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Specification guide

Re-Cladding Combustible PE Panels — Replacing with A2/FR

Why and how to replace combustible PE ACP panels with A2 or FR cores — surveying an existing façade, identifying the core, and re-cladding an occupied building safely. Alucobond Ghana, since 1977.

Why Re-Cladding Matters

After Grenfell, the question for any building with an older aluminium-composite façade is no longer “does it look tired?” — it is “what is the core?” A combustible PE core that was acceptable, or simply undisclosed, when the building went up is a live risk on a tall or occupied building today. Re-cladding replaces those panels with a fire-rated core — A2 (limited combustibility) or FR — and restores the façade’s appearance at the same time. Alucobond Ghana has surveyed and re-clad façades across Ghana since 1977, and the work starts with finding out what is actually on the wall.

Step 1 — Survey and Identify the Existing Core

You cannot specify a remediation until you know what you are replacing. A re-cladding survey establishes:

Core Identification

The existing panel’s core is identified — PE, FR or A2 — through the panel data sheets if they exist, sample inspection, or core sampling where access allows. A PE core is the priority case. This is the single fact that drives the whole project.

Sub-Frame Condition

The existing aluminium sub-frame, brackets and fixings are assessed for condition and whether they can be re-used or must be replaced. Years of weathering, movement and corrosion all matter here.

Cavity and Fire Barriers

The cavity behind the panels and the presence (or absence) of fire barriers / cavity stops are checked — a combustible cavity is part of the fire-spread problem the new panels must solve.

The survey output is an honest picture of the façade, documented, so the remediation is specified to the building and not to a guess. See the retrofit and re-cladding service.

Step 2 — Specify the Replacement Core

The replacement core is specified to the building’s height, use and occupancy:

  • A2 (mineral-filled, A2-s1,d0 to EN 13501-1) — the right answer for high-rise, hospitals and high-occupancy buildings, where limited combustibility is the requirement.
  • FR (fire-retardant, ~70% mineral filler) — where a B-class reaction-to-fire is acceptable for the building.

The core, its EN 13501-1 Euroclass and the coating are written into the specification, and the system — panel, sub-frame, cavity, fire barriers — is engineered together. The detail is in the PE vs FR vs A2 fire-safety guide.

Step 3 — Re-Clad an Occupied Building Safely

Most re-cladding happens on buildings that stay in use throughout — a bank, a hospital, an office tower cannot simply close. That changes the method, not the standard:

  • Phased zones. The façade is re-clad in sections so the building keeps operating and occupants are protected from the work.
  • Access engineered for occupancy. Scaffolding, hoarding or rope access is planned around entrances, deliveries and pedestrian routes.
  • Interim fire management. During the transition, the sequencing is planned so combustible material is removed and replaced in a controlled order, not left exposed.
  • Clean handover with the paper trail. The new panel data sheets and EN 13501-1 classification are handed over so the owner can prove the façade is now compliant.

What Re-Cladding Costs

Re-cladding is genuinely priced on survey, because the existing façade decides the work — whether the sub-frame is re-usable, the building height, the access, and the replacement core grade. The new panel material follows the same references as new-build: around GH₵315 per 3mm sheet or US$2–8/m² FOB material-only, with the installed figure built up from there. The full picture is on the ACP Cladding Cost Guide, and re-cladding can be combined with an upgraded anodised aluminium or new-colour finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my building has combustible PE cladding?

Through a façade survey: the existing panel data sheets if they exist, sample inspection, or core sampling. If the building’s ACP was installed without a core ever being named, treat it as unknown and survey it — an undisclosed core on a tall or occupied building should be identified, not assumed.

Can you re-clad a building while it stays in use?

Yes — most re-cladding is done on occupied buildings, in phased zones with access engineered around entrances and pedestrian routes, and with the work sequenced so combustible material is removed and replaced in a controlled order.

What do I replace PE panels with?

With a fire-rated core specified to the building: A2 (A2-s1,d0, limited combustibility) for high-rise, hospitals and high-occupancy buildings, or FR (fire-retardant) where a B-class reaction-to-fire is acceptable.

Can the existing sub-frame be re-used?

Sometimes — the survey assesses its condition, corrosion and fixings. Where it is sound it can be re-used; where it is not, it is replaced. The panel system is only as safe as the frame behind it.

Find out what’s on your wall. Alucobond Ghana surveys the existing façade, identifies the core and re-clads to a documented A2 or FR specification. Call +233 27 000 0844 across Greater Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Lomé, Togo.