or block front a new, flat, one-colour face faster and lighter than any other cladding. On a Brooklyn avenue it is what turns a storefront replacement into a new building from the street.
| Property | Aluminum composite panel (ACM) | Solid aluminum plate | Fibre cement / stucco |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | Two 0.5 mm aluminum skins on a polyethylene or fire-rated mineral core, 4 mm total | 3 mm solid sheet | Board or render on lath |
| Flatness | Best; stays flat in large panels | Good; can oil-can on big panels | Depends on the substrate |
| Weight | ~1.1 lb/sq ft | ~1.7 lb/sq ft | Heavier |
| Finish | Factory PVDF (Kynar-type) in any colour; 20–25-year fade warranties | Factory PVDF | Paint or integral colour; repaint in 8–12 years |
| Fabrication | Routed and folded into trays on site or in shop | Cut and bent; heavier tooling | Trades-based |
| Fire | Fire-rated (FR / A2) core required in NYC above certain heights and for many occupancies; PE core only where permitted | Non-combustible | Non-combustible |
| Attachment | Rout-and-return trays on a subframe: clips, or structural silicone for a fixing-free face | Clips or screws | Mechanical |
| Where we use it | Storefront fascias, facades, soffits, canopies, curtain-wall spandrels | Where fire or impact rules it | Where the budget or the neighbourhood asks for it |
The sheet is routed on the back along the fold lines, leaving the outer skin intact, and folded into a tray with returns on all four edges; the returns stiffen the panel and give the fixing something to hold. Trays are sized to the facade module — joints set out to land on the openings below, as at Gran Prix on Flatbush Avenue — and hung on an aluminum subframe over the wall. Two ways to attach: clips and fasteners on the returns, which leave the face clean and are the standard; or structural silicone bonding the tray to the subframe, which we used on Flatbush Avenue for a completely fixing-free face and to let a black panel move in the sun without working a screw hole. Joints are open with a backer and sealant or a reveal strip; the head and every return are flashed so water behind the panel drains out.
A factory PVDF (Kynar 500-type) finish carries a manufacturer’s warranty against fading and chalking — 20 to 25 years on the panels we specify. It matters most in black: a dark panel on a south or west face takes more sun than any other surface on the building, and the difference between a warranted PVDF and a cheaper polyester coat is the difference between black and grey in year ten. Ask for the finish warranty by name on any quote; if a quote does not name the coating, it is probably polyester.
ACM comes with two kinds of core: polyethylene (PE), which burns, and fire-rated mineral cores (FR, or A2 in the European class). New York City restricts PE-core panels by building height and occupancy, and the correct core is a code question decided before the order, not after. We specify FR core as the default on anything above a single storey or on a residential building, and PE only where the code plainly permits it; see the glossary for the terms. It is the single most important line on an ACM specification.
Gran Prix, Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn — a full black ACM fascia over a new storefront and vehicle bays, structural-silicone attached, 25-year finish warranty. 2535 Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Harlem — ACM panels with Everest windows and a corner curtain wall on a new building. Amherst Drive, Woodmere — black ACM panels on a custom house, with stucco and a cable-stayed canopy. Coney Island Avenue, Brooklyn — the same facade idea in composite slat cladding and granite. See rain-screen systems for the ventilated-cavity version and storefront doors for what usually goes under the fascia.
Aluminum composite material: two thin aluminum skins bonded to a core, about 4 mm thick, factory-finished, routed and folded into trays and hung on a subframe. The fastest way to give a masonry front a flat, one-colour face.
A factory PVDF (Kynar-type) finish carries a 20–25-year manufacturer’s warranty against fading; we specify it by name. Cheaper polyester finishes fade in a few years, especially in black.
Depends on the core. Polyethylene cores burn and are restricted in NYC by height and occupancy; fire-rated mineral cores (FR / A2) are the default we specify. The core is decided by code before ordering.
Both work. Clips on the tray returns are standard and leave a clean face. Structural silicone gives a fixing-free face and lets a dark panel move with heat; we used it on Flatbush Avenue.
Yes; that is its main use. A subframe over the existing wall, flashed and drained, and the panels over it — no demolition of the front.
Aluminum Composite Panels vs Brick Facade Rain-Screen Systems Storefront Doors Storefront Replacement Curtain Wall Gran Prix, Flatbush Avenue
About this page. Written by Alex GC Inc. d/b/a Alex Glass Construction and reviewed before publication by Aleksandr Chernovolenko, Managing Partner, with our design and estimating lead and a field foreman. Our foremen hold the NYC DOB Site Safety Training supervisor card and our crews the 40-hour worker card; we are certified to fabricate, install and service Alutech and Everest aluminum systems. Facts are drawn from our own projects, manufacturer test data and the applicable codes; where we are giving an opinion, we say so. Last reviewed September 2026. Credentials
Send a photo of the building and the colour you want. We will propose the panel layout, the core the code requires and the finish warranty, and quote it.
