Stone Cladding

Because of the complexity of these products,  we have constructed another website dedicated to the whole aspect of both stone and brick cladding. It has  huge content much more than can be shown on this site, if you would like more information then please visit our other site at http://www.Clad.it

Re-Constituted Stone  Cladding, what is it ?

Stone cladding in its natural form is exactly how you imagine it to be, mechanically sawn or split tiles which can be bonded to almost any surface, however in some applications it can be very difficult to use, for example large surface areas are a problem because of colour control. This is where reconstituted stone is an advantage.

 Reconstituted stone is a man made product using crushed natural stone as the main bulk filler, lime is added to give strength along with additional mixers and fillers to give it superior waterproofing properties and colour uniformity.
The main advantages of using a reconstituted stone is that a greater control of colour can be achieved consistently over large areas which is not always possible using stone in its natural form. Also sizes and shapes can be managed much better allowing for a greater degree of layout styles during construction. Because the face is less 'granular' than hewn stone, it is more resilient to the elements and colour degradation. Also the consistency of the manufacturing process means additional purchases can be used with confidence on later property add-ons or extensions knowing that a full colour/style match can be achieved, this would be just about impossible with natural stone once the original stock has been used.

The owners of this old farmhouse had originally decided to have all the exterior walls painted, as such no allowances had been made in the preservation of the brickwork etc by the builders.
Unsightly concrete lintels had also been used as it was assumed they would also be rendered & painted over.
After a very careful inspection by one of our restoration team surveyors, it was suggested that the rear elevation could be restored back to the original brick construction.
The owners liked this possibility partly because they had plans on installing a natural stone & brick patio surface within the courtyard
It was felt that the natural appearance of the brick would compliment and transform the whole area.

Utilising the latest in water and abrasive cleaning technology, years of paint layers and grime were carefully removed.
Old reclaimed brick was sourced for the repairs. This same brick was sent off to be cut into thin slips that were bonded onto the lintel areas with specialist epoxy resins.
After curing they were pointed using a lime based mortar.
The owners came up with a rather clever way of using a millstone that was laying around the yard
Once cleaned it was placed into the wall as a feature
(it also acts as an air vent for the toilet air flue)

The entire brick surface was then treated with "Clearshield" water repellent

Years ago the other elevations of the farmhouse had been rendered and painted it was decided that the best plan of action for these areas would be to repair and make good the render
Wash down to remove delaminated paint then prime, mask windows etc and treat resin coating
A breathable spray applied fine textured high performance coating.

       
As you can see quite a lot of preparatory work has to be undertaken before the final finish can be applied. Non corroding stainless steel mesh has been added to provide a good foundation for the application of repair render.

   
Cohesion has been lost and shrinkage has caused this render to fail beyond any financially viable repair options.

           
Before and afters

       
removal of patched block and brick and restored window area


   
Stone Cladding Brick corners. Utilising existing features like this millstone (now an air flue)