13 Sep Top 3 Advantages of Using Lightweight Composite Stone
Consisting of thin natural stone veneer sheets bonded to varying backing panels, lightweight composite stone panels are suitable for a broad range of both interior and exterior applications. Preserving stone’s natural beauty, these panels have several major advantages. Here are some of them.
Lightweight Composite Stone Advantages – Weight
As the name suggests, these panels are lightweight – and significantly lighter than solid granite, marble or limestone; slate, sandstone or indeed any other solid natural stone. This means lightweight composite stone panels reduce the dead load of a building and can subsequently be used in areas where structural requirements/limitations may otherwise prohibit the use of natural stone. What’s more, their light weight also:
- Makes handling these panels easier, which in turn increases installation speeds – saving time and labour
- Allows panels to be installed directly over existing surfaces without costly, time-consuming remedial works
- Allows panels to be installed on any substrate with the help of comparatively low-cost methods including, for example, concealed screws, adhesives or interlocking channels
Lightweight Composite Stone Advantages – Flexibility and Strength
Reducing natural stone’s often fragile, brittle properties, the backing process for lightweight composite stone panels provides greater flexural strength and impact resistance. This, of course:
- Makes these panels suitable for a virtually limitless range of applications
- Significantly reduces risks of breaking/chipping during transport and installation
- Minimises risks of warping (longer stone panels are especially susceptible to this natural characteristic)
- Offers increased resistance to penetration by moisture/water
The latter is of particular importance when dealing with open-structured stone types like, for instance, travertine or limestone.
Lightweight Composite Stone Advantages – Utilisation of Stone
Maximising usage of natural stone (one cubic-metre of raw stone can only produce 45 m2 of solid stone panels, but will produce as much as 135 m2 of composite lightweight stone panels), lightweight composite stone panels:
- Reduce exploitation of natural resources
- Promote conservation of the environment
- Reduce the cost per square metre
This final point is especially important when dealing with more expensive stones like, for instance, onyx marble or sky-blue granite.
Summary
In a nutshell, lightweight composite stone panels are more versatile, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, flexible, strong and long-lasting than solid stone. Interested? Get in touch with our experts today.