Metal carved insulation panels are designed to be installed by a small crew with ordinary tools — no crane, no mortar, no specialist trades. This guide walks through the standard dry-fix method we recommend to contractors receiving their first container.
Tools and Materials
- Cordless drill/driver and self-drilling screws (stainless or coated)
- Circular saw or angle grinder with a fine metal blade for cutting panels
- Level, chalk line, tape measure
- Furring strips: galvanized steel profile or treated timber battens
- Matching corner trims, J-channels, starter strip and neutral-cure sealant
Step 1 — Frame the Wall
Fix furring strips vertically at 400–600 mm centers, shimming until the faces sit in one plane — the frame, not the wall, decides how straight the finished facade looks, which is why panels work so well over uneven old masonry. Keep a strip at every panel joint line, wall corner and opening. On damp walls, add a breathable membrane behind the frame first.
Step 2 — Set the Starter Line
Snap a level chalk line around the base of the wall and fix the starter strip to it. The first course sits in the starter; every course above follows it. Ten minutes with the level here saves an afternoon of drift correction at the gable.
Step 3 — Hang the Panels
Start at a bottom corner. Seat the panel’s groove onto the starter, check level once more, then screw through the concealed tongue flange into each furring strip — never through the decorative face. The next panel’s groove locks over the tongue and hides the fixings. Stagger vertical joints between courses like real brickwork; the pattern is designed so staggered joints disappear.
Cut panels face-up with a fine metal blade, cut edges landing inside trims or corners. Leave a 2–3 mm expansion gap where panels meet trims and never force a panel into a channel — steel skins move slightly with temperature and need that room.
Step 4 — Corners, Openings and Sealing
Close external and internal corners with the matching trims, working bottom-up. Around windows and doors, run J-channel so cut panel edges slide in and water is guided out. Seal trim-to-frame junctions (not panel-to-panel joints — the interlock handles those) with neutral-cure sealant.
How Fast Should It Go?
An experienced two-person crew typically frames and clads 40–60 m² per day on straightforward elevations. First-time crews reach that pace by their second job — the interlock does the alignment for them.
Every Jinhaofeng container ships with an illustrated installation sheet, and our team answers site questions by WhatsApp at +86 186 1558 6932 — photos of the wall get answers the same day.