Red Sandstone Exterior Cladding 

NASA Johnson Space Center Building 21, Houston, TX

Reminiscent of an Southwestern Desert skyline, Red Sandstone can be found all over the world in desert and dry areas. Colored by Iron oxide, Red Sandstone has a neutral warm red color. Red sandstone makes for great exterior cladding due to it’s durability and low maintenance requirements.  Backed by a aluminium honeycomb panel, Red sandstone can make a great exterior cladding for your next project.

For more information about red sandstone, visit stoneply.com, email info@stoneply.com or call 903-454 4630.

Red Sandstone Panels, StonePly Factory 

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership. Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post Red Sandstone Exterior Cladding appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

StonePly offers a variety of finishing texture options:

• Polished: A smooth, reflective finish.
• Honed: A smooth, non-reflective finish.
• Flamed: A rough thermal finish created by exposing the stone face to a high temperature flame then quickly cooling the stone in water.
• Sandblasted: A rough finish created by blasting the face of the stone with sand.
• Acid Washed: A rough finish created by applying an acid bath to the stone face.
• Waterjet: A rough finish created by shooting water jets across the face of the stone.

Jerusalem Beige Limestone 

Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas 

To learn more about StonePly texture options, call 903-454-4630, email info@StonePly.com or visit the website at www.StonePly.com
About StonePly
StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership. Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post StonePly Stone Cladding Textures and Finishes appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

Backlit White Calcutta Marble- Reception Desk 

Jamestown Properties, Atlanta, GA

Backlit stone highlights the beauty of natural stone. The backlighting is achieved by attaching the facing stone to a translucent polycarbonate or glass backing.

Backlit Stone Options:

• Onyx
• Quartz
• Marble
• Alabaster

Applications:

• Feature Walls
• Bar tops
• Desk fronts
• Column wraps
• Ceilings
• Floors
• Wall panels

To learn more about Translucent-backing StonePly , call 903-454-4630, email info@StonePly.com or visit the website at www.StonePly.com

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership.  Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post Baby got Backlighting: Translucent Stone Cladding for Countertops and Feature Walls appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

Jamestown properties, Atlanta, GA

White Calcutta Marble 

Bring the beauty and drama of backlit natural stone to your project. At StonePly Translucent, we take natural stone; marble, onyx, quartz and bond it to glass. We slice and polish it with diamond tools until it is thin. At less than a quarter inch thick, the stone becomes translucent. When backlit, the breathtaking depth of the stone is revealed.

Here are 15 backlit stone to show you the light:

Bookmatched Onyx

Book matching stone involves slicing a slab into two and then opening it up, like a book, to create two panels that mirror one another.

Onyx Breccia with Ammonite Fossil

Made from golden onyx. The voids are filled with a resin matrix and then the stone is sliced thin and polished.

Honey Onyx

Onyx is made up of translucent calcite crystals and is formed in caves, much like stalactites. The bands are formed as the mineral deposits grow over thousands of years.

Agate Agglomerate Stone

The panel shows the interior crystals and banding of the geode and agate. To create this panel, geodes are embedded in a resin matrix and then sliced into slabs bonded to a glass backing.

Agate Geode Stone

Crystals and geodes form a fascinating backlit stone that allows you to peer into the hidden beauty of the stone. The stone is an agglomerate of geodes and crystals.

Jade Green

The green color is from the mineral serpentine. Treasured for it beautiful green color, serpentine is formed from magnesium rich rocks. The Romans named the stone for its resemblance to a snake’s skin and its supposed ability to cure venomous snakebites.

Smoky Quartz

Pink Rose Quartz

White Marble with Blue Lighting

By changing the color of the backlighting, you can change the appearance of the marble.

White Onyx

Onyx is one of the more translucent of stones and backlights well. Illuminated onyx is great for furniture, feature walls, bar tops and fronts and custom light fixtures.

White Quartz Stone with Ammonite fossil

Ammonites were ancient sea creatures similar to the chambered nautilus. Over time, the voids in the shells filled with minerals that formed transparent crystals. Since they are a product of nature, all panels are unique.

Golden Tesserae

Suspended in a dark gray matrix create an effect similar to stained glass.

Translucent Pebbles in a grey resin matrix.

Rose Onyx

Lighting StonePly

It’s important to consider the application, translucency of the stone and  available space when designing a backlit stone surface. In most cases, Translucent Stoneply works with LED lights. They offer a long life, little or no heat and a compact size.  

To find out more about Translucent StonePly, visit stoneply.com, email info@stoneply.com or call 903-454 4630.

