High pressure laminate (HPL) cladding is a type of exterior siding solution manufactured by layering kraft paper, wood, or other bio-based fibers impregnated with resins and bonding them together using extreme heat and pressure to create dense, homogeneous panels.
Often marketed as an alternative to vinyl, fiber cement, and timber siding, HPL is known for its high durability and impressive capacity to withstand the elements, while also delivering extreme design flexibility and aesthetic appeal.
As HPL continues to grow in popularity, architects are faced with an ever-expanding catalog of brands to choose from - few, however, stand the test of time quite like Pura® NFC by Trespa.
Pura® NFC by Trespa: A Commitment to Quality
Founded in 1960 and based in the Netherlands, Trespa International - part of the world-leading material technology group Broadview Holdings - is a pioneering manufacturer of high-quality cladding and decorative facade components. The company’s on-site NEHMO research and development facility brings together scientists from all over the world to continuously improve and develop products - including their signature Pura® NFC HPL siding.
A high-pressure decorative exterior-grade compact laminate, Pura® NFC by Trespa is processed by way of an advanced in-house developed manufacturing procedure that transforms natural fibers into high performance siding panels with a high impact and scratch resistance. Pura® NFC is designed to be used in a ventilated façade system and installed on top of battens or standoff clips, creating an air cavity in front of the load-bearing wall that facilitates continuous airflow, which in turn helps to prevent undue heat or moisture accumulation.
Rigorous Testing for Optimal Performance
As a building's first line of defense against the elements, it's imperative that cladding is able to withstand whatever nature throws at it. That's why Trespa conducts rigorous lab testing on all Pura® NFC products, exposing them to damaging climatic factors like wind, rain, and salty air to make sure they’re up for the task.
“We don’t just do the standard cycle testing that’s required, we do what’s called the Florida cycle test - that’s three thousand hours in a chamber with samples of the product exposed to what we consider the harshest conditions, which would be the Florida weather with the hurricanes and the rain and the heat and the humidity,” says Sue Sayles, West Coast Pura Account Manager for Trespa North America.
Samples are also exposed to the equivalent of a decade's worth of solar radiation using Xenon lamps during grayscale testing to ensure that their colors stay vibrant and unfaded over time, with Pura® NFC consistently receiving high marks. “Most companies in our business, they're happy with a standard of 3 to 3.5 out of 5, but we are far above that - we always come in around a 4.5 out of 5 after years of testing,” Sayles says.
In addition to passing stringent climatic testing, Pura® NFC also boasts a Class A fire rating under the ASTM E84 standard and recently underwent NFPA 285 compliance testing to ensure it meets high fire safety standards for a range of building types. ”That makes it a valued product for commercial projects, so we see this being used in residential applications, small commercial, and now it’s opened up to really all [commercial] projects,” says Dustin Nash, Purchased Products Manager at Acme Brick.
Straightforward Installation Process
All Pura® NFC products come with a tailored set of clips as well as color-matched profiles and fasteners, simplifying and streamlining the installation process for maximum efficiency. Trespa's curated selection of how-to installation videos further serve to make installation a breeze, especially for those already familiar with rainscreen systems.
And though Pura® NFC arrives prefinished, installers need not worry should they need to fit the panels for eaves or dormers, as the sturdy nature of Pura® NFC panels means they can be sawed and cut without splintering or shattering. “If you use a very high count diamond blade saw, you get a very clean cut,” says Sayles. “You also don't get the off-spray of particles like you would with, say, fiber cement, so it's not a personal safety hazard or an environmental safety hazard when cutting it.”
Long-Lasting, Low-Maintenance Solution
Pura® NFC was engineered with an “install once, and be done” mindset, with Trespa placing a high priority on longevity and ease of upkeep. After its installation, Pura® NFC is extremely low maintenance, giving your clients more time to focus on themselves and less things to worry about - a clear advantage over, say, conventional wood siding, which requires regular re-sealing, re-finishing, or re-painting to stay vibrant and act as a shield against the elements.
These impressive qualities are largely thanks to Trespa’s proprietary Electron Beam Curing process, a next-generation technology which utilizes high-energy electrons to create a smooth, closed surface that locks color in while making it difficult for dirt to build up. This reduces long-term maintenance requirements and ensures that your project’s facade remains vibrant for decades to come without the need for refinishing, painting, or replacement.
Any contaminants - such as salt, soot, or permanent marker - that do end up on the surface are easily removed via pressure washing. Even paint and graffiti are no match for Pura® NFC’s top-tier composition. “It's not meant to be painted, but if it was tagged, let's say, or graffitied, the graffiti will come off with acetone and there's no ghosting, it will not leave an outline,” says Sayles.
Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
For Trespa, sustainability is more than just a marketing buzzword, representing a fundamental component of their business model. “We are a very mindful, environmentally-friendly company,” says Sayles. “We have the Canadian and the US sustainable forest certifications. A low carbon footprint is another thing that we’re striving for, to become zero carbon, especially in our manufacturing in Europe.”
Trespa operations are powered by 100% green electricity and all of their panels are designed to reduce CO2 emissions. Pura® NFC products include anywhere from 58% to 70% natural fibers - of which absorb carbon as they grow and sequester that carbon until their decomposition - and are certified to PEFC™ standards that support responsible forest management practices.
When used as a component of ventilated façades, Pura® NFC panels help reduce a building's long-term heating and cooling requirements, improving energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions over a project’s operational lifespan.
