Stonepanel® Installation >Explanation installation process

1.- Recommendations for the correct installation of Stonepanel. In general, the same steps should be followed as for fitting any other natural stone finish, i.e. taking due care to align and level each piece correctly.

2.- Support fittings. Stonepanel can be fitted using practically any support, provided that it is aligned and level in order to avoid overloading the fixing material. If the support structure is painted or in the case of any other base which does not have the necessary adherence, this should be previously scraped or chipped away in order to prevent panels from becoming loose. No formal qualifications are needed in order to be able to fit Stonepanel, however we suggest that the following guidelines are adhered in order to deliver the desired quality finish.

3.- Fixing materials. In general, a simple cement-based adhesive for exterior use, with a high level of flexibility, minimal vertical movement and resistant to prolonged exposure can be used. Cupa Natural Materials recommends the use of Ardex X7G+ adhesive for fixing Stonepanel. It is important to ensure that the adhesive used can withstand the weight of the panel (between 6 and 12 kgs depending on the model). For exteriors, and heights above two meters, it is recommended that the panels are fixed using a traditional mechanical method.

It is recommended that two notched holes (max. diameter 5mm) should be drilled into the cement backing on the top end (to a minimum depth of 1.5 cm), into which a stainless steel wire is inserted and then fixed to the supporting wall via a previously drilled hole. Any other mechanical system can be used to prevent the panel falling away should the adhesive not complete its function correctly.

4.- Fitting of panels. Fitting should commence from the lowest row, fitting the Stonepanel pieces together. On fixing the second row, the joints between pieces should be alternated with those in the first row to avoid them being visible.
The case of corners, fitting should always start at this point, using a long-cornered piece, a short piece being used above this for the second row, in order to alternate joints.