Compare the material with the room’s daily demands: cleaning, humidity, panel size and the finish the operator expects to keep.
A restaurant screen is touched by guests, wiped by cleaners and viewed under changing light. A hotel lobby divider may sit beside an entrance where humidity and outdoor contaminants reach the interior. A material sample gives only a partial picture of either situation.
The choice between stainless steel, cut aluminium and wood should begin with those conditions. The pattern can then be developed around a material that suits the room. For commercial projects, this changes the comparison: a low initial price can become less attractive when it brings awkward cleaning, finish repairs or difficult replacement.
The first decision
Write the maintenance brief before the material schedule
Start with the operator’s cleaning routine. Record the products used, how often the screen will be cleaned and whether staff can reach both faces. Fine latticework has many edges and intersections. A pattern that looks delicate in a rendering may take considerable time to wipe by hand.
Next, identify moisture and exposure. A dry, conditioned lounge has different requirements from a pool-side passage or an entrance near the coast. The label “indoor screen” should not hide those differences.
Include the likely contact: luggage, chair backs, service trolleys or occasional hand contact. Ask for a representative finished sample and assess it beside the actual furniture. Photographing a small swatch under studio lighting will miss the reflections and marks that appear on a full module.
For a Xinmao screen brief, put these observations beside the module dimensions and intended finish. This gives the designer and fabricator a common basis for comparing proposals, without assuming that a familiar material will behave well in every room.
Material behaviour
Where stainless steel earns its place
Stainless steel is a strong candidate when a project needs a refined metal surface, slim detailing and a durable connection between the pattern and its frame. Architectural mesh commonly uses 304 or 316. The grade still needs to match the exposure; a decorative colour does not settle that choice.
Its corrosion resistance depends on a chromium-rich passive surface. Contamination, surface condition and weld finishing affect performance. Agree a finish and cleaning plan for the actual exposure; where roughness is specified, state the measurement method and acceptance limit. A universal Ra limit is not established here. Technical reference — BSSA, surface finish in stainless steel design; guidance, not a batch test report.
Visible scratches and fingerprints also belong in the discussion. Assess the proposed texture and reflections on a realistic sample, and agree how damaged sections will be repaired or replaced. Stainless steel should be specified with a maintenance plan; “maintenance-free” is an unhelpful promise.
A short selection map
| Material | Useful when the brief asks for | Resolve before ordering |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel | Metallic finish, slim members and durable fabrication details | Grade, visible marks, weld finishing, weight and cleaning access |
| Cut aluminium | Lighter modules, colour options and patterned sheet construction | Alloy, temper, stiffness, cut-edge finish and thermal movement |
| Wood | Natural grain, tactile warmth and joinery-led detailing | Actual wood product, moisture movement, coating care and fire evidence |
Handling & structure
Aluminium reduces weight. The pattern still needs support.
“Carved aluminium” or “aluminium engraving” describes fabrication, rather than a complete material specification. Identify whether the proposal is a cut sheet, a routed plate or an assembled profile system. The alloy, temper and finished thickness should be stated.
Hydro’s EN AW-6063 extruded-product datasheet (Rev. 4, March 2023, p. 2) lists typical properties at 20°C: density 2.70 g/cm³ and elastic modulus 69 GPa. These are reference values for that alloy, not guaranteed properties for every aluminium sheet, temper or finished screen. Technical reference.
Large openings, narrow connecting strips and long unsupported edges need review. Folded returns or a perimeter frame may be appropriate; the required detail depends on the design and loads. Ask the fabricator to assess the finished pattern before the cutting file is released.
Movement matters outdoors. Using the same datasheet’s typical coefficient at 20°C, α = 23.5 × 10⁻⁶/K, a freely expanding 2 m member with an assumed temperature change of 50 K gives ΔL = αLΔT = 2.35 mm. This constant-coefficient illustration is not a fixing-slot dimension and does not calculate restraint forces or establish behaviour over every temperature range. Technical reference.
