Residential Limestone Cladding

Vermaraj

Couple years ago I came across a company out of Texas, I think, that sold a limestone cladding system. It used either a stainless or galvanized vertical hat channel screwed to the framing. The limestone was installed as a running bond with mortared joints. The limestone was screwed to the channel using metal biscuits, picture a woodworking biscuit with a hole in the middle, that were set into slots cut in the tops and bottoms of the stones.

The stones were smooth face about 24" x12" x1.5" with pillow edge detail.

Anybody familiar with this system or the company that sells it? I've been searching for a few days with no luck.

Thanks,
verm

CJKarl

Did a HUGE house in limestone, many years ago. Had Petrillo out of NYC do the fab work. Most blocks were 16"X32"X4"
Use ONLY stainless and a type O mortar. I think were were mixing 6 sand to 1 lime and 1 white portland. DO NOT use regular portland.

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http://www.kaufmannmasonry.com/

CJKarl

http://www.petrillostone.com/about_us.html

It was Indiana limestone.

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lukachuki

talk about a truly terrible website. at least on my ff browser. I'm not saying their website is a reflection of their craftsmanship but man oh man.

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Less with the jaw more with the paw!

CJKarl

The house we did was similar in scope to this place, without the grand entrance. It did however have a lot of detail as well as the medalians.

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Vermaraj

CJkarl,
I've been looking at some of your work in the picture posts. Excellent work! Do you make it down to Fairfield County?

This is similar to what I was thinking of:
http://www.americanlimestone.com/res...dvantages.php4

The other company had more edge detail options.

CJKarl

I've been offered double my rate to work down there, but I refuse to make that drive every day. 95 from New Haven south is a NIGHTMARE!

As far as that limestone cladding, I'm leary of the longevity of systems like that. Too many things to go wrong down the road. I want the stuff I build to last hundreds if not thousands of years. Not 20.

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Tscarborough

Vermaraj and CJKarl, that is not a proprietary system, it is a standard detail for stone cladding. So long as you use SS, it should last for 100's of years.

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WARD

Its precast not limestone, but Arriscraft makes a system similar to what you are talking about. We are installing it on the soffit of a few large entrances of a casino. Pretty nice looking material.

Two links:
http://www.arriscraft.com/pdfs/ThinBedBrochureB.pdf

http://www.arriscraft.com/aci-menu/index.html?corp <---not sure where this will take you, but click it and go to whats new and click on Thin Clad Renaissance.

Tscarborough

Yeah, like I said, that is SOP for masonry cladding. Just make sure that all metal is SS, and it will last for a very long time.

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Vermaraj

95 in either direction is no picnic, but you certainly get the worst of it coming through New Haven. If you ever change your mind shoot me a message. Market here is still busy. Clients have become a lot more discerning and demand quality work. Last few years it was an anything goes feeding frenzy.

Vermaraj

I have seen this technique used in commercial work. Especially high rises in Manhattan. They epoxy thin stones 2-3mm to a honeycomb aluminum support panel and attach to metal z strips. There is a 40 story brick masonry building being reclad with granite using this technique. Haven't seen it take off in residential work. I am curious why that is?

Do you know if the individual clips are available from a supply house?

Tscarborough

It is very expensive. I sell various sorts of anchors and ties, but doubt anyone would stock parts and pieces of a proprietary system.

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Vermaraj

I found the company that makes the aluminum extrusions:

http://www.gridworxwalls.com/

Do you have any idea what the components go for? The aluminum extrusions themselves can't be that expensive. The system stamp on the other hand ?

Tscarborough

I have access to that sysem but no interest in providing it. It looks to be OK, just a modifed, proprietary implementation of the standard method of stone cladding. If you like, I will get some pricing for you, but I reiterate: I will not sell the product.

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Vermaraj

I am curious to know what the components cost. I don't know that I would accept the snap method used to attach the top of the stone. I do like the concept of continuous support for the bottom of the cladding.

Also the aluminum extrusions with stainless lags is concerning. Could lead to galvanic corrosion that ultimately undermines the wall. Maybe they have thought this through since it is being used extensively in the NYC area which is a very corrosive environment?

What else concerns you about a system like this?

Tscarborough

Any proprietary system carries a legal liability. This is one of the reasons they are so expensive. As a supplier, I do not feel that it is my duty to indemnify the customer, architect, owner, or manufacturer simply by acting as distributor. The value I add is service in the supply of the product, not the design and manufacture, installation, or specification.

In the case of this particular product, my question would always be: Why not use SS eared anchors, or pins? It works, it is easy and it is cheaper. If the application does not call for a full bed mortar joint, then thinset or even construction adhesives will suffice.

I did not read their literature deep enough to see what their answer for the galvanic corrosion question is, but I am sure that they address it in some way.

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tanveer

'Such a useful thread I’ve been looking this topic everywhere!'