Our aluminium shadow gap profiles come in up to four standard finishes, typically mill, silver, black and white, depending on the profile. Most can also be powder-coated in any RAL colour on request. Choose white or a matched RAL colour when the profile should disappear into a painted surface, black when the reveal should read as a deep, crisp line, and silver or mill where the aluminium itself is meant to show.
Not every finish is offered in every profile family, so the choice is part design and part availability. This article covers both.
The five options
| Finish | What it is | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Mill | Aluminium without a decorative coating | Profiles where the metal edge is acceptable or the profile is mostly concealed |
| Silver | A silver-coloured aluminium finish | Skirting and floor profiles where a visible metal line is wanted |
| Black | Black finish | Reveals that should read as a strong, dark line; dark interiors |
| White | White finish | White ceilings and walls where only the shadow should show |
| RAL | Powder-coated in a chosen RAL colour on request | Matching the wall paint, or a deliberate accent colour |
The product data does not state the surface treatment behind most standard finishes. If the treatment matters for your project, ask us about the specific profile.
How each finish reads in a reveal
A shadow gap is mostly shadow. The finish affects the edges you see and, in LED profiles, the line you see when the light is off.
- Black deepens the shadow. The gap reads as a clean dark line even in a bright room, and it sits well with black window frames, door hardware and fittings.
- White softens the line. With a white ceiling, a white profile lets the shadow alone define the reveal.
- Mill and silver have a metallic sheen that catches the light along the edge. That suits skirting and floor profiles where the aluminium line is part of the design.
- RAL lets the profile take the wall colour, so the reveal reads as shadow alone, or a contrasting colour when the line should be noticed.
- LED profiles take a clip-in diffuser, and the diffusers in our range are matt white. When the light is on, the diffuser is what you see. The profile finish matters most at the edges and when the light is off.
Judge a finish in the light of the room it is going into, not on a screen or under showroom lighting. A black edge that looks crisp beside a south-facing window can look heavy in a low, dimly lit corridor, and a white profile that disappears against a white ceiling will show as a line against a darker wall colour. Hold a finish sample at the actual junction, next to the actual paint, before the finish goes into the specification.
What each family offers
Standard finishes are set per profile, so check the product page of the exact profile you specify. As a guide to the range:
Ceiling profiles
Most ceiling profiles are supplied in mill finish, white and black. AST14_12 also comes in silver. The slim LPA126, with its 6 mm shadow line, comes in mill finish and black, with RAL colours on request. A few ceiling profiles list RAL colours on their product pages; for the others, ask us.
Wall concealed profiles
Most wall concealed profiles are supplied in mill finish. The exception is ASP116, a 60 mm wall shadow gap profile supplied in silver, black and white.
Floor profiles
Floor shadow gap profiles are supplied in mill finish together with silver, black or both, depending on the profile, and most list RAL colours on request. White is not among the standard floor finishes, so a white floor line is specified as a RAL colour. A few floor profiles are listed in mill finish only.
Skirting and accessories
Aluminium skirting is supplied in silver, white and black with RAL colours on request, and several of the taller skirting profiles also come in mill finish. The matching corners, connectors and end caps are listed in silver, white and black, with RAL colours. Specify accessories in the same finish as the skirting they belong to.
Matching finishes across a project
A project often uses several profile families: a ceiling reveal, a floor line or skirting, perhaps a wall reveal around a door. Using one finish throughout ties the details together, but it only works if that finish exists in every family you need.
- Black is the easiest finish to carry through ceiling, floor and skirting, because it is standard in most of these families.
- White is standard on most ceiling profiles and on skirting, but not on floor profiles, where it is specified as RAL.
- Silver is standard on skirting and many floor profiles, but only on a few ceiling profiles.
- Mill is the common finish across ceiling, wall and floor profiles, but not on every skirting profile.
If one finish is not available everywhere, decide which surfaces matter most to the design and where a RAL colour can close the gap.
Ordering a RAL colour
Most aluminium profiles can be powder-coated in any RAL colour on request. To avoid back-and-forth:
- State the RAL code in the specification and on the order, not a colour name.
- List every component that should be coated, including the corners, connectors and end caps that go with skirting runs.
- Ask early. Delivery dates are confirmed with every quote, and a coated finish should be in that quote before the programme is fixed.
- Check the product page. Where RAL colours are listed for a profile, the option is confirmed. For other profiles, ask us before the finish goes into the drawings.
Distributors who want to offer the full finish range to their customers can read about our partner programme. Contractors and other trade buyers can request a free sample box with profile sections and finish samples.
