Perlato Svevo Marble
A beautiful addition to a hotel, casino, hospital, restaurant or office building is to add Perlato Svevo marble, which adds a classic and elegant touch to any structure. This guide provides an overview of this type of marble, where it can be used, and how StonePly offers lightweight, durable products made from this stunning Italian marble.

All about Perlato Svevo Marble
Marble is a natural stone that is made from metamorphosed limestone or serpentine that is then polished to create a lustrous appearance.  While marble can be found around the world, Perlato Svevo is quarried in Italy.

This type of marble tends to be beige in color as well as includes various shades of tan and cream and is partly filled with white calcite. It often contains small fossil fragments among the limestone.  It is often found with irregular coloring and offers a rich array of hues, making it ideal for many areas in a structure and serves as a beautiful complement to many architectural styles and materials.

Applications for Perlato Svevo Marble
This particular type of marble can be used for furniture, countertops, bar tops and flooring. Perlato Svevo marble can also be found in vanities, wall cladding, and signage as well as entryways, bathrooms, kitchens and fireplace surrounds. It can be used on the interior and exterior of a building because it is highly durable as well as resistant to grease and water.

StonePly Offers Perlato Svevo Marble
This beautiful marble is available as part of many products made by StonePly. These lightweight panels are made from marble but weigh just three and a half pounds per square foot. Yet, they are as durable as slab marble. The lightweight advantage reduces installation time as well as decreases transport and construction costs.

Since no mortar is necessary and the StonePly natural stone products require less insulation, StonePly’s Perlato Svevo marble further reduces the expense of including such a beautiful marble product to any type of project.  The structural load on the building is less yet it can still help the integrity of the structure by providing uniform weight as well as being hurricane, earthquake, and fire resistant.

StonePly provides this marble for all types of commercial applications, including remodeling and construction projects for hotels, casinos, resorts, restaurants, office buildings and government structures. Working with the StonePly team, the marble can be sized to fit your project, providing an ideal way to add this luxurious natural stone.

Get a Free Quote for Perlato Svevo Marble
To get your free quote on a custom StonePly product made from Perlato Svevo marble or to get more information about any of StonePly’s natural stone products, contact the StonePly team at 903.454.4630 or fill in our contact form.

The post Using Perlato Svevo Marble for your Architectural Project appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

Natural stone building cladding from StonePly.

Selecting Stone for Cladding Panels: Technical Characteristics
Behind the incredible stone product created by StonePly are a significant number of technical characteristics that make up this versatile, durable, strong and beautiful material. Built to be lightweight while displaying characteristically beautiful natural stone, this fabricated stone wall panel system is made of a thin natural stone layer that is glued to an aluminum honeycomb substrate. Here, we reveal more about the technical characteristics to help you select stone for cladding panels.

Technical Characteristics of Cladding Panels
Depending where in the country or world you plan on installing the cladding panels, you should probably consider some of the technical characteristics to understand what type of benefit they really add to your construction or restoration project.

For example, in some parts of the country and world, structures can be hit with hurricanes, thunderstorms, high winds or tropical storms while other areas experience earthquakes from time to time. StonePly has undertaken rigorous lab testing on its cladding panels to determine what it can withstand.

The results are phenomenal. First, hurricane force winds are no match for this material. It has been able to stay intact in 200mph wind speeds as well as survive large missile impact at 50 feet per second when the same test shatters regular 1½” granite. The epoxy composite and adhesive technology used to bond the thin natural stone to the aluminum honeycomb substrate is the same used on aircraft that flies at mach speeds.

In terms of earthquakes, common stone cladding systems put too much strain on a building, causing greater risk for structural damage and an increase in the potential for accidents and even fatalities. Replacing that common stone cladding system after an earthquake can become very expensive. In contrast, the lightweight stone panel cladding system is resilient and has been found to withstand significant seismic activity.

When considering regular natural stone or StonePly cladding panels for your project, these technical characteristics clearly set StonePly apart as the material of choice. The technical characteristics listed online also provide further data on lab tests that illustrate the strength, durability, and fire retardant ability of this material.

Technical Knowledge Bank
Our online library of technical information also provides a wealth of detailed technical bulletins, which further illustrate how the technical characteristics offer further benefits in terms of low maintenance and minimal cleaning, the ease of chip and crack repairs, blast resistance, LEED certification, water and severe weather resistance and more.

