Professional installation is recommended.
For the best results, we would strongly recommend that a skilled tiler or stone mason installs Stone Sales cladding products.
You and/or your tradesperson are also welcome to visit our showroom at 17 Carsegate Road, Inverness, IV3 8EX to see examples of finished walls.
Installing Stone Sales Cladding:
Once ready to start installing the stone, please ensure that you open all the pallets and taking into consideration that you should have ordered around 15% extra (this would be to enable you to make your final selection more easily by removing shapes and colours for waste cutting or complete removal). Ensure that you intermix the crates/pallets and the layers. DO NOT WORK FROM JUST ONE LAYER/PALLET AT A TIME.
Ensure the front and rear of each piece is free of dust, dirt, sand, and loose particles. When necessary, wash them completely. They can be power washed but keep the nozzle at least 300mm from the face.
Never use acid cleading agents to clean the face of the stone.
If cleaning agents are needed, please select a natural detergent that is non-corrosive and non-acidic to remove build-up in problem areas. Always patch test before using.
When installing, certain materials will need to be dampened on the back, especially in a hot environment. This prevents the panel from pulling moisture from the adhesive, allowing it to cure naturally and with a stronger bond.
Select a tile adhesive that meets or exceeds local building regulations and mix per the manufacturer’s instructions. We strongly recommend at the very least the equal of Lacticrete MVIS Masonry Veneer Mortar or Ardex X77.
When fixing the stone it is essential that the substrate and all parts of the back of the stone are covered to a compressed total maximum bedding thickness of not more than 18mm.
You may need to fix a baton near the base to take the weight until the adhesive has dried.
Apply adhesive onto the receiving substrate using a 6mm*9mm or 12mm*12mm notched trowel. Back butter using the straight edge of the trowel to key a thin coat of the adhesive covering the entire back of the veneer units to provide full bedding to the veneer. Place and press the cladding into the notched mortar bed and adjust to the desired position. Clean any excess mortar on the sides of the stone or tile veneer.
It is important to use a notched trowel to spread the tile adhesive on to the wall.
Applying the adhesive to both the back of each stone and the wall ensures the maximum possible adhesion to your wall surface, making sure that all gaps, voids, and cracks are filled.
Press each stone into the adhesive, rotating slightly, forcing some of the adhesive to squeeze out freely. Any adhesive forced out beyond the finished joint or on the panel itself must be removed immediately before the adhesive is allowed to set. Tight joints will provide a neater appearance. Be sure not to allow any of the adhesive to harden on the surface of the panels as this will hinder the clean up process.
If there is to be pointing between each stone, then use a semi hard foam which you can cut into squares to keep a uniform distance between each stone and making it easier to remove the spacers later due to its flexibility.
Tools and Materials needed:
- For cutting and modifying Stone Sales cladding, a wet saw with a continuous rim diamond blade is required and should tilt if mitre cuts are necessary; these are usually available for hire daily from large equipment hire firms in your area. Please note that in most cases, we supply ‘L-shape’ corners so no mitres would need to be cut.
- An angle grinder may be used to notch out the back of the rock panels to fit around small protrusions in the walls such as pipes, steelwork etc.
- Notched steel trowel.
- Scraper
- Stiff wire brush
- Masonry brush
- Large sponge
Preparing for your substrate installation:
Stone Sales Cladding weighs up to approximately 90kg per m2 so therefore it is critical to ensure they are fixed to an appropriate substrate to ensure a successful installation. Stone sales cladding may be applied over any masonry surface, standard concrete block, brick, cement, etc. Painted surfaces must be sandblasted or otherwise stripped of paint. If a new wall needs to be built of a thinner and lighted substrate then Hardie Backerboard (6mm or 12mm) for internal walls, or an exterior tongue and groove exterior grade board. Knauf Aqua Exterior Boarding could also be used for external walls.
Please consult your building authority with any specific questions relating to the local authority building codes.
Installing over open stud walls:
Stone Sales cladding can be installed over open stud walls using Hardie Backerboard (see above).
Installing over standard concrete block, brick, or concrete:
First ensure that the surface is clean and free of any foreign parts, including paint that may interfere with the bond between stone and substrate. If the substrate is uneven or not plumb, then this should be rectified before proceeding. **special note for prefabricated concrete tilt-up construction – all release agents must be removed from the concrete surfaces prior to Stone Sales Cladding installation. **
During the installation of Stone Sales cladding, it is very important to wash down as you work, the adhesive can fall onto the face of the stonework as its being trowelled onto the wall above and finger marks of adhesive can be left on the face of the strong as you handle the product which can leave unsightly marks when dry.
While the adhesive is still wet use a wet sponge to dampen the adhesive on the surface of the stone then use a stiff scrubbing brush to remove the adhesive followed by another rinse with the sponge using clean water.
Weather Conditions:
When installing externally, the correct protection should be taken to cover the installed wall with tarpaulins or temporary shelters from rain. IF the weather is hot, damp hessian sacking/sheets should be used to over the stone walls thus allowing the adhesive to set slower.
Please read and adhere to the adhesive suppliers’ recommendations regarding adverse weather conditions.