Position Paper on Oil-Canning: Specifying Wide Flat Panels in Metal Cladding

What is Oil-Canning? Oil-canning is associated with all thin sheet metal products and occurs in the wide flat portions of the cladding profile. It is seen as a series of standing waves, or regular bumps and hollows alternating along the flat length of the panel. This waviness, when viewed under certain conditions, can be undesirable aesthetically and may not meet with the owner’s expectations. The CSSBI wants to help avoid this situation. The cladding manufacturers are aware of the potential for oil-canning in the cladding profiles and can help minimize the effect. It is important for the proper steps to be taken during manufacturing and installation to produce a quality finished product; therefore, specifiers should insist on product from a reliable, experienced cladding manufacturer, like a CSSBI member company. Quality control, however, cannot end on the shop floor. The building project needs the cooperation and knowledge of everyone involved to enhance the quality of the finished job. Oil-canning is a phenomenon that can be managed if the following factors are considered at the beginning of a project.