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership.  Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post 15 Backlit stones for StonePly Transparent Backing appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

Testing StonePly: Lightweight natural stone for private jets and commercial aircraft interiors

About StonePly for Airplane Interiors

Designers, manufacturers and outfitters of custom airplane interiors for private and corporate jets have found Stone Ply to be a useful way to introduce the luxury and high-end appeal of stone to their projects. StonePly is real natural stone, granite, marble, limestone or onyx on an aluminum honeycomb backing. StonePly offers a lightweight, strong and attractive real stone finish for airplane galleys, lavatories, flooring and tables. In addition to the beauty and uniqueness of natural stone panels for aircraft interiors, StonePly also offers custom marble and granite medallions, logos and emblems for use on floors, tables and partitions.

Testing StonePly for Aircraft Interiors

The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires certain materials be fire tested.  This page is a brief summary of StonePly’s test results and flame resistance abilities.  For additional information on testing of aircraft materials, refer to the “Aircraft Materials Fire Test Handbook” for a description of all FAA-required fire test methods for aircraft materials.

Fire Resistance of StonePly Lightweight Stone Panel for Aircraft Interiors

StonePly offers designers of aircraft interiors a non-flammable panel made up of a thin stone face bonded to a non-flammable aluminum honeycomb backing panel with a thin layer of high strength epoxy.

Vertical Bunsen Burner Test for Cabin and Cargo Compartment Materials 

Airplane Interior Test: Vertical Bunsen Burner Test for Cabin and Cargo Compartment Materials

Result: Passed

StonePly meets or exceeds the requirements of the test.  The tested StonePly aluminum honeycomb backed stone panels:

• Did not ignite
• Did not flame
• Did not drip
• Did not spread flame

Scope:

This is a test for airplane interior finishes. This FAA test method is intended for use in determining the resistance of materials to flame when tested according to the 60-second and 12-second Vertical Bunsen Burner Tests specified in Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 25.853 and FAR 25.855.

Samples were 3/4″ StonePly (1/4″ stone face and 1/2″ aluminum honeycomb), 3″ by 12″ samples.  

• Two samples of marble on aluminum honeycomb panels
• Two samples of granite on aluminum honeycomb panels

The StonePly stone panels were exposed to the flame from a 3/8-inch Bunsen burner with a 1550°F minimum flame temperature for 60 seconds.

Result:

No sample ignition, flaming, dripping or spread of flame.

The StonePly stone/aluminum honeycomb panel did not ignite, flame, drip or spread flame.

Airplane Interior Test: 45-Degree Bunsen Burner Test for Cargo Compartment Liners and Waste Storage Compartment Materials

Result: Passed

This is a test for airplane interior finish materials use in cargo compartments. It is a similar test to the vertical test listed above, except for the angle of the panel. StonePly stone panels meet or exceeds the requirements of the 45-Degree Bunsen Burner Test. Both granite on aluminum honeycomb and marble on aluminum honeycomb panels were tested. When tested, StonePly panels:

• Did not burn
• Flame did not penetrate any of the specimens
• Glow time of less than 1.5 seconds  (Less than the 10 second standard to pass)

Airplane Interior Test: Horizontal Bunsen Burner Test for Cabin, Cargo Compartment, and Miscellaneous Materials

Result: Passed.

This test method is intended for use in determining the resistance of materials to flame when tested according to the 15-second horizontal Bunsen burner tests specified in FAR 25.853. In this test, materials for airplane interiors are subjected to the flame of a Bunsen burner. Both StonePly granite on aluminum honeycomb and StonePly marble on aluminum honeycomb panels were tested.

Burn Rate: 0

• Did not ignite
• Did not flame
• Did not drip
• Did not spread flame

This document is produced in the interest of information exchange. While the contents are believed to be accurate and complete, StonePly assumes no liability for the contents, their completeness or use thereof.

For more information, visit StonePly.com, email info@stoneply.com or call 903-454 4630.

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership.  Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post Stone Cladding for Aircraft Interiors appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

Here are 6 white marbles to add sophistication to your Interiors:

Bianco Lasa Macchia
Features larges flowing veins of black color and thins fluid veins of grey.

Calacatta Extra
Features flowing splintering veins of silver.

Snow White
Features an ice-like appearance with pockets of grey crystalline veining.

Nesto Wave
Features thin dense sandy veins of beige and grey.

Ocean White
Features soft wispy grey veining.

Statuario Marble
Features wild sharp thin grey and black veining.

For more information about StonePly White Marbles, visit stoneply.com, email info@stoneply.com or call 903-454 4630.

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership. Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post Six White Marble Claddings to brighten your Interiors appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

When it comes time to consider your elevator interior, elevate your expectations with stoneply panels. StonePly’s Panels brings you the elegance of natural stone to your elevator interior. StonePly Panels are lightweight, customizable, safe and easy to install. 

