Types of Stones for Facades | Features and Placement

The exterior stone cladding includes an unlimited number of possibilities, as wide as types of natural stones exist. The differences are not only visible in their appearance but also in the way they are placed. Keep these tips in mind before deciding on the exterior cladding of your home. They are practical, useful and will save you some trouble.

Walls lined with Stone or Walls of Stone?

Natural stones have two very different uses, above all, according to the region where they are used:

Stone walls:

In areas near mountainous areas, stone is used as a construction system (stone walls), as well as in other areas we resort to brick. This is understood in light of the availability of abundant and inexpensive raw material.

Stone Cladding:

In regions further away from the centers that produce this raw material, it ends up using walls lined with stone (stone cladding), thus appealing to more decorative use. As a matter of common sense, marketing in thinner cuts has contributed to lower freight costs by greatly reducing the weights to be transported.

This simple fact has been one of the keys that allowed the stone walls to appear in places where it would have been previously unthinkable to see them.

In this way, the cladding of facades with stone has become widespread, which, according to the results seen, does not differ too much in appearance with the walls built entirely in that material.

Different Uses for Decorative Stones

There are no restrictions that suggest that decorative stone walls should be limited to certain locations. Today, seeing an interior stone wall is as common as an exterior wall cladding.

If we talk about surfaces, the usual thing is to place them on thick plasters. Likewise, this is not exclusive, since many tend to apply them directly on the brick without plastering.

From my point of view, if we are considering an exterior stone cladding, this form can lead to leaks through the open joints, which will later generate moisture on the walls.

If on the virgin wall we take the precaution of making a waterproof outer layer (water-repellent plaster), we have the possibility of protecting the walls from the aggression of the climatic agents.

It should be borne in mind that a wall with decorative stone cladding IS NOT NECESSARILY WATERPROOF, and if we do not want to drag a problem that later becomes almost impossible to solve, it is better to avoid it from the beginning.

Interior Stone Walls

The varieties of decorative stones offered in the market are infinite, both in types, colours and textures, as well as in measurements and thicknesses.

There are natural stones in large plates (flagstones, etc.) or small, of regular shapes. There are also rustic and irregular stones that generate totally different images, which allows you many options depending on the intention you are looking for in the design.

Cladding made of this material is not at all a façade heritage. More and more images of interior stone walls can be seen, with more than pleasant results.