Our technical information on installation also illustrates the ease at which you can work with our cladding panels, including a simple and effective installation system.

Get a Free Quote for Stone Panel Cladding
After considering these phenomenal technical characteristics, it is easy to see why StonePly should be your choice for your next cladding project. In addition to our extensive knowledge bank and team of experts, another incentive is that we provide free quotes for your stone panel cladding project. You can get your quote or additional information by calling 903.454.4630 or by filling out our contact form.

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In considering exterior cladding alternatives, the design life of the building should be considered. Stone weathers at different rates depending on the variety selected. Most granites weather at rates in the mm per thousand years. Many marbles and limestones also offer rates of weathering measured in millennia. Using StonePly, a low maintenance façade can be designed to match the intended life of a building. This durability provides substantial long-term savings in reduced maintenance, less disruption and greater value to tenants both now and in the future. Tenants perceive stone cladding as a high value, quality building which commands higher rents. The long lasting good looks of StonePly cladding helps ensure that the buildings value remains, both now and in the future.

Stone Panel Impact Resistance
Unlike solid stone cladding slabs, StonePly does not experience “brittle failure”. The aluminum honeycomb gives the stone panels a ductile ability to bend. In catastrophic sudden impact (earthquake or explosion), the fractured stone micro-cracks and tends to be held together by the glass fibers.

Initial Cost
In construction, faster building completion reduces the costs of interim financing, produces an earlier cash flow, provides a competitive advantage and offers several other benefits to the bottom line. These initial savings lower the building’s long-term overall cost and can make the use of StonePly cladding panels more economical than other cladding materials.
The light weight of a StonePly façade reduces the hoisting equipment needed for erection, cuts back shipping and handling costs and can reduce the structural load on the building. The greater efficiency can result in a less costly architectural cladding.

StonePly cladding can be used with a variety of substrates and can be incorporated into a variety of systems. StonePly cladding panels work in curtain wall systems and rain-screen cladding, and can be applied over metal stud and sheathing, cmu or concrete.

Energy Efficiency

The thin StonePly cladding panels offer the thermal benefits of the aluminum reinforcing and the honeycomb core on the back of the stone panel. The aluminum reflects back radiant heat. This can help reduce cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter.The thin StonePly panels also allow more room for insulation within the wall cavity.

The post StonePly Stone Cladding: Life Cycle Cost/Durability appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

StonePly offers natural stone cladding with versatile backing options.

Natural Stone for Building Cladding: Classification and Terminology

To better understand how natural stone can be used for building cladding it is important to understand how we classify it and the terminology associated with StonePly.

Classification System

Our classification system is based on three types of StonePly natural stone panels that we have available for your project. This includes the following:

•  Aluminum Honeycomb: It uses real stone in your choice of marble, limestone, travertine, granite or onyx that is then bonded to an aluminum honeycomb matrix. It is structurally sound and can be attached directly to the sheathed studwall.
• ACM: This is an aluminum composite that also uses your choice of natural stone. It is bonded to composite panels and is applied directly to a smooth surface.
• Translucent: This uses quarried stone that is then bonded to glass or polycarbonate. It can be used in walls, panels, or lighted bars.

Terminology

In order to understand how you can use StonePly natural stone, you may need to understand what some of our terminology means related to the customization process of our StonePly materials:

• Texture:  This describes what the stone cladding can feel like. For instance, it can be a smooth texture or it can be grooved, sawn, and bush hammered, for example.
• Natural Stone: This relates to the type of stone preferred that is available as a natural resource, including granite, limestone, and more.
• Color: This relates to the hue that is preferred for the stone so that it can match whatever cladding design is being used.

Other terminology is more technical and helps understand what sets StonePly natural panels apart from just relying on natural stone for building cladding:

• Cladding: This is a non-load-bearing stone veneer that is used as the stone facing material in wall construction. Stone cladding is designed as an envelope for the building rather than as structural support.
• Composite: This is a construction unit where stone is exposed as a final exterior finish and is permanently bonded or jointed to another material.
• Curtain Wall: This is a specific type of stone cladding that is supported by an anchoring system and used to protect a building from the elements.
• Honeycomb Backing: This is the aluminum reinforcing panel that looks like a honeycomb, providing a lightweight solution without compromising on strength and rigidity.
• Resin:  This is a chemical product that is clear to translucent yellow or brown and it can be solid or semisolid that is then used in some coating processes or treatments.

