RECOMMENDED TOOLS

• Screw Gun(s)
• Flat scraper
• 48" Level & 24" Level
• Circular Saw with dry cut diamond tipped blade
• Screw Drivers (to pry panels when shimming)

FRAMING CONSTRUCTION

Steel stud or furring framing must be designed and installed for maximum deflection limited to L/240, and to not exceed allowable stresses.  Lateral support and bridging members must be installed.  This system does not provide lateral support for stud framing.

Framing must be erected plumb and true.  The maximum variation from a true plane should not exceed 1/8 inch in 10 feet.  Defects must be corrected prior to proceeding with panel installation.

Framing members must be located according to shop drawings prepared or approved by the stone panel installing contractor.  These drawings must account for panel joint locations in order to provide adequate attachment for each panel.  The maximum variation from shop drawing dimensions should not exceed 1/8 inch in 10 feet.

JOBSITE STORAGE

Panels must be stored in a clean dry area, free from contamination.  When removed from the packaging crate, they must be placed on a shock absorbent support such as expanded polystyrene for edge protection.

It is recommended that panels be placed so that identification numbers are easily readable when they are removed from the crates.  This will minimize the amount of time required to search for panels as they are needed for installing.  Reduced handling will also reduce labor cost and the possibility of edge damage caused by bumping and dropping panels.

StoneLite™ Panels are durable and impact resistant.  However, the natural stone facing is easily chipped at edges and the face surfaces of softer stones can be marred.  Softer stones including limestones and marbles can be stained by dirt, mud and other contaminates.

STAGING

Material handling labor is a very important factor for the installer to consider. The majority of installation labor is used for moving panels from the delivered pallet/crate to the final location on the building.

It is strongly recommended that panels should be staged in advance and moved to their appropriate locations to minimize labor during installation. The first panel needed should be located on the outside of an upright sloping rack. All panels should be arranged in the order needed for installing.

CLEANING

Both back-up board and the panels must be cleaned before adhesive is applied. Non-oily dirt on the back of the stone panel honeycomb skin can be removed with a cleaner such as a 50% solution of isopropyl alcohol and water. Stone panels are normally clean except for dust, and can be removed by wiping with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth.

LAYOUT OF ATTACHMENT USING PANEL ADHESIVE ONLY

The pattern for positioning ad adhesive beads shall be such that beads are always located near corners of each panel and spaced intermittently throughout the panel area.

Beads shall be located within 3" of the edges. The perimeter spacing shall be not more than 16" on center. Within 3" of the edges, the perimeter spacing shall not be more than 16" on center. Within the field of the panel, beads shall be distributed over the entire area of each panel with the maximum distance both vertically and horizontally between beads being not greater than 16" on center. The positioning of the beads shall also achieve an approximate symmetrical pattern about the horizontal and vertical axis.

The bond contact area of adhesive should be minimum of 1 square inch on the board and on the panel.

TEMPORARY SUPPORT

StoneLite™ panels may be temporarily held in place using double stick cellular foam tape. Norton V-2200 or V-2800 Series Termalbond, manufactured by Norton Company, Granville, NY 12832, (518)641-2200, are suggested for this system.

This tape has a short term design strength of 5 psi, and can be put to structural use to hold the panel until the adhesive cures. Various thickness of tape, ranging from 1/16" to 1/4" maybe needed to compensate for variations in stone thickness. A 1/16" minimum thickness controls adhesive depth.

After panels have been cleaned, gauge panel thickness. Attach 1/16" thick tape at 1" panel thickness locations. After greater thickness of tape where panel thickness is less than 1".

Attach 3/4" wide x 2" long pieces of tape at each panel corner and approximately 24" o.c. in each direction. Apply the tape directly from the roll to the panel. Do not handle the exposed adhesive surface or remove the liner form the other side. When the tape is in place, apply firm pressure to ensure complete contact and adhesion.

After panels are positioned, it is necessary to provide gravity support by placing shim material at he bottom of each panel to hold it up in place.

As an alternative to double stick tape, panels can be temporarily held in place by screws with a large washer or shim driven through the panel joints. The large washer draws adjacent panel edges into alignment to eliminate "lippage". This temporary fastener must remain in place for 3 days or until the adhesive is fully cured.

APPLICATION OF PANEL ADHESIVE

Apply adhesive to one-panel at a time, just before the panel will be set. Make certain that the bearing surfaces are clean and dry. Prepare the nozzle to extrude a 3/8" diameter bead of adhesive onto the surfaces, adjacent to temporary double faced holding tape.

When the panel is pressed into place, the adhesive is squeezed to its final 1/16" to 1/4" thickness (varies depending on stone panel thickness and manufacturers recommendations). Beads smaller than 3/8" diameter should not be applied, and beads must not be stretched out during application. Beads larger than 1/2" diameter are desirable if the space between panel and backup is consistently 1/4".

INSTALLING

NOTE: The following suggested instructions are intended for vertical wall panels only. If a horizontal soffit or sill is included, some modification to these instructions will be necessary.

1. Following the shop drawings, measure the wall to determine exact panel locations and mark the positions of panel edges at the base of the wall.

   Use a laser or level to establish a fixed elevation for the total construction area. From that elevation, mark the framing, or existing wall, the exact location of all bottom panel lower edges.

