Difference Between Wet And Dry Installation

Of Natural Stone Cladding

Natural stone such as granite, marble and limestone provide numerous design
possibilities for the enhancement of front facades of spaces such as hotel
lobbies, shopping mall, stores etc. natural stone is not only used for sprucing
up the front façade but also used as flooring, pavement and interior cladding
material.

There are a number of different ways for the installation of natural stone few of
them are listed below:

Wet Installation Method Of Natural Stone Cladding

Wet installation method which is also known as direct adhered method, is the
most common method used for the installation of natural stone cladding. The
reason behind its prevalence is its ease with which it can be used.
Advantages Of Wet Installation Method
1. It is cheaper
2. Requires no onsite drilling
3. Eliminates the chances of cracks on wall due to drilling.
4. Bonds perfectly from edge to edge leaving no space in between which
makes it look more even.
Disadvantages Of Wet Installation Method
1. Due to the edge to edge bonding there is no room for later expansion
which could result in buckling of natural stone. Expansion and
contraction joints are always recommended.
2. If the bond between the wall and the adhesive/ mortar is not intact then
there are chances that the stone can fall off.
3. The stone fixed with mortar may change in colour due to absorption of
water from back mortar layer.
4. It is a time consuming procedure.
 

Here is the step-by-step procedure for the wet installation method of  natural
stone cladding:

Step 1: Calculating The Material

Before starting with the installation procedure you first need to calculate the
area where you want to clad. You can calculate by simply measuring its length
and breadth and then multiplying it. This would help you get an estimated
amount of material for the cladding.
 Step 2: Surface Preparation

Cutting grooves with the help of angle grinder

This is the most crucial part the whole procedure as it would ensure the
bonding that the adhesive/ mortar will have the wall because if the bond
between the adhesive/ mortar and wall is not intact than the cladding can
plunge off the wall. So the procedure for surface preparation is as follows-

1. Plastered wall to be rough finished for mechanical ponding,wet cladding

can be initiated directly on wall.
2. If your wall is painted remove the layerusing grinders than cut grooves
into wall using an angle grinder, horizontally as well as vertically to
create keys, for mechanical bonding.
3. Hacking of old plaster using a chisel or a hammer to make the surface.

Step 3: Mixing The Mortar

Marble and natural stone are installed with thin-set mortar mix (2 parts sand to
1 part PPC Cement) mixed only with clean cold water. Make sure that the
colour of your mortar doesn’t affect the natural stone. Adhesives are also
available in market for stone cladding.

Step 4: Installation Procedure

 Ensure that the surface is not friable and that all laitance, dust is
removed. Do not wet the surface before cladding commences.
 Mortar mix must be applied to the surface to a minimum bed thickness
of 10mm.
 Spread only enough mortar/adhesive for each individual piece. Should a
thin film (skin) appear on the surface of the adhesive, re-agitate with trowel
before bedded.
 Press the dry Natural stone cladding firmly into wet mortar with a
twisting action. Product must be bedded with the aid of a Rubber mallet.
 Lift and replace random cladding to ensure that 100% contact is being
achieved between the cladding and mortar (no voids behind cladding).
 Back buttering of Natural stone cladding is recommended where the
back of the cladding product surface is irregular or when cladding in awkward
locations.
 Remove excess mortar from joints and cladding product before drying
has occurred. The minimum joint width for Natural stone cladding is 2mm.
Please take extra care when you butt joint the cladding.
 If and when required the cladding can now be grouted – using a mortar
mix (1 parts sand to 1 part PPC Cement, preferably with a cement modifier
chemical to get non-shrink properties). Seal the joints with the use of a
pointing tool depending on the desired finish.
 

Dry Installation Method Of Natural Stone Cladding

Dry installation method which is also known as mechanical installation method
uses embedded metal anchors and ties for the connection purpose. The stone
required for this method must be thick because the method requires drilling
which could increase the occurrence of cracks.
Advantages Of Dry Installation Method:
1. The dry cladding method is safe and it prevails the stone from falling off
for years.
2. This method allow for expansion and contraction of stone in extreme
weather conditions.
3. The dry cladding method creates a cleft of around 30 to 45 mm (1”-1.5”)
in between face of the wall and stone covering, providing a layer of air
cushion that acts as a thermal barrier.
4. The appearance of stone used in dry cladding work looks spotless and
aesthetically pleasing.
5. It is a time saving procedure.
Disadvantages Of Dry Installation Method:
1. There are chances for the occurrence of cracks on substrate.
2. It is an expensive method.
3. Requires perfection and alertness because of the following
4. If the holes are not drilled properly then it could waste material.
5. While drilling one must be alert otherwise it could be harmful for you.
6. It requires high skilled labour.
 

Here is the step-by-step procedure for the dry installation method of  natural
stone cladding:
 Step 1: Selection Of Material
1. The brackets must be made of stainless steel. The dimensions of the
brackets and their pin depends on its type as listed below-
r. Thickness Pin diameter
o Type of bracket Width (mm) (mm) (mm)

Z- bracket 35-60 3-5 4-6

L- bracket 30-50 3-4 2×4

Omega bracket 30-60 3-5 4-6

Z – Bracket
Step 2: Site Preparation
1. Clean all the dirt from the surface of the wall.
2. If the wall is constructed freshly make sure it is properly dried up and
the surface is not friable so that the pin could be firmly fixed in the hole
drilled.
Step 3: Installation Method
1. Accurately locate the position of the hole
2. You can start either from the left or the right corner of the wall leaving a
minimum gap of 2mm (0.07”)
3. Drill a hole of appropriate depth and thickness according to the size of
pin. Standard dimension of hole can be 80mm – 100mm (3” – 4”)
4. Insert the expansion bolt into the hole.
5. Insert the pin in the angle to match the hole in the cladding stone.
6. Place the first natural stone and tighten the bolts and pin properly.
7. Leave a clear space of at least 2mm between every 2 natural stone.
8. Similarly clad the entire wall.
 Principles for the Fixing of Building
Cladding
The fixing systems for building cladding are composed of several elements
(angles, expansion bolts, screws, nuts, washers, etc), each of which shall
present the appropriate mechanical features in respect to the requirements
posed by the specific project.
Any type of cladding, once fixed, is subject to two primary types of load:
 - Permanent load (the dead load), due to the weight of the cladding
itself.
 - Variable load (applied loads), due to the wind, thermal expansions,
seismic motions, etc.
Two fundamental types of fixing systems result:
 - Load-bearing fixing: to support the permanent load and the vertical
components of the variable loads.
 - Restraining fixing: to support the horizontal components of the loads.
Restraining fixings instead, serve to maintain the slabs in the positions
specified by the project design. Thanks to the systems of adjustment with
which they are equipped, the absence of perfect verticality in the external
surfaces may be easily overcome.

Types of Façade Building Substructure

 1- Stone fixed to concrete wall
 2- Stone fixed to hollow block wall
 3- Stone fixed to solid block
 4- Stone fixed to composite substructure

Loads
 Self load = (Dead Load)
 Wind load
 Seismic load
 Temperature variation load