Glossy, metallic-looking and pearlescent are visual directions, not complete product or performance specifications. The four archive photographs show a pale tiled facade whose reflected colour changes with sky, sun, viewpoint and camera exposure. They do not identify a current LOPO item, glaze recipe, project supply role or approved performance.
This guide turns that visual reference into a finish-selection workflow: identify the surface construction, review full-size samples under controlled and real light, approve variation and edges, then match durability, cleaning and system evidence to the actual panel and project.
- Archive date
- November 2021 WordPress record
- Visible effect
- Pale reflective face with angle-dependent rainbow colour
- Visible format
- Rectangular panel grid across simple building volumes
- Unverified identity
- No current item code, section or surface declaration
- Unverified project link
- No attachment metadata establishes supplier or LOPO role
- Current status
- Finish, dimensions, evidence and sample availability require confirmation
Define four finish attributes separately
Gloss
Describes specular reflection. Approve a physical or measured range under agreed lighting and viewing geometry; a glaze can be matte, satin or glossy.
Metallic appearance
Describes a metal-like colour or lustre. It does not establish metal content, electrical properties, corrosion behaviour or the performance of a metal facade.
Pearlescence or iridescence
Describes a change in hue or brightness with angle and light. Define the desired colour travel, intensity, uniformity and acceptable panel-to-panel variation.
Glazed
Should identify a fired coating and its coverage on the face, edges and returns. Do not infer glaze composition or firing route from appearance.
Body and panel
Record the terracotta body, profile, front/back/section, dimensions, tolerances, mass, fixing geometry and permitted cuts for the exact item.
Complete rainscreen
Panels, clips, rails, brackets, anchors, cavity, insulation, membranes, flashings and fire barriers form the wall system. Finish evidence cannot substitute for system evidence.
The old article described a three-firing process at several temperatures and a special metal glaze in a named region. No item record, plant document, test file or project schedule tied that recipe to the photographed facade. Those figures are not republished as a current manufacturing specification; request the current supplier’s declared process and production controls for the proposed item.
Review the finish through changing light
Phone and website images compress highlights, alter white balance and freeze one sun position. Review labelled full-size samples vertically at several compass orientations, distances and angles under direct sun, overcast sky, shade and representative artificial light. Consider the project latitude, surrounding buildings, landscape, glass and metal, as well as potential glare toward roads, neighbours and occupied spaces.
Agree what happens at corners, returns, soffits, parapets and openings, where orientation changes can make the same finish look different. Joint colour, depth, panel direction and module affect the reflected pattern. A large mock-up should show enough panels to judge batch mixing, repeated effects, edge coverage and the transition between lit and shaded areas.
Identify the surface
Tie the current panel item, body, surface process, plant, dimensions, edges, fixings and quotation to labelled samples and drawings.
Set boundary samples
Approve the acceptable extremes of base colour, gloss, colour travel, clouding, marks, edge coverage, bow, chips and other variation.
Build an oriented mock-up
Use full modules, joints, corners, cuts, returns and adjacent materials; review them under several real lighting conditions and distances.
Control batches
Record production and pallet references, inspection lighting, sampling, mixing rules, approved deviations, installed locations and spares.
Resolve edges, cuts and system interfaces
Confirm whether glaze or another surface treatment wraps factory edges, returns and corner units, and how exposed body at cuts will appear. Field cutting can chip or change the finish and may affect support geometry; use only the current approved cutting, finishing and replacement method. Do not coat a cut edge on site unless compatibility and appearance are documented.
Coordinate runoff from sills, parapets, flashings and adjacent metals or sealants so deposits and streaks are assessed on the actual finish. Check compatibility among panels, gaskets/sealants, cleaning agents, flashings, fixings and nearby materials. The wall’s drainage, movement, fire and structural design remain separate from the reflective surface.
Match evidence to exposure and maintenance
- current product and surface identity, manufacturing plant, drawings, tolerances, mass, fixing geometry, edge/return coverage and replacement method;
- appearance criteria for base colour, gloss, pearlescent or metallic effect, panel-to-panel variation and unacceptable defects;
- project-relevant glaze-fit or coating-adhesion, thermal-cycle, freeze-thaw, ultraviolet/colour, weathering, stain, abrasion, chemical and cleaning evidence;
- wind, seismic, impact, support, movement, drainage, flashing and falling-object review for the complete rainscreen;
- project-required fire, water, air, thermal and acoustic evidence at the correct product or assembly level;
- visual/performance mock-ups, site inspections, tests, acceptance criteria, responsible parties, traceability and spare-panel strategy; and
- environmental or health documents only when their manufacturer, plant, product, scope, method, issue date and validity can be checked.
The legacy article’s abrasion, water, corrosion, freeze-thaw, stain, self-cleaning, weathering, ultraviolet, non-fading, fire, environmental and energy implications were not tied to an exact item or complete system test. None is carried forward as a fact. A successful finish test also does not prove anchor capacity, cavity drainage, fire-stopping, insulation or wall performance.
Glossy does not mean self-cleaning. Mineral deposits, streaks, fingerprints, pollution and uneven wetting may be more visible on a reflective face. Test the least aggressive supplier-approved cleaning method on retained boundary samples and the mock-up. Review it dry and in real light for colour or gloss change, residue, scratches, edge attack and joint effects; do not use a universal acid, abrasive, solvent or pressure recipe.
Turn reflected colour into an inspectable finish brief
Share the panel module and profile, base colour, gloss and colour-travel intent, orientations, edge details, exposure, system route, standards, quantity and programme. Request current full-size samples, drawings and evidence tied to the exact quoted panel.