   Using a transit or laser, check the elevation for alignment to find the most outward point(s). This will determine the installing "plane" and the amount of shimming required. Drop a string line (piano wire is recommended for this) from the top of the elevation to the bottom of the elevation. This string line should be set at least one and one half inches from the most outward point of the elevation. This will be your reference line which you will measure back from to establish the plane for all of the panel faces.

2. After the adhesive has been applied, the panel must be set within 10 minutes or less.

3. It is usually best to start with the bottom row of panels and progress up the wall. First place spacer shims below the panel to be installed for the purpose of providing the desired joint dimension and support gravity loads.

4. Panels should be lifted into place, positioned, then pushed against the wall to engage the double stick tape. Exercise care with the double stick tape as once it adheres to the backup surface it will be difficult to move the panel for location adjustment. On polished or honed stones, suction cups are very helpful in handling the panels. The panel should then be checked to insure that it is plumb and on the vertical plane set by the string previously set.

5. After setting panel, check for "lippage", a condition where one edge or corner of a panel protrudes out further than an adjacent panel, giving the finished surface a ragged appearance. If lippage is apparent, drive a small anchor with a large washer through the panel joint in order to draw adjacent panels into alignment. If the panel has a slight amount of bow, it will be necessary to set shims into the adhesive at the back of the panel to "pack out" the center of the panel and then use a fastener through the joint to pull down the edges of the panel. These temporary fasteners must remain in place a minimum of three days to assure that the adhesive has cured.

6. Installation may progress horizontally or vertically depending on how the panels have been staged. Careful attention should be paid to aligning panel joints as the panels are installed. It is usually best to put a shim, the thickness of the joint width, along the edge of the adjoining panel and push the next panel up to the shim to set the proper joint width.

CAULKING EXTERIOR JOINTS

NOTE: NOTE: It is recommended that testing should be conducted by the sealant manufacturer for assurance that neither sealant nor primer will "bleed" into the stone and cause staining. Allow 8 to 12 weeks for this testing.

1. At caulk joints around panel perimeters push round open-cell polyurethane foam backer rod between panels well into the joint to expose the veneer stone edge plus approximately 3/16 inch width of honeycomb. This should provide for approximately 3/8 inch bond width of sealant to panel, and a 1/4 inch sealant thickness at the center of the joint width.

   (CAUTION: Open cell backer rod must be used with stone panels. Closed cell backer rod can emit gas into the joint when the coating is scratched by the honeycomb causing the caulking to bubble at the surface.)

2. Apply primer if recommended by the sealant manufacturer. This primer attaches itself to the stone edge surface, and the sealant then adheres to the primer. Primer will not stick to a dirty surface and it is not a substitute for cleaning.

   (CAUTION: Primers are moisture sensitive and will deteriorate quickly when exposed to moisture. They should be purchased in pint containers and stored with caps tightly closed. When exposed to moisture, they form a cloudy white precipitate and must be discarded.)

3. Pour only a ten-minute supply of primer into clean container, then replace the cap on the primer can. Dip a clean, dry, lint-free cloth into the primer and gently wipe a thin film onto the stone edge surface.

   (CAUTION: Application of a thick layer of primer can cause severe loss of adhesion between the sealant and primer. A powdery white film will form on the surface if too much primer has been applied. This film must be removed with a clean, dry, lint free cloth.)

4. Allow primer to dry. The surface is now ready for application of sealant. If the sealant can not be applied immediately, the surface must be protected to avoid contamination.

5. Some sealant cannot be completely removed from some stone. It may be necessary for adjacent surfaces to be carefully masked or taped to prevent sealant from getting on the surface.

6. Sealant should be applied in a continuos operation from a caulking gun. A positive pressure, adequate to fill the entire joint width, should be used. This can be done by "pushing" the sealant bead ahead of the application nozzle. Within 10 minutes after application, tool sealant into the joint. This spreads the sealant against the back-up material and the joint surfaces to obtain compaction to the panel edges. This also fills voids in the aluminum honeycomb and provides a secure bond to the honeycomb.

   Do not use liquid tooling aids such as water, soap or alcohol. These materials may interfere with the curing or adhesion of the sealant.

   It is critical that the sealant fills the entire joint of cavity and that it firmly contacts the panel surfaces. If this is not done, poor adhesion will result and sealant performance will be weakened.

   Avoid the technique of scraping off excess sealant, which pulls sealant out of the joint and prevents bond to the panel edges.

7. Masking or taping must be removed within ten minutes after tooling. If a solvent will be used for cleaning, consult Stone Panels, Inc. for recommendations to avoid staining the stone surface and/or adversely affecting the sealant.

To view pictures of this being done, CLICK HERE

For additional details on any of our attachment systems or for custom details for your application, please contact our Technical Services Staff.

Disclaimer: By writing these instructions, Stone Panels, Inc. in no way makes any warranty nor takes any responsibility for the quality of the installation of the panels, joint sealant, or any other materials. Further, these instructions are merely our suggestions on how to install the panels and seal the joints. Use at your own risk. Any warranty, representation, statement or undertaking whatsoever that may be expressed or implied by statute, custom or otherwise is hereby expressly excluded. Under no circumstances shall Stone Panels, Inc. be liable for any costs, losses, expenses or damages (whether direct or indirect, consequential, special, economic or financial including any losses of profits) whatsoever that may be incurred through the use of any information contained in the Stone Panels, Inc. website or in any other website. This website may contain inaccurate information. Stone Panels, Inc. is under no responsibility to update or correct any such information or to even maintain this website.

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