Sizes and Colors
Pura® NFC by Trespa is available in three sizes - all of which are 0.31 inches thick - so as to allow for greater flexibility in their application, with the largest size also potentially helping to reduce installation times:
- Small (120.08 x 7.32 in)
- Medium (120.08 x 14.41 in)
- Large (120.08 x 21.50 in)
Pura® NFC is available in a diverse array of colors that fall under the Lumen and Wood Decors style lines.
Pura® NFC Lumen
First introduced in Trespa’s Meteon® line of cladding panels in 2015, the Lumen colors sport a smooth, matte appearance that gently diffuses light across the panel surface to create a soft, saturated hue that makes them extremely well-suited to the modern aesthetic palette.
“In a housing market that demands curb appeal, nothing speaks to builders and homeowners more than a product that combines beauty and long-lasting durability,” Todd Vezina, former commercial vice president of Trespa North America, previously told Acme. “The new Lumen colors ensure that homes and buildings will both stand out and stand up to nature’s biggest challenges.” Trespa offers three Pura® NFC Lumen options to choose from: New York Grey, Metropolis Black, and the newly-added Athens White.
Pura® NFC Wood Decors
Achieve the timeless look of timber siding - without subjecting your clients to the material's numerous maintenance requirements - with Pura® NFC’s line of Wood Decors, which currently comprises nine colors:
- Aged Ash
- Classic Oak
- French Walnut
- Mystic Cedar
- Romantic Walnut
- Siberian Larch
- Slate Ebony
- Tropical Ipe
- Western Red Cedar
High quality wood grain photos allow these planks to mimic the appearance of natural wood cladding without the need for regular re-staining, re-sealing, or re-finishing. “You get a wood look plank, it’s low maintenance, and you don’t have to do anything to it,” says Nash. “It’s great for situations where an architect might say ‘I’m really looking for a piece of wood, but I don’t want to have to go back and do all of those follow-on maintenance and follow-on items on a routine basis.’”
Click here to view a brochure containing photos of all Pura® NFC Lumen and Wood Decor samples.
Acme Brick: Your Go-To Distributor for Pura® NFC
As one of the southern United States’ primary distributors of Pura® NFC high pressure laminate siding, Acme Brick is your one-stop shop for all twelve decors and their accompanying color-matched system components.
To help reduce delays and keep your project on schedule, Acme also stocks the following colors at our Western Distribution Center in Carrollton, Texas:
- French Walnut
- Western Red Cedar
- Mystic Cedar
- Tropical Ipe
- Romantic Walnut
- Slate Ebony
- Metropolis Black
“An installer could come get it and have everything they need to pick it up in the morning and put it on the wall in the afternoon,” says Nash. “If you choose one of these stocked colors and the installer starts putting it up on the wall, and you really like it and wish that you could put it on some other areas, we have it stocked here locally so you could add on to it, or if there was a shortage in the order you can go pick up more materials. We have those shipping delays, those procurement delays extremely minimized.”
Pura®NFC in the Field: Project Spotlights
Though often marketed for residential projects, Pura® NFC graces the sides of many low-rise commercial properties as well - indeed, about 60% of the North American projects that use Pura® NFC are considered light-commercial or commercial.
Here are two projects that demonstrate the myriad of ways in which Pura® NFC can be employed.
Normandy Avenue Apartments
Inspired by contemporary Scandinavian architecture, the LRK-designed Normandy Avenue Apartments in Dallas feature Pura® NFC Aged Ash laid vertically on their street-facing façades.
Designed by LRK Architects and developed by VALIDUS development corp., the Normandy
Avenue Apartments are 21 luxury apartment units located in the heart of Dallas’ coveted Highland Park neighborhood. Validus CEO and developer Luis Gonzalez’s vision for the project was to create something wholly distinct from the typical architectural styles found in Dallas, ultimately settling on a contemporary aesthetic teeming with Scandinavian design elements.
Pura® NFC by Trespa in Aged Ash was selected to clad the building and create a warm, welcoming exterior; panels on the building's street- and courtyard-facing façades were installed vertically to help break up the surface and reinforce the project’s modern vibe.
Aside from aesthetics, the developer appreciated how straightforward Pura® NFC’s installation process was, citing the additional resources provided by Trespa. “The installation videos were great. My own framers learned the process and framed the building,” Gonzalez told Trespa in a previous interview.
Completed in 2021, the apartment complex was 100% rented in just five months - a testament to the project's favorable design, desirable location, and top-tier amenities.
Lewisville ISD Outdoor Learning Area Main Building
Pura® NFC in Tropical Ipe clads the exterior of this outdoor learning and programming building designed by Stantec for the Lewisville ISD.
Located on 84 acres of land supplied by the U.S. Department of Education, the Lewisville ISD Outdoor Learning Area (LISDOLA) main building was designed by international engineering and architectural services firm Stantec to serve as program headquarters for the LISD’s Department of Environmental Learning.
While natural wood might seem like the more traditional choice for such a project, Pura® NFC was selected in part thanks to its status as a durable and low maintenance material that performs well against the elements. The LISDOLA main building is clad in Pura® NFC Tropical Ipe, whose rich, reddish-brown color and tight grain help establish a visual connection to the surrounding landscape while simultaneously making for an extremely attractive and eye-catching design.
Completed in 2020, the LISDOLA building helps the LISD’s Department of Environmental Learning provide local first, second, fourth, fifth and seventh graders from around the district with foundational outdoor experiences, serving upwards of 10,000 students every year. The use of Pura® NFC will help ensure that the center remains in good condition for decades to come, allowing staff and students to focus their efforts on conservation, sustainability, and environmental stewardship.
Considering whether Pura® NFC is right for your project? Use Trespa’s visualizer tool to get a better feel for the product, click here to order up to five samples, or email Pura@brick.com for more information.