These are just some of the technical terms used in relation to building cladding. StonePly has a full glossary online that can help you understand everything there is to know about building cladding and StonePly products.

Using StonePly’s Stone Panels

No matter what type of stone you imagine using for your building cladding project, we can supply it for you as a lightweight, strong, and long-lasting solution. If you are looking for a cost-effective solution for adding stone panels to your project, now is the time to get a free estimate from us by calling 903.454.4630 or filling in our contact form.

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The Entergy Building in Arkansas was reclad with beautiful, thin marble panels from StonePly.

How to Select Thin Stone Panels

Whether you are replacing existing stone panels that are deteriorating or you are looking for a unique look for your structure without added weight, a good solution is to use thin stone panels that are now available as a cost-effective, durable, and easy-to-install architectural solution.  However, there are some factors to think about when selecting thin stone panels for your project.

Defining Thin Stone Panels

Thin stone panels combine natural stone, including granite, marble, travertine, onyx, sandstone, slate and limestone, with the strength of a backing material that reinforces the panels without adding weight.  This unique combination delivers a thin panel that can be used in a wide array of applications, such as floors, retail store fronts, elevator cladding and floors, curtain walls, and waterfalls and fountains. The thin stone panels can be used on both interior and exterior applications.

Selecting Thin Stone Panels

When selecting thin stone panels for your project, here are some factors to think about to ensure you have made the right choice:

• What is the application? Certain types of stone, such as limestone, do not work well outdoors while others, such as granite, can handle the elements better.  Specific types of stone also are more effective on the side of a building rather than an elevator floor. If your project involves replacement of existing stone, your choice may be limited to matching the original stone whereas a new build project has many more options.
• What is the look and design you are trying to create with the panels? Think about your aesthetics and what colors, grains, and textures would match the overall desired visual effect.
• What is your budget? Price is always a factor when selecting a stone type as exotic stones are always going to be more expensive than domestic stone.

Case Study: Entergy Building Lightens its Load

To illustrate the importance of selecting the right type of stone panel, consider the case study of Entergy Building in Little Rock, Arkansas. The original building had been constructed over 50 years ago and had been a model of modern architectural style. However, over time, the solid, thick marble cladding on the sides of the building has begun to bow and deteriorate due to heating from the sun and weathering of the panels.

Intent on maintaining the architectural beauty of the building, Entergy contacted Cromwell Architects and Engineers who then turned to StonePly for help. They needed assistance in deciding what type of stone panel could provide the look of the marble and be consistent with the building’s overall look while reducing the building load.

StonePly assisted by providing customized thin stone panels that matched their specifications.  In fact, StonePly used marble from the same quarry where the original marble slabs had come from and bonded its aluminum honeycomb backing to create lightweight panels that were consistent with the building’s original appearance. The result was a lighter load and panels with 90 times the impact resistance of the original stone slabs.

Using StonePly’s Thin Stone Panels for Your Next Project

StonePly has helped clients all over the world to update their buildings, solve architectural issues, and create modern structures. To discover how StonePly can help you, call us at 903.454.4630 or complete our contact form.

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StonePly panels at Atlantis Resort, Bahamas

Many clients prefer the look of natural, large stone panels for their interior walls. These types of panels offer a clean look with virtually no maintenance. Unfortunately, most traditional large format stone slabs pose significant challenges for contractors and builders. They tend to be heavy and hard to install, which can end up costing clients valuable time and money.

To put it in perspective, a traditional 4’ X 4’ stone cladding panel is 10 times heavier than StonePly’s aluminum composite material (ACM) panels. And Stoneply’s aluminum honeycomb panels are extremely thin, making them ideal for interior spaces.

Similarly, when anchoring traditional stone panels, each anchor must be drilled, mixed, filled, and the epoxy left to set overnight. Installing StonePly natural stone cladding panels is much simpler since the aluminum backing allows you to attach an anchor anywhere to the back using a screw gun. The simplicity of the installation makes for quick and easy changes on site, and without any epoxy left to dry, panels can be installed rain or shine.

