Enhanced Natural Thin Stone Installation System Changing the Exterior Veneer Industry

As the popularity and use of Natural Thin Stone grows, installation research and findings are producing enhanced standards that are generating better longer-lasting installations at reduced costs. 

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Historically, the minimum acceptable standards for installing Natural Thin Stone have long been the following:

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1. Apply sheathing over the studs. This sheathing can be exterior OSB, plywood, exterior grade drywall, wallboard or cementitious board.

2. Staple the building paper to the sheathing. Attach the building paper in horizontal strips. Start at the bottom and overlap 2" (like shingles). Overlap the vertical joints by at least 6". If using flashing or support brackets (anchors), install them before proceeding to the next step.

3. Screw, staple or nail the metal lath to the studs with a maximum horizontal spacing of 16"o.c. Overlap the metal lath at least 1" for horizontal and vertical joints. At corners, overlap the vertical joints at least 16" around the corner to avoid corner cracking. Use barbed galvanized nails at 6"o.c. vertically for exterior work or steel wire furring nails at 4"o.c. for interior work. Minimum nail penetration is 1" into the studs. For steel studs, the lath must be anchored with corrosion resistant screws that have a minimum shank diameter of 0.190".

4. Apply a scratch coat of mortar that is 3/8" to 1/2" thick over and embedding into the metal lath. Use a toothed scraper, notched trowel or small piece of lath to lightly rake horizontal grooves in the scratch coat. Allow the scratch coat to cure for a minimum of 24 hours.

Across the United States, depending on the geography, the climate, the moisture level, Enhanced Installation Techniques and Systems have been developed that offer superior performance. One of those approaches is described below.

Enhanced System for use over Wood or Steel Stud Substrate

In this application, the Lath and Scratch Coat is replaced with Cement Backer Board and Roller-Grade, Flexible Waterproofing Membrane. Using the Cement Backer Board eliminates installer errors that can occur by scratching the initial coat of mortar too deep. If this overly deep scratch occurs, moisture can penetrate the coat and lead to corrosion of the lath and ultimately complete installation system failure. By using the Cement Backer Board and the Roller-Grade Flexible Waterproofing Membrane, this lath and scratch-coat system weakness is eliminated.

Similar to thin set tile installations, movement joints are also used every 8-10 feet. The below graphic illustrates Laticrete's approach using their HydroBan Acrylic Waterproofing Membrane and their 255 MultiMax Thin Set Mortar. This type of system not only offers superior performance, but can reduce total installation costs by 10-30%. Other enhanced products are listed below.

These products have been tested for use in most climates in the United States and proven to provide lasting protection. Many include warranties as well.

Cement Backer Board

·        PermaBase by National Gypsum

Waterproofing Membrane

·        HydroBan by Laticrete

·         Mapelastic Smart by Mapei

·         Sure-Coat by ProSpec

Mortar

·         255 MultiMax by Laticrete

·         Granirapid Mortar by Mapei

·         StayFlex 590 by Prospec

Other Applications

When applying Natural Thin Stone directly to Concrete, Concrete Block or Existing Masonry, adding a Roller-Grade, Flexible Waterproofing Membrane will significantly enhance the soundness of the installation.

Overall these Enhanced Natural Thin Stone Installation Systems improve the quality, longevity and the cost of using the superior product of natural thin stone veneer.

Enhanced Natural Thin Stone Installation System Changing the Exterior Veneer Industry

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Shower Pan Membrane Installation Tips

A shower pan membrane keeps water where it should be and not where it can damage your home. Shower floors leak. That's because the grout lines are never waterproof and neither are many tiles. Something must be done to keep the water from moving though the floor to rot the area around the shower.

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All kinds of materials have been used to form what are called shower pans. At times liners have been constructed of copper, lead, galvanized steel as well as tar. All work to some degree but all fail too at some point. Failure leads to damage around the shower which is usually not noticed until it's quite expensive to fix.

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Today the most commonly used liner membrane in traditional mortar shower pans is a single vinyl sheet. Used for years now, only time will tell how long these sheets will remain waterproof, but results so far beat other options.

Not just any vinyl, the liners are special compounds made just for this purpose.

Technically speaking, sheets are constructed of one of two materials.

Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) sheets remain flexible longer and work easier than the others. Not as widely available and more expensive, these are the premium choice.

Most pros use the other type of material. This more common liner sheet is the polyvinyl chloride sheet or PVC. Installers seem to think this liner works just as well though a bit harder to work.

Either liner serves the same function. The core of a shower pan, the sheets stop any and all water that seeps into the tile mortar base. The sheets essentially form a pool within the floor to contain all water.

Any water that reaches the sheet then gets routed to a special drain which puts it in it's place. The whole construction of a shower floor focuses on putting the liner in the right place and getting all the water to the special tile shower drain.

Correct shower pan membrane installation insures that all water that hits a tile floor goes down the drain. It's the key to proper functioning of a shower floor.

Shower Pan Membrane Installation Tips

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