Stone siding: the pros and cons

The rapid development of technology has a positive effect on the appearance on the market of high-quality and more advanced products. The impact of progress also applies to the construction market, in particular materials for exterior decoration of residential buildings and general-purpose buildings. Today, siding is gaining particularly widespread popularity compared to other veneer products.

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

In addition, the exterior decoration of such panels is a very current trend.with impressive practical potential. The choice of products is impressive, making it a great opportunity to recreate an imitation of almost any natural material. Determine that the building is lined with panels, and not a real stone, is possible only upon close examination and with a short distance from the facade.

Execution of finishing works is a mandatory item of expenses for home improvement, the option of using siding will provide an opportunity to reduce such costs. The material, in fact, is a cladding panel having a locking profile on the side edges. The main function of the product is to ensure the protection of surfaces from external factors, as well as the design of an attractive exterior structure.

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

Most often, such a siding sheathes only the basement of the house, thereby placing the necessary accents, emphasizing the presence of the foundation of stone. But at the same time there are structures where facade siding was used, which implies finishing the entire wall of the building. The color versions of the material are as close as possible to the natural shades of one or another initial sample.

There are solid 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 the natural material - there are smooth samples, wild and rubble stone, pebbles and a lot of other products.

Siding has a number of positive features.

• Easy styling. Even a dresser who doesn’t have much practical experience can finish facing the facade. This is due to the presence of the necessary elements for finishing corners, windows and other specific places.
• Such elements can be sheathed uneven surface without problems. Lathing effectively hide all the existing shortcomings.
• The material is unpretentious in maintenance. It is enough from time to time to douse the façade with water pressure in order to wash away the accumulated dirt.
• The ability to use in all weather conditions - products have good resistance to temperature fluctuations, and the holes on the elements prevent the accumulation of excess moisture.
• The big operational term which is provided with the high level of durability and existence of factory warranty service which makes about 50 years.
• Affordable cost.
• Resistance to ultraviolet radiation, humidity and chemical agents.

There are several types of siding under stone.

• Vinyl - made from 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 products include the risk of cracking on individual panels when mechanically acting on them with great force. Plastic siding is the most suitable option for cladding facades of houses.
• Metal material that is made of galvanized steel, due to which it has more 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 differs quite a large price.

• Acrylic Siding has some similarities with vinyl elements, but differs in features of production. The raw materials for production are acrylic polymers with good chemical resistance.
• Fiber cement Products - a relatively new type of material that has been widely used in Europe, and appeared on the domestic market not so long ago. The elements are distinguished by a high index of strength and resistance to weather conditions; therefore, they are a rather expensive type of product.

To make a choice in favor of a particular type of product, it is necessary to take into account the conditions of its installation and features of further operation: this applies to the surface for installation, climate, the presence or absence of a warmed base, the illumination of the facade, the level of exposure to sunlight.

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

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

There are a lot of color and texture options, as the range is constantly updated 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 available in the following sizes:

• the Granit series has a length of 1134 mm, a width of 474 mm, and a thickness of 23 mm;
• “Canyon” series - length 1158 mm, width 447 mm and thickness 20 mm;
• The “Stein” series is 1198 mm long, 426 mm wide and 25 mm thick.

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

The external characteristics of the products are striking in their diversity, in the market or in the catalog of manufacturers, you can choose the necessary texture and color of the panels. Pursuing the development of design elements that imitate a stone, experts realize their most creative ideas, so it is easy to meet models that repeat the appearance of 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 to the style of each building exterior and landscape design of the backyard.

Options facing the facade must be carefully thought out in advance. A good idea would be to distinguish the walls and the basement of the building with the help of various textures of material and shades. You can arrange in the same style all kinds of buildings on the site, for example, a gazebo, bath or guest house.

The conciseness of the lining largely depends on the proper selection of component parts, including: finishing and starting strips, corners, components for finishing door and window openings. The correct choice of such parts will allow installation quickly and without unnecessary problems. Thanks to a large selection of panels, their shape, topography and shades, the material can be installed not only on the front of the house, but also indoors.

The siding repeating a type of a stone can be used in a hallin 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 of this material.

Siding-trimmed buildings acquire an expressive and unique appearance. It is possible to dwell on the variant of facing under brickwork or imitation of practically any natural stone.Due to the huge number of manufacturers, it is very easy to find your ideal solution in terms of cost, color and texture.

There are several companies among material manufacturers.

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

• American Nailite Siding produced in the form of classic panels with imitation of marble and brick, the products are high cost, in comparison with other manufacturers.
• Manufacturer siding Novik (Canada) is popular for its products, which is characterized by an increased operational life. Also, the material is in good demand due to a large variety of original textures of panels.
• Polish material Vox It has a small cost, due to which it is very much in demand.

• Canada ridge It is engaged in the production of modern panels resistant to large temperature fluctuations, which at the same time do not fade from the sun's rays and have anti-shock properties.
• Royal stone panels have a large selection of textures and shades, products are manufactured according to Canadian technology with constant quality control.

• When purchasing material for facade cladding, you must adhere to general recommendations - make purchases only in specialized supermarkets, give preference to popular manufacturers, be sure to get acquainted with the documentation for the product, 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 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 the house, a better option than siding under the stone is not found.The walls, paneled under the stone, guarantee protection and a beautiful appearance.

A 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 repeating the texture of the ship's 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 magical tower, which will perfectly fit into the design of the site, and he, in turn, will complement the overall design with green trees and shrubs.

Two- or three-storey houses in which only fragments of the walls (gable, socle or walls) in the form of a certain pattern are paneled with stone will be original and beautiful. Natural colors do not fade in the sun, so a neat appearance of the building is provided for many years.

The residential building and adjacent buildings on the site, the facades of which are made in a single design solution that imitates natural stone finishing, will be a masterpiece emphasizing the status of the owner of the house, 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.