The panels were mounted by clipping them to custom aluminum laser leveled shelf angles fastened to a substrate of gypsum sheathing over metal studs. It is now in the range of aluminum composites, about half the cost of natural stone, but roughly three times the cost of most External Insulation and Finish Systems. Column covers and bullnoses can become accents, and especially in high-traffic areas, like schools, where maintenance is an issue, there are a lot of advantages to solid surface cladding. Solid surface cladding, although its appearance is very distinct from stone, is envisioned as an alternative where stone is either too tough on the budget or too heavy to be economically installed. Solid surface exterior cladding was chosen for those reasons on the third floor addition to the existing two story structure for The Chung Hwa City Council Building in Taiwan.
Plastics grow brittle with time, and that has to be a real concern with plastics used outdoors.
With thin-paneled solid surface cladding, owners can avoid the problem of moisture control, a growing concern with EIFS installations that has led, in some cases, to casualty claims and expensive design modifications. Acrylics, used to produce high-end jetted bath tubs and outdoor hot tubs, are routinely subjected to constant outdoor exposure as well as harsh pool chemicals, without consequence. Building envelopes can be sealed tight to prevent water infiltration or panels can be used in a rainscreen pressure equalized system. At Aristech's headquarters building, thermoformed curved shapes demonstrate the flexibility and design possibilities of solid surface cladding. The natural flex of the material makes large-radius curves across the face of the building easy to clad.