Knowledge · For panel manufacturers & architects
The best custom textures come from an early, honest three-way conversation between the architect, the panel manufacturer and the mould maker. Here's how to run that conversation well.
The three-way conversation
Custom cladding textures typically fail one of three ways: the architect draws a texture that won't demould, the panel manufacturer quotes a tool that won't achieve the visual intent, or the mould maker builds a tool that's technically fine but that neither party actually wanted.
All three failures share the same root cause — the three parties don't talk to each other early enough. When they do talk early, custom textures are one of the most rewarding parts of the job. When they don't, they're one of the biggest sources of programme pain.
This guide walks panel manufacturers through how to run the early conversation with their architect and their mould maker, in language that keeps everyone useful.
Concept stage
Not the specific texture yet, but the mood. Is this a bold statement facade or a subtle backdrop? Directional or non-directional? Light-and-shadow or all-over pattern? Get the intent clear before the detail.
This determines where splices land. The architect probably hasn't thought about it yet at concept stage. Bring it up early — small changes to joint positions can make or break the moulding plan.
Panel size limits, face-mix options, fibre reinforcement, lift capacity in the yard. Constraints that will affect what the architect can realistically ask for.
This determines whether the tool can be developed iteratively (sample panels, revisions, more samples) or has to be got right first time. Big impact on the design conversation.
Development stage
Before drawing a new texture from scratch, gather references — photographs of existing buildings, natural materials, samples the architect has admired. Reference textures let the moulding conversation start with something concrete rather than something abstract.
Once the direction is agreed, build a small trial mould (typically 500mm square) and cast a sample panel in the specified face-mix. The sample panel is the honest evidence — always more useful than a rendering.
If the first sample isn't right, adjust the pattern and cast another. It's much faster and cheaper than iterating the drawing and rebuilding the tool. Usually two or three samples get you where the architect wants to be.
When the sample is approved, get sign-off in writing, ideally with a signature on the sample panel itself. This is the reference for every panel that comes off the tool.
Production stage
Every tool in the set from the same master pattern. If the elevation needs matched panels, every tool must be cast from the same master. Different masters, however carefully matched, will drift.
First-off on the bed with everyone present. When the production tooling is delivered, run a first-off pour with the architect and panel manufacturer present. Compare against the signed sample. Approve on the bed, not from a photograph.
Documented release regime per tool. Different reliefs sometimes need slightly different release regimes to look consistent across the elevation. Document what works on each tool so a rota-changing yard team maintains it.
Store a reference sample. Keep the approved sample panel on the shelf for the life of the programme. It's the objective reference against which any panel drift can be measured.
Common failure modes
The architect signs off a rendering instead of a sample panel. This is the single biggest cause of texture disputes late in a programme. A rendering shows what the architect hopes to see; a cast sample shows what the panel manufacturer can actually deliver. Only the sample is signable.
The mould gets tweaked between sample and production without informing the architect. If the moulding team makes a small change to improve demoulding — adding draft, softening a corner — that has to go back to the architect for approval. Silent changes cause silent surprises.
The programme runs against a mould that's ageing badly without anyone noticing. Set up a mid-programme sample check. Cast a panel every hundred pours and compare against the signed reference. Catch drift early, order replacement tooling early.
At a glance
Planning liners across a wall
Swipe to see the whole diagram
FAQs
Usually part of the tooling development cost, folded into the main tool quote. We itemise it so everyone can see what's included.
Yes. We can produce a small sample from a trial mould for a modest fee, before the main tool is ordered. Useful for design competitions or client presentations.
Usually two to four weeks from first conversation to approved sample. Longer if the architect wants multiple iterations. Plan for it in the programme.
Yes. We travel for meetings where the outcome will save iterations later. Usually the best-value time we spend on a custom texture project.
Reference textures first. Photographs of buildings, materials, samples. It's much easier to react to references than to work from a blank brief.
Get in touch
One photograph tells us what surface you're chasing, and one line about the mix tells us what silicone or polyurethane will survive it.
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