How to Select Terracotta Panel Dimensions for Your Façade

Dimension selection for a terracotta façade is easier to get right as a short sequence rather than a single decision. The order matters, because family, thickness and format are linked rather than independent choices.

Step 1 — Start with the panel family

Decide first whether the façade calls for the compact Single-Skin family (25 mm, up to 250 × 500 mm) or one of the larger-format Double-Skin families (18 mm or 30 mm, up to 500 × 1,200 mm). This early comparison concerns the verified family and format lists; the exact internal geometry and fixing design still require approved technical documentation.

Step 2 — Check the format against the standard list

Each family has a fixed list of manufactured formats:

• Single-skin (25 mm): 200 × 400 mm, 250 × 500 mm.
• 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.

Mapping the façade grid against this list — rather than designing the grid first and checking availability afterwards — avoids late redesign. The full comparison table is on the product families page, and each family's individual page lists its sizes alongside relevant detail photography.

Step 3 — Coordinate with the substructure design

Panel dimension and substructure/fixing design are interdependent: format and thickness affect fixing spacing, anchor points and joint width, and these need to be resolved with the project's façade engineer rather than assumed from the dimension list alone. This is also the stage to confirm handling, delivery sequencing and packaging needs with the supplier for the confirmed quantities.

Step 4 — Decide whether a custom size is actually needed

Custom dimensions and intermediate sizes can be produced, but only subject to technical feasibility and sample approval — they are not a standard catalogue item and should not be assumed available without confirmation. Before requesting a custom size, it is worth checking whether an existing standard format solves the design intent, since standard formats avoid the additional feasibility and sample-approval step. Where a custom size is genuinely required, provide the target dimension, tolerance expectation and quantity as early as possible.

Step 5 — Confirm colour alongside dimension

Colour and dimension should be confirmed together rather than sequentially, particularly if a custom RAL reference is being considered: non-standard colours carry a 400 m² minimum order and require technical evaluation and sample approval, which can affect programme if left until after dimensions are finalised. See colours and surfaces for the standard six-colour range.

A worked example of the sequence

Consider a project targeting a broad, calm elevation with minimal joint lines, at a scale that suggests a large panel format. Step 1 points toward one of the double-skin families rather than the compact single-skin panel, since the design intent calls for larger panel faces. Step 2 means checking the two double-skin format lists: the heavy-duty family's largest format, 500 × 1,200 mm, may match the design intent better than anything in the 18 mm thin double-skin range, which tops out at 400 × 1,000 mm. Step 3 brings the façade engineer in to confirm that a 30 mm panel at that scale is appropriate for the building's height and wind exposure. Only once family, format and structural feasibility are aligned does it make sense to move to Step 5 and lock in colour. This order — design intent, format list, structural coordination, then colour — tends to produce fewer late changes than starting from colour or starting from an assumed format.

Common dimension-selection mistakes

The most frequent issue is treating panel dimension as a free variable and only checking it against the standard format list once drawings are advanced, which can force a late redesign of the joint grid. A related issue is requesting a custom size without first checking whether a standard format already achieves the same visual result — since standard formats avoid the additional feasibility and sample-approval time that custom sizes require. A third common issue is finalising the façade drawing before confirming format availability with the supplier, rather than treating the two as a single coordinated step.

Working with mixed formats on one building

Larger projects sometimes use more than one panel format — for example, a different format for a ground-floor feature area versus upper-storey elevations. Where this is the intent, each format should be checked independently against the standard lists above, and the transition detail between formats (and potentially between families) should be resolved by the façade engineer, since it is a genuine design and structural decision rather than a simple visual choice.

Documenting the confirmed dimension in project records

Once a format is confirmed, recording the exact figure — for example "400 × 1,000 × 30 mm, Heavy-Duty Double-Skin family" rather than an approximate description — in the project's specification and drawings avoids ambiguity at later stages, particularly if the project changes hands between design and construction teams. This is a small step that noticeably reduces the risk of an incorrect assumption being carried forward into procurement.

Putting it together in an enquiry

A dimension enquiry moves fastest when it states: intended panel family, target format(s) against the standard list (or the custom dimension if genuinely required), estimated façade area, and colour intent. This is exactly what the project enquiry form is structured to capture, and it lets the response focus on feasibility and lead time rather than re-asking for basic parameters.