Safety first, then photos

A forklift truck, a delivery van or a load being moved can dent a sandwich panel or tear off a flashing in an instant. Before you start documenting, check that nothing poses a risk to people: that the panel or flashing is not sticking out, hanging on its fasteners or at risk of falling. If it is, cordon off the area and notify the person responsible for the building. If the impact occurred at a door, leave checking the door and its guide rails to a door service company. This guide does not replace internal safety procedures.

Document it straight away, before anyone fixes anything

Take photos as soon as possible, in good light and before anyone starts straightening the sheet or painting over the marks. A useful set includes:

  • a close-up of the damage with a scale, for example a ruler or tape measure;
  • a shot of the whole panel and the adjacent elements;
  • a wide shot of the wall with a reference point, for example a door or a corner;
  • a photo from the inside, if the damage is also visible on the other side;
  • the date, time and a short description of the incident.

A dent is easier to see in light falling from the side, so take several shots from different angles. Record who witnessed it and which vehicle or load was involved. Ruukki recommends that panel damage noticed during unloading should be noted in the delivery documents and photographed where possible. The same principle works well while the building is in use.

Source 1

Mark the location and make sharp edges safe

Mark the location so that someone else can find it without you: the gridline, door or room number, the height above floor level and the side of the building. If there are several areas of damage, number them and use the same numbers in the photos.

Torn sheet metal and a bent flashing have sharp edges. Cordon off the area with warning tape or a barrier rather than bending the sheet back. An open joint or a punctured facing can let water into the core. If rain is on the way, agree temporary weather protection with the person responsible for the building and record what was done.

Do not sand or paint it yourself

The urge to quickly paint over the mark with paint from a tin makes the later assessment harder. Sanding removes what remains of the factory coating, and a randomly chosen paint may adhere poorly to the substrate and leave a patch in a different shade. Kingspan recommends applying touch-up paint with a soft brush only within the scratch and not using aerosol paints. Balex recommends agreeing the choice of paint products for refurbishment with the panel manufacturer.

Do not straighten the dent with a hammer or push the panel from the inside either. Further deformation can damage the panel joint or delaminate the core from the sheet, and then a localised repair may no longer be an option. Leave the damage as it is and report it for assessment.

Source 4 Source 2

Enquiry for assessment: what to include?

In your enquiry, give the location of the building and of the damage, the date of the incident, photos and approximate dimensions. If you know the manufacturer, panel type and RAL colour, add them; if not, say so. State whether the damage is on a wall or the roof, at what height and whether the building is operating at that point. We repair wall and roof panels; we take on roof work after assessing access and the conditions for carrying it out safely.

On this basis, we will assess whether a localised repair of the facing and coating is enough or whether the panel or flashing needs replacing. A deformed flashing is usually replaced. If the damage occurred during another company’s work on site, state when it was noticed: before handover, it is easier to establish who is responsible for the repair. We agree the method, scope and price before work starts.

The documentation will help with an insurance claim

If the building is insured or the party responsible for the impact is known, the same documentation will help with an insurance claim. Check the policy terms and the deadline for reporting, and keep the photos as original files with the date they were taken. The panel manufacturer’s warranty may not cover such incidents: the Kingspan warranty certificate expressly excludes mechanical damage.

The description of the damage and the proposed repair scope that we prepare after the assessment can be attached to the claim documents. However, it is the insurer, not the repair contractor, that decides whether to accept the claim and the amount of compensation. We do not promise a payout or its amount.

Source 3

After the repair: how to reduce further impacts?

If impacts recur in the same place, a repair alone will not remove the cause. Balex and Ruukki recommend providing robust protection, for example impact barriers and plinths, in areas where facings are exposed to mechanical damage. It is worth reviewing forklift routes and manoeuvring areas at doors and loading docks.

Source 2 Source 1

Sources and scope of information

Checked on 24 October 2026. Based on the sources listed below. This educational content was prepared by Panel Montage. The procedure depends on the specific panel, coating, damage and manufacturer’s recommendations. This article is not an individual repair assessment or an instruction for working at height.

  1. Ruukki: sandwich panel installation instructions, CPL 025 PL, 12.2025, pp. 4 and 12 and part IV, maintenance (p. 22)
  2. Balex Metal: sandwich panel maintenance and washing instructions, 31.01.2024
  3. Kingspan: sandwich panel warranty certificate with annex on panel assessment, edition 11.12.2025 (v5)
  4. Kingspan: installation guide, chapter 5, inspections and maintenance, edition 08.12.2025 (v4)

Let’s start with photos

Show us the damage.
Let’s agree the next step.

Prepare a view of the whole panel, a close-up of the damage and the site location. If you know the manufacturer, coating type or RAL reference, add this information.

Prepare a repair enquiryTalk to the team