Stone siding: pros and cons

The rapid development of technologies has a positive effect on the appearance on the market of high-quality and more advanced products. The impact of progress also concerns the construction market, in particular materials for the exterior of residential buildings and general buildings. Today siding is gaining especially wide popularity in comparison with other facing products.

There are a lot of varieties of such material, however, among this variety, it is siding under a stone that stands out advantageously. The demand for this material is primarily justified by its low cost relative to natural products for facing, which is not the only positive feature of the product.

In addition, outdoor decoration with such panels is a very current trend., which has an impressive practical potential. The selection of products is impressive, making it an excellent opportunity to recreate the imitation of almost any natural material. It is possible to determine that the structure is lined with panels, and not with real stone, only with close examination and at a short distance from the facade.

Finishing work is a mandatory cost item for home improvement, the option of using siding will make it possible to reduce such costs. The material, in fact, is a cladding panel with a locking profile on the side edges. The main function of the product is considered to ensure the protection of surfaces from external factors, as well as the design of an attractive appearance of the structure.

The main feature of modern stone siding is that the material not only slightly resembles a single mineral, but it perfectly repeats the appearance of a particular rock - limestone, marble, shell rock and many others. This property allows the buyer to purchase exactly the stone that he considers the most attractive for his construction and the overall design of the site.

Most often, only the basement of the house is sheathed with such siding, thanks to which the necessary accents are placed, emphasizing the presence of a stone foundation. But along with this, there are structures where facade siding was used, which implies finishing the entire wall of the building. The color options of the material are as close as possible to the natural shades of a particular original sample.

There are monochromatic materials - white or black stone, the function of which is considered only the aesthetics of the external design. The panels repeat the processing and shape of natural material - there are smooth samples, wild and rubble stone, pebbles and a lot of other products.

Siding has a number of positive features.

• Simple styling. Even a finisher who does not have a lot of practical experience can do the cladding of the facade. This is due to the presence of the necessary elements for finishing corners, windows and other specific places.
• With such elements, you can sheathe an uneven surface without problems.The lathing will effectively hide all existing flaws.
• The material is unpretentious in maintenance. It is enough to pour water over the facade from time to time in order to wash off the accumulated dirt.
• The ability to use in any weather conditions - the products have good resistance to temperature fluctuations, and the holes on the elements prevent the accumulation of excess moisture.
• Long operational life, which is ensured by a high level of strength and the availability of factory warranty service, which is about 50 years.
• Affordable cost.
• UV, moisture and chemical resistant.

There are several types of stone siding.

• Vinyl - made of PVC, which gives it a number of advantages: lightness, the material does not rot and does not corrode, resistance to various temperature indicators and mechanical stress, environmental safety. The disadvantages of the products include the risk of cracking on individual panels when mechanically exposed to them with great force. Plastic siding is the most suitable option for cladding the facades of houses.
• Metal material that is made from galvanized steel, due to which it has a greater weight in comparison with other types. The positive features of the products include a high level of strength, resistance to deformation and fire resistance. However, this type of product is quite expensive.

• Acrylic siding has some similarities with vinyl elements, but differs in production characteristics. The raw materials for the production are acrylic polymers with good resistance to chemicals.
• Fiber cement products are a relatively new type of material that is widely used in Europe, and appeared on the domestic market not so long ago. The elements are distinguished by a high indicator of strength and resistance to weather conditions, therefore, they represent a rather expensive type of product.

To make a choice in favor of a particular type of product, you need to take into account the conditions of its installation and the features of further operation: this applies to the surface for installation, climate, the presence or absence of an insulated base, the illumination of the facade, the level of exposure to the sun's rays.

In addition to the classification by the material used to make siding, it can be divided into types according to color design and textured variety of the simulated surface:

• burnt stone;
• canyon;
• rubble stone;
• granite;
• rocky stone and others.

There are a lot of color and texture options, since the assortment is constantly supplemented with new modern models.

All dimensions of stone products will vary, depending on the manufacturer. The approximate size of the panel is 1x0.5 m. Therefore, two elements cover 1 m2 of the base.

The most common series of siding comes in the following sizes:

• the "Granite" series has a length of 1134 mm, a width of 474 mm and a thickness of 23 mm;
• series "Canyon" - length 1158 mm, width 447 mm and thickness 20 mm;
• series "Stein" - length 1198 mm, width 426 mm and thickness 25 mm.

