Natural stone wall cladding is one of the most popular solutions for finishing facades. Depending on the stones type, it can give the building a traditional or more modern character. What are the advantages and disadvantages of such facade building materials?
The possibilities for using natural stone wall and other materials are endless – you can finish the entire building with stone wall cladding or use them only to mark certain parts of the building, such as the entrance to the house, terrace, recesses, or bays. You can use this wall cladding material for window and door treatments, including balcony doors. It also looks interesting on pillars and columns. Natural stones can be used in garden architecture – such as gazebos.
Properties of natural stone cladding
Using natural stone wall cladding is perfect for finishing a terrace, house entrance, highlighting arches, or bay windows. Its most important feature is its high weather resistant properties. It is not intimidated by heavy rain, humidity, and frost. Natural stone wall cladding is also durable material to heat – stone pieces does not discolor under the sun.
We can remove any dirt on it with commonly available cleaners. It is non-flammable and will last for many years, and the first signs of old age will only add to its beauty. Another feature of a natural stone wall cladding is its resistance to mechanical damage – it cannot be scratched or chipped too easily. Thus, we can say that this natural beauty material is almost ideal for finishing facades.
Natural wall cladding: wide choice means a variety of possibilities
We can find many different stone cladding types at building depots and manufacturers. The right choice will help us create a unique character and natural look, depending on the chosen material. There are imitations of uneven brick, traditional tiles, and even polished field stone. Uses of stone wall cladding give the walls nobility and make the house look richer. Properly applied stone can even optically enlarge or shrink a building.
Natural stone types or its artificial counterpart can be used for natural stone cladding. We can use it in classical style and in even the most modern buildings. The right type of stone will add an industrial rawness or minimalist elegance to a building. There is even a type of stone that imitates wood. If you want to create a mysterious and traditional look, you can use a stone imitating a white brick wall. Slated field stone will look more classic on the exterior walls. It is worth knowing that both artificial and natural cladding material have a similar weight, although some types of stone tiles may be lighter and thinner.
How to install stone wall cladding?
Before deciding on a particular type of natural stone wall cladding, it is worth finding out how to install them. Will we be able to do the job ourselves, or is it better to hire a specialist? The principles of install natural stone panels and artificial tiles are similar. Much depends on the stone wall we choose.
If they are narrow and small, and the building is not too large, you can lay natural materials on cement mortar. For safety, we can use special anchors every few layers. Since this material is quite heavy, it is best to apply it directly to the wall. When using natural stones for insulation, you should think about additional protection – in the case of laying stone on polystyrene foam, a good solution will be the use of double mesh and double the number of steel-core pins.
Dealing with very small and light stone slabs, you can mount them directly on the thermal insulation walls, but it must first be firmly attached to the wall, and have a reinforcing mesh in the adhesive mass.
