There are different types of finishes which can be used on the outside of commercial buildings, multi-family dwellings and apartments. These finishes can be used for decorative purposes or weatherproofing or a combination of both. Below are some different types of exterior finishes:
- Stucco: This is a weatherproof and decorative finish which can be put directly onto bricks, blocks or metal laths. It comes in three different types of finishes. The first one is smooth stucco which has a slight texture on a smooth finish. Patterned stucco has patterns tooled onto a smooth stucco finish. The third is Pebbledash; this look can be achieved by putting on a coat of smooth stucco which is damp and throwing pebbles at it.
- Pebbles finish: This finish is applied by using cement mortar to paste small pebbles to the walls. This type of finish can be applied on an exterior facade. It can also be used in exterior landscaping for waterfalls for a beautiful look.
- Flakes finish: This material is used on exterior facades. It’s additionally used to add to the elevation treatment of a dwelling or commercial building. The flakes are put on walls with a trowel over a coat of adhesive. It is not used indoors because of even a small amount of flakes falling off inside over time is unsightly.
- Siding: Siding is used on the outside of a building over a wood cavity wall. It can be used as a decorative side effect but also as weather proofing. There are options such as wooden boards, but siding comes in vinyl, alumni and fiber cement board too. These options need less upkeep than wood siding does. Plus, some of the options can be painted for a more personalized look.
- Tile cladding: tile comes in granite, glazed, marble or vitrified tiles. It comes in different shapes and colors. Where it is used depends on what types of tiles can be applied to the building.
There are lots of choices for exterior finishes to make a commercial building better looking and more rent-able.