A silvery metal, the most abundant metallic element that can be mined from the earth; strong, flexible, impermeable, lightweight, capable of resisting corrosion and conducting heat, cost effective and recyclable, it is the second most used metal after steel and a key player in the development of sustainable houses.
* New contemporary trends towards building homes that ‘bring the outside in’, increasing natural light and openness to the landscape through large areas of glass–walls, windows, floors, even stairs–often rely on the strength, lightness and durability of aluminium frame and mechanism developments.
* As an attractive, malleable material with a long life expectancy and requiring very little maintenance, it is also used for large areas of roof and wall cladding, for guttering, downpipes, flashings and such intricate details.
* The wide variety of surface finishes available–anodizing, coating, brushed, polished, etched, stamped, moulded, painted in an increasing range of colours, matte, satin or metallic…–meet the demands of contemporary architectural design, and enhance the material’s durability and corrosion resistance.
* Aluminium has manifold other applications: for silver foil, saucepan bases, fizzy drinks cans, cars, aeroplanes, ladders, boats, light switch plates, curtain tracks, furniture, etc.
* Aluminium potassium sulfate (or alum) is a common mordant for natural dyes and is present in ochre.
pic of Ep wall
(pic of EP)
pics major on window and doors….
technical info APOB pp 257- 258