KOL & VMZinc: Two Facades That Get Better with Age

Most cladding peaks on day one. Then spends the next 30 years losing its fight with weather, fire codes, and the occasional shoulder check at street level. KØL and VMZinc work differently. One barely notices fire or impact. The other heals its own scratches as it weathers. These are the two facade materials we reach for when a building needs to still look sharp a couple of decades in.

KØL: The Panel That Doesn't Flinch

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KØL is high-density fibre cement, cellulose fibres, cement, and pigment compressed until it's hard, stable, and durable. The panel you stop worrying about the moment it's up.

It doesn't burn. Certified noncombustible to CAN/ULC-S114 in Canada and ASTM E136 and NFPA 285 in the US. Rated from grade level up to 18 stories, a range most cladding materials can't cover cleanly. Non-combustibility allows you to use the product on various construction types without worrying about code compliance.

It takes a hit. Strong impact resistance at street level and in high-traffic zones, where thinner materials start to show their limitations. The colour runs through the panel so any surface scratches are not visible.

11 through-body colours across 5 textures: Pure White, Telegrey, Zinc, Steel, Sable, Natural, Desert, Terra, Wheat, Brick, and Moss in Smooth, Groove, Rigo, Blast, and Surface. Field-cut an edge, and it still matches. No touch-up, no repainting, no coating to maintain over the life of the building.

Depending on your application, high-density fibre cement can be installed using either exposed or hidden fasteners. The majority of projects that we work on use colour-matched exposed fasteners that tend to visually disappear when looking at the installation from distance.  Exposed fasteners can be used on both metal or wood substrates, giving designers options for different construction types and a more budget-friendly installation. If your design calls for no visible fasteners, we have the option of either a mechanical or adhesive system, both provide a clean modern aesthetic.

VMZinc: The Metal That Heals Itself

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Zinc doesn't fight the weather; it works with it. A natural patina forms across the surface, protects the metal underneath, and reseals minor scratches as it ages. The finish matures for a few years, then stabilizes. Buildings often look better at year ten than day one. No coating to maintain. Nothing to repaint. The look just deepens.

Zinc is also lightweight, which means less demand on your structure and subgrid, a practical advantage on projects where loading is a constraint.

The sustainability story holds up too. Less energy and lower CO₂ to produce than copper, stainless steel, or aluminum. Full-lifecycle embodied energy of 17.4 MJ per kilogram is among the lowest of any cladding or roofing material. Globally, 95% of rolled zinc sheet gets recycled, and it's endlessly recyclable without loss of quality. One of the easier material choices to defend on a LEED project.

Zinc roofs and cladding projects have many design options but are typically designed as a single skin system. With over 100 years of real-life examples, these systems, when designed and installed properly, will exceed most people’s expectations.

One more option worth knowing: zinc can also be fabricated onto an ACM substrate. For projects where the zinc aesthetic is the goal but panel flatness and rigidity matter, particularly on large flat runs, it's a way to get both.

TL/DR

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KØL and VMZinc sit at opposite ends of the material world, one a dense fire-rated panel, the other a soft living metal. They earn their place the same way: they age into a building instead of out of it. Low maintenance, serious durability, strong sustainability credentials. KOL and VMZINC are two facades that get better with age. Both in our lineup at KLAD.