The use of stone siding is an excellent option for inexpensive exterior finishing of the building. Moreover, the products act not only as a decorative material, but also as an element that provides protection from the atmospheric phenomena of the wall covering of the house.

The external characteristics of the products are striking in their diversity., on the market or in the catalog of manufacturers, you can choose the required texture and color of the panels. Developing the design of elements that imitate stone, experts implement their most creative ideas, so it is easy to find models that repeat the appearance of a small or large stone, brick, slate, round material.

Based on the type of siding, it can also differ in color design, however, this will not be an obstacle to the selection of products that are ideally suited in style to each exterior of the building and the landscape design of the infield.

Facade cladding options must be carefully thought out in advance. It is a good idea to differentiate the walls and basement of the building using a variety of material textures and shades. You can decorate all kinds of buildings on the site in the same style, for example, a gazebo, a bathhouse or a guest house.

The laconism of the cladding largely depends on the competent selection of component elements, including: finishing and starting strips, corners, which are used for finishing door and window openings. The correct choice of such parts will allow you to install quickly and without unnecessary problems. Due to the large selection of panels, their shape, relief and shades, laying the material is possible not only on the front of the house, but also inside the premises.

Siding, repeating the look of the stone, can be used in the hallway, in the lobby or in the kitchen. The choice of panels is very huge, the main thing is to choose the right solution in the design with this material.

Buildings finished with siding acquire an expressive and unique appearance. You can dwell on the option of facing for brickwork or imitation of almost any natural stone. Thanks to the huge number of manufacturers, it is very easy to find your ideal option in terms of cost, color and texture.

Several companies can be distinguished among the producers of the material.

• "Alta-Profile" - a company with production facilities in Russia, the products of these plants are popular due to their lower cost with characteristics and properties of the material that are not inferior to foreign counterparts.
• Docke, which is the absolute leader in this segment in the domestic market. The entire product line is affordable and of high quality.
• Vinyl siding of excellent quality is produced by the Russian company "Aelit"... The products are widely used for facade cladding.

• American Nailite Siding produced in the form of classic panels with imitation marble and brick, the products are of high cost in comparison with other manufacturers.
• Siding manufacturer Novik (Canada) is popular for its products, which are characterized by an extended operational life. Also, the material is in good demand due to a wide variety of original panel textures.
• Polish Vox Material has a low cost, due to which it is in great demand.

• Canada Ridge is engaged in the production of modern panels that are resistant to large temperature fluctuations, which, at the same time, do not fade from sunlight and have shockproof properties.
• Panels Royal Stone have a large selection of textures and shades, products are manufactured using Canadian technology with constant quality control.

• When purchasing material for facade cladding, it is necessary to adhere to general recommendations - to make purchases only in specialized supermarkets, give preference to popular manufacturers, be sure to familiarize yourself with the product documentation, and study the warranty conditions that apply to this product.
• It will be important to understand the quality characteristics of the products and conduct a visual inspection of the elements in order to determine the uniformity of their thickness, the absence of defects on the outer and inner sides of the panels, the coincidence of the pattern and other important nuances.

To transform the facade of a house, there is no better option than stone siding. The stone-paneled walls guarantee protection and a beautiful appearance.

The house will look spectacular and aesthetically pleasing, the base of which is lined with siding under a large stone of irregular shape in combination with panels that repeat the texture of the ship board in a contrasting color scheme.

Block house and stone siding will create a fabulous design, thanks to this finish, the building will resemble a magic tower, which will perfectly fit into the design of the site, and he, in turn, will complement the overall design with greenery of trees and shrubs.

Two- or three-story houses, in which only fragments of walls (pediment, basement or walls) are decorated with stone panels in the form of a certain pattern, will be original and beautiful. Natural colors will not fade in the sun, so the building will have a neat appearance for many years to come.

The residential building and adjacent buildings on the site, the facades of which are made in a single design solution that imitate natural stone finishing, will become a masterpiece that emphasizes the status of the owner of the house, the good taste and beauty of natural materials in a modern design, possible thanks to materials such as stone siding.

Installation of basement siding, see the video below.