Perforated and expanded aluminium screens are facade panels with holes or a stretched mesh, used for solar shading, ventilation, privacy and decorative cladding — most visibly on car parks and building screens. They are made from the same PVDF-coated aluminium sheet or coil as solid cladding, so they do not rust and hold colour. The specification that matters is the open area (how much is hole vs metal) and the pattern, which set both the look and the airflow.
What they are and where they go
Perforated panels are aluminium sheet punched with a hole pattern; expanded mesh is sheet slit and stretched into a diamond mesh. Both are hung as screens or cassettes over a structure. Common uses: car-park cladding (they ventilate and screen cars), solar shading fins, plant-room screens, and decorative building wraps. Aluminium suits this because it is light, formable and non-rusting.
Open area — the number that matters
Open area is the percentage that is hole versus solid metal, and it drives everything: airflow for car parks and plant rooms, how much you see through, solar shading, and wind load. Car-park screens often need a defined open area for ventilation codes. Specify open area first, then choose a hole size and pattern that hits it while looking right.
Pattern, and structural sense
Round, square, slotted and custom-image perforations are all possible; larger holes and higher open area reduce panel stiffness, so bigger open panels may need a thicker gauge or closer fixings. For expanded mesh, the strand and aperture set both the look and the rigidity. Tell the fabricator the panel size and open area and let them confirm gauge and fixing.
Specifying and sourcing
To quote perforated or expanded aluminium, give: sheet gauge, alloy, PVDF colour/RAL, panel size, and the open area with hole pattern (or a reference image). Because it is the same PVDF aluminium as solid cladding, you can colour-match screens to the solid ACP or panels on the same building — a clean look on car parks and mixed facades.
Frequently asked questions
What is a perforated aluminium facade for? Solar shading, ventilation, privacy and decorative screening — most visibly on car parks and building screens.
What is the key spec for perforated panels? Open area — the percentage that is hole vs metal — which drives airflow, see-through, shading and wind load.
Does perforated aluminium rust? No — it is the same PVDF-coated aluminium as solid cladding, so it does not rust and holds colour.
Can screens match the solid cladding colour? Yes — being the same PVDF aluminium, perforated screens can be colour-matched to solid ACP or panels on the same building.
Related: ACP colour selection · PVDF aluminium coil sourcing · aluminium curtain wall systems.
Talk to the factory: GSM BuildTech (Beijing Guanshimao Technology Co., Ltd.) makes insulated aluminium panels, FR aluminium composite panels, standing-seam aluminium roofing and PVDF aluminium coil in Tianjin, China. Email sales@insulatedaluminumroof.com or WhatsApp +86 155 2274 6824 for factory-direct pricing. See the technical reference & FAQ.