Exterior cladding for every look and budget

Technical facts · from manufacturer documents and standards

1. What is it?

Cladding is the outer, weather-facing layer of a wall. It sheds water and protects the structure, and is installed over a water-resistive barrier, often with a drained gap (rainscreen) behind it. Reviewer: general definition, no single source; confirm wording The brands on this page are: ChamClad, extruded PVC with a laminated finish film; ^[1] LUX, 24-gauge Al-Zn coated steel prepainted in Kynar 500 PVDF; ^[3] Nortwood, wood-plastic composite fluted panels; ^[5] DuROCK, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS); ^[6] and Armour Side, 28-gauge Galvalume steel with an SMP paint finish. ^[7]

2. Where can it be used?

ChamClad: 6 in. panels on exterior walls (horizontal or vertical); its soffit panels and 12 in. seamless panel are not for exterior walls; interior walls and ceilings are allowed. ^[2] LUX: walls and soffits. ^[3] Armour Side: walls, horizontal or vertical, with separate soffit profiles. ^[8] DuROCK: residential and commercial wall systems. ^[6] Nortwood: [To confirm: permitted uses from Nortwood]

3. What are the substrate and installation considerations?

Each brand is screwed, nailed or clipped to framing to its own guide (see table). ChamClad recommends a rainscreen; LUX requires one; Armour Side and Nortwood defer to the building code. ^{[2] [3] [9] [5]} Do not install ChamClad below −10 °C. ^[2]

• ChamClad: minimum 7/16 in. OSB or plywood structural sheathing; foam or other non-structural sheathing needs furring or a rainscreen to fasten into; screws must reach structure with at least 1¼ in. penetration ^[2] . ICC-ES ESR-4560 requires wood structural panel sheathing and caps fastener spacing at 16 in. on centre ^[4] .
• LUX: ICC-ES ESR-5405 covers horizontal installation over sheathing at least 7/16 in. thick on framing no more than 24 in. on centre ^[17] .
• Armour Side: minimum 3/8 in. OSB; nail into studs at 16 in. on centre with at least ¾ in. penetration ^[20] . Reviewer: from the 2020 guide; check against the 2026 guide [9]
• DuROCK: masonry, concrete, cementitious panels, glass-mat gypsum, plywood (12.7 mm or more) or OSB (11.1 mm or more) over wood or steel framing ^[19] .
• Nortwood: fastened with clips and rainscreen lugs, using screws rather than nails ^[22] . Framing spacing: [To confirm: from Nortwood installation guide]

4. How does it perform in wet coastal conditions?

• Every line goes over a water-resistive barrier ^{[2] [17] [19]} . In BC, Part 9 walls in high-moisture locations such as Metro Vancouver need a capillary break (a drained air space or drainage material) behind the cladding ^[21] . Reviewer: source is BCBC 2012 Art. 9.27.2.2; confirm against BCBC 2024
• ChamClad recommends a rainscreen, calls for hot-dip galvanized or stainless fasteners (no electroplated), and describes its laminate as salt-air resistant ^{[2] [4]} .
• LUX requires a rainscreen ^[3] . Its warranty covers coastal environments but excludes breaking surf and heavy salt wash, and requires regular washing in coastal areas ^[12] .
• DuROCK uses a drained cavity behind the insulation board. Its CCMC evaluation requires a capillary break on Part 9 homes in coastal areas, a finish at least 200 mm above grade, and no use on horizontal surfaces ^[19] .
• Armour Side defers rainscreen details to the local building code and calls for more frequent washing in coastal areas ^[20] . Coastal warranty exclusions: [To confirm: from Armour Side warranty]
• Nortwood describes its panels as moisture-resistant and not prone to mould ^[22] ; its warranty excludes water damage from improper installation or inadequate ventilation ^[13] . Salt-air guidance: [To confirm: from Nortwood]

5. What maintenance does it need?

ChamClad: soft brush and pH-neutral soap, rinse off airborne salts, pressure washer 1,500 psi or less ^[2] . LUX: mild detergent or household ammonia, never mixed with bleach; touch up scratches and never cut with a grinder ^{[3] [12]} . Nortwood: clean every six to twelve months, pressure washer under 3,100 psi with a fan tip no closer than 250 mm, no solvents ^[18] . Armour Side: household ammonia in water; touch up scratches ^[20] . DuROCK: see the table below ^[14] .

6. What documents are available?

Installation guides, ICC-ES and CCMC evaluation reports, fire tests and warranties for each line are listed under Source documents below.

Key specifications

Maintenance and warranty

Values are as published by each manufacturer in the documents below. Always follow the current installation instructions and your local building code; a newer edition of a document takes precedence.

Source documents

1. ChamClad – Canadian brochure (PDF)
2. ChamClad – installation manual, Jan 2024 (PDF)
3. LUX – Custom Cut V-Groove installation guide (PDF)
4. ICC-ES ESR-4560 – ChamClad (PDF)
5. Nortwood – product booklet, June 2025 (PDF)
6. QAI listing B1039-1 – DuROCK EIFS (PDF)
7. Armour Side – bevel product data sheet Reviewer: add PDF link
8. Armour Side – CCMC 14153-L (PDF)
9. Armour Side – bevel installation guide (PDF)
10. LUX – CAN/ULC-S102 flame spread test (PDF)
11. Armour Side – CAN/ULC-S102 surface burning test (PDF)
12. LUX – warranty, May 2025 (PDF)
13. Nortwood – warranty policy
14. DuROCK – EIFS maintenance guide
15. Armour Side – warranty 2026 (PDF)
16. ChamClad – 50-year limited warranty, Jan 2024 (PDF)
17. ICC-ES ESR-5405 – LUX (PDF)
18. Nortwood – maintenance manual
19. DuROCK – CCMC 12969-R evaluation (PDF)
20. Armour Side – installation guide, 2020 (PDF)
21. BC Building Code 2012, Division B, Section 9.27 Reviewer: superseded edition; cite BCBC 2024
22. Nortwood – FAQs

Technical content reviewed by [reviewer name, credential] on [date].