Both profiles clad walls perfectly well, and the choice usually comes down to appearance, the spacing of the rails behind, and what the building sits next to. Here is how they differ in practice.

Appearance

Box profile reads as a series of crisp, straight-edged ribs with flat pans between them. It looks modern and deliberate, and it suits commercial units, new agricultural buildings and anything where a clean line is wanted.

Corrugated has a continuous wave. It reads as softer and more traditional, and it tends to sit better against older buildings, in rural settings and where planning considerations favour a less industrial appearance.

Cover width and sheet length

We supply box profile wall sheets in CS32/1000 and CS34/1000, cut to length up to 12m. Our 3 inch corrugated wall sheets are made in the 13.5/3 profile with a cover width of 990.6mm and lengths up to 10m.

Those cover widths are close enough that neither has a decisive advantage on the number of sheets. The longer maximum length available in box profile is worth knowing about on tall elevations, where it can remove a horizontal lap altogether.

Thickness

For cladding we supply 0.5mm as standard, against 0.7mm for roofing. Cladding carries less load than a roof, so the lighter gauge is appropriate. Other thicknesses are available on request.

Rail spacing and stiffness

Box profile’s deep ribs make it stiffer along its length, so it can generally tolerate wider rail spacing. Corrugated’s shallower form is less stiff in that direction and prefers closer support. If you are cladding an existing frame with rails already fixed, that spacing may point you to one profile or the other before any aesthetic judgement comes into it.

Curves

If any part of the elevation curves, corrugated is the more forgiving profile. Box profile resists bending along its length and does not take a curve gracefully.

Matching an existing building

For extensions and repairs, matching what is already there usually outweighs everything else. Where the original profile is no longer a standard product we also manufacture bespoke and obsolete profiles.

Which to choose

Modern commercial or agricultural building, rails at wider centres, crisp appearance wanted: box profile. Rural or traditional setting, curves involved, or matching existing corrugated: corrugated. Both are available across our finishes and 16 colours.

See our steel wall cladding page for the full range, or ask us for advice on a particular elevation.