Lightweight

StonePly stone panels with a Aluminium Composite Material Backing weights less than 4 pounds per square foot and panels are only up to one inch thick.  StonePly panels are perfect for elevators. 

Customizable

Stoneply can be cut into a variety of shapes and sizes. StonePly can also be made into medallions. 

Safe

StonePly’s lightweight reduces the weight load on the elevator.  Stoneply conforms to all major building and elevator codes and requirements. Stoneply’s panel are stable and will not warp from humidity and temperature changes. 

Easy to install

StonePly panels are prefabricated meaning installation can be done quickly and safely with minimal disruption businesses or construction sites. Elevator side panels are mounted on a Honeycomb backing and installed easily with Z-clip brackets. Floor Panels are mounted to an Aluminium Composite Material backing and adhered to the floor of the elevator cab.

Metropolitan Hospital

Mayotte Marble

East Harlem, New York City, New York

Padre Hotel

Bianco Carrara Marble

Bakersfield, California

StonePly stone panels can help your elevators rise to the occasion. For more information, visit stoneply.com, email info@stoneply.com or call 903-454 4630.

About StonePly

StonePly is the leading stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer. To meet its commitment to provide “any stone form anywhere in the world” StonePly maintains a global network of procurement in Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and the stone quarrying centers of the world. Offices, manufacturing and warehousing facilities are in Greenville, TX. Family owned and operated for over 25 years, StonePly is the oldest stone on aluminum honeycomb panel manufacturer and supplier under the same ownership.  Clients and commissions include NASA, The US Nuclear Regulatory Agency, US National Park Service, Rolex, Hyatt, Disney, Atlantis Resort, Four Seasons and others.

The post Elevate your Expectations with StonePly Panels for your Elevators appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

If you are involved with a stone cladding or facade project that needs restoration or you are an architect, engineer, owner or contractor tasked with designing or constructing a stone cladding project, you want to avoid problems. Several prominent buildings have suffered from the problem of marble facade failure, including the Amoco building in Chicago, the Finlandia City Hall in Helsinki, La Grande Arch and SCOR Tower in Paris and IBM Tower in Brussels.

So Why Do Some Marble Facades Bow and Warp?

Natural stone has been used for facade applications for centuries. But until relatively recently, the marble was always heavy 4″ to 8″ thick slabs. These stone panels did not bow, but they also placed considerable weight on the building. In the late 1950’s, the slab thickness was reduced to 1 1/2″ or so. This reduced the weight of the stone cladding, but introduced some new problems. One of these problems was slab bowing. Over time the facade slabs can bow to be either convex or concave. The attachment of the slabs, by kerf cuts and slots, tended to rely on the weakest property of the stone for attachment.

Where on the building facade do most stone failures occur?

The greatest amount of bowing is on south facing facades. Here the sun tends to cycle the stone cladding through greater temperature swings.

What stones fail, bow and crack in facades and cladding applications?

The marbles most susceptible to bowing are white marbles. These include Italian Carrara marble, but also marbles from Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Norway, China and USA. Marbles of the same variety, from the same quarry, can have a different propensity to bowing.

White Carrara

Arabescato

Limestone facade panels generally do not bow, but may expand out of their anchors.

What climates cause stone facade failure?

The problem with marble facades is not limited to one climate or one type of marble.  In the USA, buildings in several states have had problems. In Europe, there are building facades with bowed marble slabs from both the cooler climates of Finland and Denmark to the warmer climates of Portugal and Spain.  Bowed slabs occur in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

Why does the marble bow?

Certain marble slabs permanently warp in response to uneven heating and cooling and a moisture variation in the stone. Each day, the sun heats the panel face causing it to dry out and to expand more than the back of the slab. The inside face of the panel (against the building) remains cooler and more moist. When the crystals within some marbles expand, they do not return all the way back to their original size when cooled. The result is a gradual bowing or cupping of the stone facade panel with each heating/cooling and damp/dry cycle. In addition to the change in shape, the process weakens the stone.

In laboratory testing some 80 different marbles we have found the main external cause of bowing to be uneven solar heating with a moisture gradient. Various marble types respond in different ways to the cycles. This mostly depends upon the microscopic crystal patterns within a marble and how the grains are “locked” together.

What is the solution to marble cladding bowing and deterioration?

One solution is to use StonePly instead of slab marble. StonePly combines a thin 1/4″ layer of natural stone bonded to aluminum honeycomb backing. The StonePly panel relies on the aluminum honeycomb for strength and rigidity, not on the stone. Testing has proven that StonePly panels do not suffer the same thermal hysteresis problem as slab stone.