StonePly offers affordable and practical solutions to the challenges of installing large size interior stone. Because StonePly’s natural stone panels are so incredibly light, they are easily attached to interior sheathed walls or existing walls made of brick, metal, concrete or stucco. This completely eliminates the need to remove existing wall material prior to installation. Unlike traditional stone panels, StonePly panels do not require the strength of a support wall in order to stand the test of time.

StonePly natural stone cladding panels are installed using one of three types of attachment methods: the z-clip method, the plate and screw method, and the adhesive attachment method.

Z-Clip System

StonePly panels installed at the Chipola College Center for the Arts

The z-clip attachment method safely and securely locks wall panels in place. For this method, a z-clip is attached to the back of the panel, and a z-molding is attached to the substrate. The panels can then be slid into place; the z-clip fitting inside the z-molding. Installation is finished by securing the panels with a structural silicone.

The z-clip attachment method combined with StonePly natural stone cladding panels allows for fast and easy installation and removal, and is an ideal solution for clients who seek a smooth, clean appearance.

A popular design choice for interior stone cladding is a z clad panel, and contractors and architects alike agree that StonePly outperforms the competition when it comes to installing  z clad natural stone cladding.

StonePly’s z clad system is a natural stone cladding system using z-shaped panels that give straight walls and corners a seamless finish nearly impossible to detect. The z clad natural stone cladding system is popular for both contemporary and classic building designs, and is easily installed by contractors, mill workers, and carpenters.

Plate and Screw Method

The plate and screw attachment method is ideal for clients seeking the appearance of thicker and heavier slab stone. In this method, metal plates are extended from the backs of the natural stone panels. These plates enter the joints and are attached to the substrate with No. 8 screws. Backer rod and sealant are used to conceal any screws.

Since you can place screws anywhere on the back of StonePly’s aluminum backed panels, this attachment method is relatively simple for clients seeking the appearance of thicker and heavier slab stone, but with the same lightweight and shatter-resistant characteristics StonePly panels are known for.

Adhesive Method

StonePly panels are so light that they can even be installed securely with a structural silicone. This is known as the adhesive method. The panels easily adhere to most substrates and can even be used over most existing wall treatments.

Large Format Stone Slabs for Interior Floors

StonePly’s wide variety of large format stone slabs isn’t solely used for cladding walls. The company has perfected natural stone cladding for specialty floors offering a stunning, yet economical choice for any floor challenge.

And because StonePly offers the world’s largest selection of natural stone cladding options, including granites, marble, travertine and limestone, there really is no single design style that StonePly can’t accommodate. In fact, StonePly uses stone from all over the world in order to provide custom stone veneers to each individual customer.

The folks at StonePly have more than 25 years of experience creating and perfecting their natural stone cladding system. You can tap into their expertise and work with them one-on-one to get the exact stone application you are looking for. You can find out more about them on their website, drop them an email at info@stoneply.com, or simply pick up the phone and give them a call at 903-454-4630. The good folks there will be more than happy to get you started.

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There are several benefits to StonePly stone panel signs.  StonePly incorporates real granite, marble, or onyx with lightweight honeycomb panels.  This creates an elegant and memorable sign that will show the true class of any business.  The signage can be incorporated with any StonePly design.  StonePly Stone Panel Signs can have any finish including, sandblasted, etched, polished, honed, etc and can be made to any size or shape.  If you can imagine it we can create it.  These lightweight stone signs can be used for a variety of applications including on walls, in elevators, and for company signs.

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StonePly offers several ecological benefits:

· Low Weight

· Recycled Content

· Energy Efficient

· Recyclable

· Sustainability

Low Weight

StonePly weighs up to 80% less than traditional stone panel cladding systems. Because it weighs less, the transportation cost and fuel usage is reduced, reducing pollution. Another benefit of having light weight stone cladding is that it puts less of a load on the building. This will in turn reduce the amount of structural steel needed to support the cladding. Compared to conventional stone cladding, the lower weight of StonePly provides invaluable protection against the threat of falling cladding in the event of an earthquake or other seismic activity. During renovations, StonePly can often be installed over existing cladding without extra steel support.

Recycled Content

StonePly stone panels can have up to 60% recycled aluminum content. This is better than many conventional stone cladding materials, which have considerably shorter lives and use new raw materials in their manufacture.