Colour & exposure
Give the aluminium finish a performance description
For anodised aluminium, name the classification system alongside the colour. The Aluminum Anodizers Council bulletin describes Aluminum Association architectural Class I as 0.7 mil (about 17.8 μm) or thicker and Class II as 0.4–0.7 mil (about 10.2–17.8 μm). These are coating, not sheet, thicknesses. They are not interchangeable with another system’s AA thickness classes. Agree the applicable specification edition, sampling and acceptance method for the project. Technical reference — printed pp. 6–7.
These coating thicknesses do not describe the metal sheet. The selected alloy and preparation also influence appearance, so agree a physical colour range for the actual material.
Powder-coated aluminium needs a defined pretreatment and coating system suitable for the location. A RAL colour identifies a colour target, not adhesion or exposure performance. The QUALICOAT specifications provide an architectural-coating framework; identify the applicable edition, system, class and inspection criteria. This reference does not establish that Xinmao or a particular coating supplier holds a QUALICOAT licence.
For patterned screens, clarify how the cut edges and recesses will be finished. Build the maintenance and touch-up method into the proposal, particularly where users can reach the panel.
The traditional option
Wood’s warmth comes with a different maintenance brief
Wood has a legitimate role where grain and tactile character are central to the interior. Its properties vary with species and construction. Solid timber, plywood, MDF and modified wood should be evaluated separately.
Wood exchanges moisture with its surroundings, which can cause dimensional change. Grain direction, installed moisture content and joinery details affect the result. A dry sample is therefore insufficient evidence for a screen that will face changing humidity. Finishes require their own care schedule.
Modified wood can improve stability. That is a reason to request the actual product data, rather than assume every wooden screen will warp. Equally, conventional timber should not inherit the performance claims of a modified product.
Fire requirements need product and assembly evidence. Wood is combustible, but metal substrates alone do not establish a finished screen’s fire classification. Coatings, backing materials and the final construction must be considered under the applicable project requirements.
The project decision
Choose the screen material against the operating conditions
Compare the actual stainless steel, aluminium and wood proposals against the same cleaning, humidity, touch, repair and replacement requirements. For wood, identify the species or engineered product, coating and joinery. For metal, identify the alloy, finish, pattern and fixing details.
Choose the material that meets the operating brief with an acceptable maintenance plan. Natural grain and tactile warmth may favour a wood product; metallic finishes, particular fabrication details or lower module mass may favour a specified metal system. None of these preferences establishes universal superiority.
There is no need to make the whole room look metallic. The material decision concerns the divider’s job. A metal screen can sit within a warm interior, and its openness and colour should be evaluated with the surrounding finishes.
Xinmao’s screen and partition systems provide a relevant starting point for a metalwork brief. Request drawings showing the pattern, frame and fixing interfaces, then assess a sample with a representative edge and connection. Keep each material proposal comparable: include finish care, access for cleaning and the replacement route for an individual module.
Record the selection against the room’s actual conditions, samples, applicable assembly requirements and whole-life maintenance assumptions. Review alternatives on that basis rather than treating the material name alone as a performance guarantee.
Technical References and Scope
Sources checked on 15 October 2026. Published reference properties and worked estimates above are not Xinmao material-batch results or complete-assembly certification. Confirm the actual grade, product form, thickness, temper, finish, exposure and project acceptance requirements before ordering.
- BSSA: Importance of Surface Finish in the Design of Stainless Steel — qualitative design guidance.
- Hydro: EN AW-6063, Rev. 4, March 2023 — extruded products; p. 2 typical physical properties at 20°C, not sheet mechanical acceptance criteria.
- Aluminum Anodizers Council: Specifying Anodized Finishes on Aluminum — printed pp. 6–7, architectural coating classes.
- QUALICOAT: specifications index — consult the applicable edition; a reference is not evidence of a supplier licence.