Tested and Proven

StonePly has been tested using the European procedure for testing stone slab bowing. In the test, the slab is partially submerged in water. The un-submerged face of the slab is exposed to radiant heat. The slab is subjected to repeated cycle of heating and cooling. In testing, 40 cycles are considered sufficient to show if the marble has a tendency to bow. After 200 cycles, the StonePly shows no discernible bowing or warping.

Laboratory Testing

Illustration of how stone panels are lab testing for bowing

 Real World Testing

Failure of Entergy Building panels

The panels on the Entergy Building failed. The owner replaced them with StonePly panels of the same stone variety and eliminated the problems.  You can view the case study here

Entergy Building Restored

For more information on StonePly panels please contact us at 903-454-4630.

AND HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The post Problems with Failed Stone Cladding and Deterioration of Marble Facades appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

THE STONE SELECTION

“Designers have a mental image of the stone look they want, but actually describing it is another story. And sometimes they won’t know it until they see it. A good stone façade provider is going to listen, interpret what you’re asking for and provide samples and suggestions. We help with finding the best stone, finish, attachment and detailing that works with the actual building you are designing.

StonePly offers the world’s largest selection of natural stone on honeycomb backing, and that makes the process of finding “the perfect stone” easier. We have stone from quarries all over the world, including some stones that are exclusive only to StonePly. Our goal is to help you find the ideal balance of a stone that is flattering to your particular design, durable and cost effective. If you have a particular stone in mind, we can start the process there. Providing a picture of a stone you like is a huge help too.”

White Carrara

Impala Black

Indiana Limestone

Perlato Svevo

THE ATTACHMENT

“StonePly makes stone panel attachment easier, stronger and safer. With the StonePly system, there are options in stone panel attachment and we like to show designers those choices and help them select the one that is best for the façade of their particular project. Do they need insulation behind the stone panels? Do they want a hurricane resistant stone cladding? Will it be an open joint rain screen cladding or a sealed joint system? Or does your project have a really unusual condition that needs a custom attachment method? We help you work through all that.”

Z-clip installation for StonePly panels

The concealed screw attachment method for StonePly panels

THE SURFACE FINISH

“The surface finish of the stone can make a huge difference in the appearance of the stone. Your options for stone surface finishes used to be limited to just polished or honed. Now there is sandblasted, flamed, waterjet and a host of other stone finishes available. You want a supplier who can offer you all of those finish options and who will work with you to find the best finish for your stone panel project. StonePly can do that and we are here to help.”

Polished Granite

Sandblasted Granite

Shop StonePly selection of stone panels here.

View Stone Façade specifications here.

Need assistance with your particular project or have a question? We are here to help. You can fill out our contact form or call one of our very informative specialists at 903-454-4630.

The post HOW TO: GET A GREAT LOOKING STONE FAÇADE FOR YOUR PROJECT appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

1. THE COLOR

Stones run the gamut from light to dark and all colors in between. Keep in mind that dark stones can get very hot to the touch in full sun. In areas where people can touch the stone, a black or dark brown stone may not be a good choice.

White Carrara

Impala Black

2. SURFACE FINISH

How a stone appears depends upon color, pattern and reflectivity. Color is made up of reflected light and the texture of the stone’s surface affects that. Polished stones tend to be darker, while sandblasted or flamed stones appear lighter. A black granite may appear deep black when polished, light gray when honed and an even paler shade of gray when flamed. When selecting cladding stones, make sure you see both the stone and the finish before you decide.

Polished Granite

3. PATTERN

Some stone a homogeneous in pattern. Others have a strong pattern or veining. When installed, the pattern should all run the same direction. Make sure to get this one right, or you could wind up with a hodgepodge of a pattern.

4. DON’T CRACK UP

When designing a façade, keep in mind that ordinary slabs can shatter and fall in a high wind, seismic or hail condition. StonePly features an aluminum honeycomb backing that is bonded to every square inch of the stone. It’s hurricane proof, large missile impact resistant and earthquake resistant.

Even in hurricanes, even in earthquakes.

5. HAVE A STRONG ATTACHMENT

The cladding panel should be permanently bonded to an aluminum honeycomb and fastened to the structure. Unlike ordinary slab connections that are only at the edges, StonePly connections are fast, super secure and engineered to last.

Aluminum Honeycomb Backing

Now that you know what to look for and design for in stone cladding project, here are a few projects to look at.

Attachment details can be found at Details

Specifications are available at Specs

For assistance with a particular design or attachment question, we are here and eager to help.

The post How to: FIND THE PERFECT STONE FOR YOUR CLADDING PROJECT appeared first on Stone Panel Information.