Columbia Stone, Inc. (CSI) has developed and offers a wide variety of dimensional stone, adhered veneer and terra cotta systems. As more thought goes into choosing a façade, you will find your choices are limitless. There’s an array of stone types, colors, finishes, and installation techniques to take into account. We would like to offer a link to the Marble Institute of America’s website as a resource that we have valued since opening our doors. This website covers everything from the definition of stone types, to ideal stone thickness, to safety factors. We feel that this is the best tool in assisting our clients with their façade decision.
Handset refers to each stone piece being installed to the structure one at a time. Handset stone can be installed using any type of stone support system and stone anchorage attachment method. Handset stone is commonly set by one of the following methods:
Mortar set stone
Mortar is a mixture of cement, lime, sand and water used to bond masonry units. Mortar set stone is generally limited to flatwork. Setting stone paving floors and planter cap pieces are examples of ideal mortar set stone projects. It is also used for setting sill stones, commonly under windows, or for other flatwork such as parapet stone caps.
Adhered stone
When using adhered stone, the supporting wall structure is designed to carry the weight of the stone and setting material loads. Each stone piece is designed to carry its own weight, because of this there are limitations to the size of each piece of stone. Also, no stone may cross any expansion joint within the wall system it is being adhered to.
Wire-set stone
Wire-setting is one of the oldest applications used for setting veneer stone, and it is still commonly used. As with adhered stone, the supporting wall structure is designed to carry the weight of the stone and setting material loads. As the stone pieces are set course by course, they are dead-loaded from stone to stone.
Mechanical anchor stone
Mechanical anchor stone secures and supports the stone back to the structural support wall by the use of an attachment part that holds the stone veneer in place. The attachment/anchor is a mechanically shaped part that is commonly referred to as a mechanical stone anchor. They are generally fabricated from extruded aluminum or stainless steel break-shape. These anchors capture the edge of the stone that has a kerf on the edge, and one side of the part engages the kerf while the other is fastened to the support wall. They are applied across the top and bottom of each stone, and can be applied continuously or sometimes as a clip dependent upon stone strength.
Terra cotta panel system
The use of extruded Terra Cotta panels has become increasingly popular with architects and designers as more suppliers of extruded materials have come on line. The design utilizes a grid system that is attached to a buildings substrate and upon completed assembly provides the support system for the terra cotta. The system includes both metal and aluminum parts and does require accurate layout to install the complete system. Some of the distinct advantages of this type of system is the ease with which panels can be replaced, color selection and the size of the panels. The terra cotta system uses rainscreen principles, which saves on joint sealant and allows air to flow freely in the cavity between the terra cotta product and the waterproofed back-up wall.
Get Started
If you are interested in getting started with a project or simply have a few more questions please click below or give us a call at 503-612-9100.