Specialist Dry Porcelain Ceramic Cladding Installation
In a dry ceramic facade, porcelain ceramic panels of suitable thickness are mechanically and dry-mounted on a steel or aluminum substructure — not with mortar or slurry. Between the facade skin and the main wall there is an air cavity for ventilation and room for thermal insulation.
The result: a facade that is lighter, safer, easier to repair and thermally more efficient than traditional stone cladding.
1Advantages
- Higher safety than traditional stone facades
- Lower weight and reduced dead load on the structure
- Ventilation cavity behind the facade and improved thermal performance
- Easy replacement of damaged panels
- Wide variety of colors, textures and sizes of porcelain ceramic panels
2Installation Systems
- Rail and clip system (visible and concealed)
- Galvanized steel or aluminum substructure
- Mounting porcelain ceramic panels in various sizes with controlled joints
3Key Execution Details
- Substructure design with standard spacing based on ceramic panel dimensions and wind load
- Connection of the substructure to the main structure with standard brackets and expansion anchors
- Installation of thermal insulation behind the substructure (where required)
- Mounting ceramic panels with standard clips and hardware, respecting horizontal and vertical joints
- Level, plumb and joint alignment control
4Common Mistakes (and How We Differ)
- Eyeballed substructure spacing without calculations
- Use of weak profiles and low-quality clips
- Ignoring rear ventilation and insulation
- Based on direct experience in dry ceramic cladding, Namakaran Fakher Engineering Co. engineers the substructure spacing, profile type and fixing system for every project and finalizes the details in shop drawings before installation
Custom execution detail
Dry installation means no mortar and no adhesive between the ceramic and the sub-framing — everything is mechanical, adjustable, with a ventilated cavity behind the facade.
Part-by-part notes:
- 1Porcelain ceramic panels 15 to 20 mm with machined edges; back-drilled on a dedicated machine to better than half a millimetre — one wrong hole means panel failure in short order.
- 2Concealed 304 stainless-steel clip — sits between two adjacent panels, hidden from view; tightened with a torque wrench to a specified torque, not to the worker's patience!
- 3Height-adjustable horizontal aluminium rail — absorbs the structural tolerances and completes the horizontal alignment of the panels.
- 4Vertical rail fixed to the wall with chemical/mechanical anchors — anchor spacing is calculated from wind load and the ceramic weight (over 40 kg per square metre!).
- 5Insulation behind the facade (mineral / fire-rated polystyrene) between the rails — without this layer, the void behind the cladding howls in the wind and energy performance drops.
- 620 to 30 mm ventilated cavity behind the panels — draws moisture and vapour out from behind the cladding; without ventilation the ceramic stains and the sub-framing corrodes.
AI & analytical tools
- Online cost estimate based on area, building height, building use and project city
- Optimal combination of substructure, clip type and panel layout to minimize material waste
- Value engineering to compare dry ceramic with other materials (HPL, composite, etc.)
Execution steps
- 1Consultation and analysis of drawings and structural conditions
- 2Selection of ceramic type and fixing system
- 3Design development of substructure and connections
- 4Substructure installation and insulation (where required)
- 5Ceramic panel installation and joint adjustment
- 6Final inspection and handover
Take the next step
If you are looking for a safe, durable dry cladding system for an office, commercial, tower or government project, dry ceramic is one of the best options. Contact us for a specialist estimate and a suitable system proposal.