Energy Efficient

The aluminum substrate on the StonePly acts as a reflective barrier for the radiated heat. The low thermal mass of StonePly causes the heat to dissipate quickly once the sun goes down or is hidden behind a cloud. Thick stone cladding without any aluminum reinforcement has a greater thermal mass and will capture heat and radiate the heat into the building even when the sun is not shining.

Recyclable

While StonePly is known for having an extremely long life, StonePly stone panels have the added bonus of being close to 100% recyclable. If the cladding is ever removed for remodeling or renovation, the StonePly stone panels can be reused or they can be recycled. Whereas other cladding materials are often disposed of by the ton in dumps and landfills, the aluminum used in StonePly can be recycled in its entirety and the stone can crushed for use as road base and aggregate.

Sustainability

StonePly’s long term durability can help eliminate the future need for more cladding materials. StonePly stone cladding panels are virtually unaffected by UV rays of the sun that break down and fade paints and finishes. Painted metal panels can and will fade over time. Some metals will rust. But the natural stone facing of StonePly stone cladding will last and last. In addition, granite clad StonePly is able to hold up to all types of weather: hurricanes, windstorms, rain, hail, snow and ice. In fact, no other cladding material has a greater ability to stand up to the effects of time and a wide range of severe weather conditions than StonePly natural stone panels. By choosing long lived building products like StonePly you reduce the need for replacements.

Cladding is a major component of any building and it is a component for which the product chosen can have a dramatic and lasting effect on the building’s ecological impact, life cycle costs, and energy use. No other cladding can compare to the StonePly combination of advantages in recycled content, energy efficiency, and sustainability. Please see StonePly and LEED for more information on becoming LEED certified.

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In considering exterior cladding alternatives, the design life of the building should be considered. Stone weathers at different rates depending on the variety selected. Most granites weather at rates in the mm per thousand years. Many marbles and limestones also offer rates of weathering measured in millennia. Using StonePly, a low maintenance façade can be designed to match the intended life of a building. This durability provides substantial long-term savings in reduced maintenance, less disruption and greater value to tenants both now and in the future. Tenants perceive stone cladding as a high value, quality building which commands higher rents. The long lasting good looks of StonePly cladding helps ensure that the buildings value remains, both now and in the future.

Stone Panel Impact Resistance

Unlike solid stone cladding slabs, StonePly does not experience “brittle failure”. The aluminum honeycomb gives the stone panels a ductile ability to bend. In catastrophic sudden impact (earthquake or explosion), the fractured stone micro-cracks and tends to be held together by the glass fibers.

Initial Cost

In construction, faster building completion reduces the costs of interim financing, produces an earlier cash flow, provides a competitive advantage and offers several other benefits to the bottom line. These initial savings lower the building’s long-term overall cost and can make the use of StonePly cladding panels more economical than other cladding materials.

The light weight of a StonePly façade reduces the hoisting equipment needed for erection, cuts back shipping and handling costs and can reduce the structural load on the building. The greater efficiency can result in a less costly architectural cladding.

StonePly cladding can be used with a variety of substrates and can be incorporated into a variety of systems. StonePly cladding panels work in curtain wall systems and rain-screen cladding, and can be applied over metal stud and sheathing, cmu or concrete.

Energy Efficiency

The thin StonePly cladding panels offer the thermal benefits of the aluminum reinforcing and the honeycomb core on the back of the stone panel. The aluminum reflects back radiant heat. This can help reduce cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter.The thin StonePly panels also allow more room for insulation within the wall cavity.

The post Stone Cladding: Life Cycle Cost/Durability appeared first on Stone Panel Information.

The lesson of the Greek temple

Later, people used iron, wood or steel for construction because of their higher tensile strength. But these other materials lacked stones long term durability, resistance to fire and resistance to rust, rot and corrosion.

Today, StonePly offers architects and builders the best of both worlds. StonePly combines the durability, beauty and strength of stone and with the high tensile strength, impact resistance, lightweight and ease of use of aluminum. The stone provides the durable good looks and weather resistance while the aviation type advanced aluminum honeycomb composites provide the strength. StonePly cladding goes up faster, stronger and with less load on the building structure. StonePly stone panels are easier to handle and easier to transport. StonePly stone panels have 60 times the impact strength of solid granite. In addition, large 4’ by 8’ panels can be used.

Have Questions? Need design details? Call us, we are here to help. Our experts will assist you with panel sizes, stone options and attachment options.

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