Natural Stone Exterior Cladding
Protect your structures from the elements with natural stone exterior cladding
Natural Stone Cladding?
Whether you are looking to choose completely new exterior cladding for your commercial building or to repair damage to your existing cladding, it can have a significant impact on the aesthetics and value of your building. We can assist you in all stages of your project and recommend the best-suited contractors to carry out the repair or replacement of the cladding of your commercial building.
At the first signs of deterioration, it’s important to take action to prevent further damage from water infiltration. Waiting could cost you more in the aftermath of repairing water damage, such as decontamination of mold, the rebuilding of structures, etc. Repairing or replacing the exterior cladding helps to protect your building and ensure its durability. Therefore, it is recommended that you seek the assistance of a specialized exterior cladding contractor before major damage is caused to the thermal protection membrane or structural materials of your building.
Make your building as unique as you and your business
You’ll find a wide variety of exterior siding solutions on the market and your choice may become more complex than expected. How can you properly evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each material? The best option may be different for each building depending on your budget, the desired look, the association with the brand that you want to convey with a selection of colors, for example, and much more. Nevertheless, be aware that it’s wise to prioritize your choice of commercial exterior cladding by the protection it offers to the thermal envelope of your building.
The Pros And Cons Of Natural Stone Cladding
There are advantages and disadvantages for every building material dependent on your individual application. Here, we take a look at some of the pros and cons of natural stone cladding to help you decide if it’s a suitable material for your project.
THE PROS OF NATURAL STONE CLADDING
- The natural, unrivalled beauty
- Its extreme durability and long lifespan
- The extensive range of stone types, colors and formats
- Complimentary to other materials such as concrete and timber
- Offers various finish options to suit applications
- Provides a high level of insulation
- Can be used for a variety of applications, indoors or out
- It is weather and fire resistant
- Can be scratch and abrasion resistant
- May increase the value of your home
- Easy to maintain long-term
THE CONS OF NATURAL STONE CLADDING
- Requires a structural substrate
- Can be labor intensive and time-consuming to install
- A more expensive material than some cladding products
- Needs to be sealed for protection
- The use of strong cleaning products may damage the surface
- Can trap moisture behind the material if poorly installed
- Best installed by a professional rather than a DIY project
Stone cladding refers to materials that are attached to buildings to form an external surface, often used to increase aesthetics and provide a protective layer. Cladding is often used to enhance the structural integrity of buildings by transferring wind loads, rain, or snow to better balance the impact throughout the entire structure’s framework. Additionally, properly installed and designed exterior cladding is also adept at improving energy efficiency by reducing interior cold/warm air leakage. Claddings is most often seen as panels that are attached exterior of structures. Ensure a professional is implementing your cladding system as a poorly designed and implemented solution can lead to safety hazards such as cladding collapses or panels pulling away from the structure.
Natural stone exterior cladding protects your structure from a variety of elements that are known to commonly damage building structures. The most common element that affects your buildings is water. Moreover, water is the most difficult element to protect against. Cladding provides excellent protection by repelling moisture via a variety of techniques and materials including membranes, sealants, siding, and weather-stripping. Varying temperatures are also a well-known hazard to structure integrity. Cladding protects from extreme temperatures by creating thermal gaps that prevents the external temperature from permeating to the interior. Another element that impacts your buildings is wind. Securely fastened to the exterior to limit movement, natural stone exterior cladding protects your structure against high-wind events such as hurricanes or tornadoes. Finally, the sun is one of the most harmful elements to structures. Ultraviolet rays and heat from the sun can greatly deteriorate structures without a protective layer such as natural stone cladding. Failing building materials affected by the sun can easily provide moisture and temperature pathways into the interior of a structure. Stone cladding is the best way to protect your structures from the sun as plastic or wood cladding can degrade quickly from exposure.
As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages of natural stone cladding. The two main advantages driving people to choose natural stone cladding are its aesthetics and durability. Each piece has its own unique textures, color tones and imperfections making no two stone feature walls the same. A quality natural stone wall will weather well and last many years to come.
The main disadvantage of the stone, for some, is its heavy nature, demanding a structural substrate, and in some cases, additional fixtures. Constructing a structural wall for the cladding to adhere to may not be feasible in every situation. This can also increase the cost and the installation time.
It is best to seek advice before making your choice on any of the materials available on the market. With the help of experts, it will be easier for you to make an informed and justified choice and arrive at the optimal solution that meets your criteria.
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