Single-Skin vs Double-Skin Terracotta Panels: How They Differ

"Single-skin" and "double-skin" are the commercial designations used for the three terracotta panel families in this range. The verified distinctions available here are thickness and standard dimensions. Internal geometry, weight, fixing and structural performance must be read from approved technical drawings and data rather than inferred from the family name.

Single-skin construction

The Single-Skin Terracotta Panel is 25 mm thick and is manufactured in two confirmed formats: 200 × 400 × 25 mm and 250 × 500 × 25 mm. Its exact cross-section and fixing arrangement are technical-data items still requiring approved manufacturer documentation. The two compact formats can be evaluated where the elevation design calls for a relatively frequent panel module.

Double-skin construction

The two Double-Skin Terracotta Panel families provide larger confirmed standard formats at two thicknesses. The published family name does not, by itself, establish a particular cavity layout, weight or load capacity; those points require the approved cross-section drawing and technical data for the selected family:

• Thin double-skin — 18 mm: 300 × 600 mm, 300 × 900 mm, 300 × 1,000 mm, 400 × 600 mm, 400 × 800 mm, 400 × 1,000 mm.
• Heavy-duty double-skin — 30 mm: 300 × 600 mm, 300 × 900 mm, 400 × 800 mm, 400 × 1,000 mm, 400 × 1,200 mm, 500 × 1,000 mm, 500 × 1,200 mm.

The heavy-duty family extends to the largest formats in the range, up to 500 × 1,200 mm, while the thin double-skin family covers a comparable footprint at 18 mm rather than 30 mm. Full listings are on the product families comparison table.

Choosing between the two thicknesses of double-skin panel

Once a double-skin family is being considered for the intended panel size, the verified choice is between the 18 mm and 30 mm ranges. Both include 300 × 600 mm and 300 × 900 mm formats. No comparison of stiffness, weight or load capacity should be inferred from thickness alone; suitability for the panel span, fixing arrangement and project wind load must be confirmed by the project's façade engineer against current technical documentation.

What construction type does not change

Every listed family is described as manufactured from refractory clay and fired at 1,180°C. The published sitewide colour range contains six standard colours plus custom RAL development; final colour availability for a selected family remains subject to project confirmation and sample requirements.

A practical way to narrow the choice

Start from the façade grid rather than the panel: if the design calls for a tight, frequent joint pattern at a compact module, the single-skin panel's two formats may already match. If the design calls for larger panel faces, one of the double-skin families will be required, and the 18 mm vs 30 mm choice becomes a structural and detailing conversation for the façade engineer. Confirming the intended format against the exact dimension list before finalising drawings avoids late-stage substitutions. A project enquiry with the target format and façade area is the fastest way to confirm which family matches.

Weight and handling remain data-required items

Actual weight per panel and per square metre has not been supplied for any family. It must therefore be confirmed through approved technical documentation before structural, access, lifting, storage or handling calculations are completed. Neither the family name nor the nominal thickness provides a safe basis for estimating those values.

For a tender comparison, request those values in the same units for every candidate format and identify the document revision used. Also request packaging quantities and lifting guidance instead of converting a panel weight into a handling method without manufacturer instructions. This keeps logistics decisions traceable and prevents an estimate made at concept stage from entering the construction plan.

How this affects joint design and elevation rhythm

Beyond structural questions, the practical difference architects notice most is how each construction type reads on the finished elevation. The single-skin panel's smaller, fixed formats naturally produce a tighter joint grid and a more textured, brick-like rhythm across a façade. The double-skin families, particularly at their larger formats, produce broader unbroken panel faces with fewer joint lines, which tends to read as a calmer, more monolithic surface. Neither is inherently better — the choice should follow the architectural intent for the elevation, then be checked against the manufactured format list to confirm it's achievable within the standard range before committing to a specific joint pattern in the drawings.

Cost and lead-time considerations

Format and construction type can influence unit cost and lead time, but the specific figures are project- and quantity-dependent and should be requested directly rather than assumed from general double-skin-versus-single-skin comparisons. What can be said in general terms is that mixing families or requesting formats outside the standard list (see product families) is more likely to affect programme than staying within a single family's standard range, simply because of the additional feasibility and sample steps that non-standard requests involve.

Frequently asked questions

Can single-skin and double-skin panels be mixed on the same façade?

Any mixed-format design needs to be resolved by the project's façade engineer at detailing stage, since junctions between different panel thicknesses affect the substructure and joint design. It is not a standard, pre-engineered condition.

Is a thicker panel always stronger?

That cannot be concluded from the available information. Structural comparison must be based on verified test data and approved fixing information for the specific format under consideration, not on thickness alone.

Does construction type affect colour options?

The published range states six standard colours and a custom RAL development route. Final availability for the selected family and project should still be confirmed during the enquiry and sample-approval process.