HPL exterior cladding, fitted across Delhi NCR
HPL is the answer when you want a timber elevation without the maintenance, or when the wall is going to get knocked. It is a solid compressed panel rather than a skin over a core, so it does not dent and it does not ripple.
Where HPL earns its cost
HPL is kraft paper soaked in phenolic resin and pressed solid under heat, with a UV-cured decorative face. The colour runs through a real material rather than sitting on a coating, which is the whole reason it behaves differently from ACP on a west wall.
Wood-finish elevations
The most common reason people ask for HPL. The wood reproduction is convincing at street distance and it does not need oiling, sanding or sealing every second year the way real timber cladding in Delhi does.
- Panel
- 6mm or 8mm exterior grade
- Fixing
- Visible rivets in matching colour, or concealed
- Best for
- Kothi elevations, entrance walls, balcony bands
Entrance walls and gate faces
Anywhere at ground level that people brush past, trolleys hit and vehicles reverse into. A dent in an ACP panel is permanent and visible from the road. HPL takes the same knock and carries on.
- Surface
- Through-body colour, scratch resistant
- Cleaning
- Wipes down, no coating to wear off
- Best for
- Porches, gates, lift lobbies, plinth level
Soffits and balcony undersides
The face you look up at from below, where a warped or sagging panel is obvious. HPL is rigid enough to span between rails without bowing, so soffits stay flat.
- Frame
- Aluminium rails, ventilated cavity behind
- Detail
- Open or closed joint depending on the look
- Best for
- Balcony soffits, canopies, projections
Mixed ACP and HPL facades
Very often the right answer commercially. HPL on the feature wall and the entrance where it will be touched and looked at closely, ACP over the larger plain areas where nothing touches it. You get the finish where it counts without paying HPL rates for the whole building.
- Approach
- HPL on feature areas, ACP on plain runs
- Detail
- Junction lines set out to align
- Best for
- Larger elevations on a fixed budget
For plain runs and larger areas, acp cladding usually works out better per sq ft. Where the elevation should be glass rather than panel, see structural glazing.
How it differs from ACP, in practice
It does not oil-can
ACP is a thin aluminium skin over a soft core, and a thin skin ripples in flat afternoon light. HPL is a solid compressed board. It stays flat, which is why it reads better on a large uninterrupted wall.
Colour stability
The decorative face is UV cured and the colour is part of the panel rather than a coat sprayed on top. On a south or west wall, where a polyester-coated panel starts chalking within about three summers, HPL is still holding.
It needs room to move
HPL expands and contracts with humidity, more than aluminium does. The fixing holes have to be oversized with sleeves so the panel can move against the frame. Fix it tight at every point and it will bow by the second monsoon. This is the single most common installation fault we are called in to correct.
The cavity behind matters
HPL is fitted as a rainscreen: an aluminium sub-frame holds the panel off the wall with a ventilated gap behind it. Air moving through that gap is what dries the wall and keeps the panel stable. Sticking HPL flat on to plaster defeats the whole system.
What it costs
₹325 to ₹350 per sq ft, fitted
Supply and fitting, before GST. It runs above ACP because the panel itself costs more and the sub-frame has to be set out more carefully to allow for movement. On a mixed elevation we quote the HPL and the ACP areas separately so you can see exactly what the upgrade is buying.
Send sizes for a firm rate →What moves the number
GST extra. Scaffolding, where it is not already standing, is quoted as a separate line.
HPL work we have done
Ask for photos of work near you and we will send a set on WhatsApp.
Site visit and survey
We look at the wall, check how flat it actually is and work out where the sub-frame can be anchored. On an existing building we also check what is behind the plaster, because an anchor that only grips render is not an anchor.
Sub-frame and panel setting out
Aluminium rails fixed and levelled with a ventilated cavity behind. Panels are set out first on paper so the joint lines run through and the cuts land where you would want them, not wherever the sheet ran out.
Fixing and finishing
Holes oversized with sleeves so every panel can move, fixings in a matching colour where they are visible, edges and reveals trimmed. Then the film comes off and the elevation gets a wash down before handover.
Questions we get on every hpl exterior cladding job
What does HPL cladding cost per sq ft?
Between ₹325 and ₹350 per sq ft for supply and fitting, before GST. That is above ACP, because the panel costs more and the sub-frame takes longer to set out. On mixed elevations we quote HPL and ACP areas separately so the difference is visible.
Is HPL better than ACP?
It is better at some things and dearer at all of them. HPL does not dent, does not ripple, and holds colour longer in direct sun, so it wins on feature walls, entrances and anything at hand height. ACP is lighter, cheaper and perfectly good over large plain runs. Most jobs we do end up using both.
Does HPL fade in Delhi sun?
Far less than a coated panel. The decorative face is UV cured and the colour is part of the board rather than a spray coat. On a west-facing wall a polyester-coated panel typically starts to chalk within about three summers; exterior-grade HPL is still holding well past that.
Why do some HPL panels bow after a year?
Because they were fixed too tightly. HPL moves with humidity and the fixing holes have to be oversized with sleeves so the panel can slide against the frame. Screw every hole down hard and the panel has nowhere to go, so it bows. It is the commonest HPL fault we are asked to put right.
Can HPL be used indoors?
Yes, and it is often used on lift lobbies, reception walls and corridors for the same reason it works outside: it takes knocks and wipes clean. Interior grade costs less than exterior grade, so tell us which side of the wall it is going on.
Do you work with Fundermax and other HPL brands?
Yes. We quote the panel by brand, grade and thickness so you can compare quotes properly. If a quote you are holding does not name the panel or say whether it is exterior grade, that is the first question to ask.
HPL quote
Send the elevation. We will survey it and price it.
A photo of the wall with a rough width and height is enough to start. The site visit is free anywhere in NCR, and we will tell you honestly where ACP would do the same job for less.