Browse Forums General Discussion Re: DIY External facade stone cladding 4Oct 04, 2023 11:11 am ![]() Thank you so much. That is REALLY helpful Regarding your point 2. is this when you need to put each piece on the wal one by one like a jigsaw puzzle? And re point 5 - the patterns repeating - does that mean that not every piece is the same but each piece in a box is different but each box of pieces is the same, hence the repeating pattern. And your suggestion is to lay them randomly. My feature wall is around a window. So it will not be a long wall as such. I have attached my own mock-up in Canva with Z and an individual piece look, but you can get the idea. Would you suggest Z or individual pieces for this area? I prefer the individual stone look but not sure how difficult it would be and if it would cost more? Also, do you know how do you end the wall at the edge of the house? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re my second point – yes exactly. And often it may take additional time if the manufacturer recommends no more than X meters height before stacking more on. The product documentation will stipulate. This may be true for some heavier real stone z panels too. Re point 5 –Depends on the quality of the product. Some will have higher variability than others. Z panel made from real stone will have infinite variability except for the panel shape. If its manufactured, depending on quality, every z panel may be the same or there may be high variability. When you have high variability, it still pays to dry fit the next piece and eyeball it to make sure you’re not placing identical pieces next to each other. That’s part of the reason I recommend you se a physical install of the product you’re considering. Its there you get a good feel for whether there is good variability or not. Of ten marketing material are taken at an angle of the big installs and you can’t see the repeats, an then they will show you a single panel front on which you make your purchasing decision. The way I see it is if you are going to put the effort in, take some extra time to source the installs and make sure you’re not wasting your time. My preference is always going to be for single piece over Z panels because I cant not see the panel shape when its up. It really bothers me. It doesn’t matter how good the install is, I see it immediately. Its even more obvious when you join z panels around corners. If you interlock your fingers like as If you were praying, that’s the effect you get. Its really obvious even with natural stone z panels due to the shape. So the panel can look good, but then the aesthetic of the corner join kills it IMO. SOME better quality z panel products have separate corner pieces that address this issue somewhat and give you a proper “L” shaped piece, but costs climb quickly for that type too. Something to consider. I strongly advise to view that sort of install before committing to it. You may hate it or not care. Its good to know either way. As to cost – comparing a good quality z panel to a good quality single piece manufactured stone is comparable within +/- $10 per square meter for a large population of the products out there. There are some outliers that are exceptionally more expensive, however. The biggest factor in costs comes from the install. A stone mason or tiler installing z panel will get it up quicker than individual stones and the price will reflect that. However, if you are doing it yourself, the only factor for you is more time to do the job. But for a better finish and (in my opinion) a better product, its time well spent. Its not overly difficult. Obviously more so than z panel, but there are many many videos of installs on youtube that should give you context on what the process looks like. If youre prepped well, its just like adult sized lego 😊 With regards to ending a wall – its normal to do a reveal on an outside corner. So go around the corner 30-60 cm and you can finish it with an angle that will provide a nice clean edge, but the work will sit proud of the rest of the wall. That doesn’t bother some people – again its something I cant cope with (lol). I prefer to take it to the inside corner and finish it butting up against the next wall. That gives the impression of a full stone section than just a cladding of the face. Looking at your mock up, it looks like that part of the house juts out? If it was me, I’d wrap that entire section. Again this is a personal preference but something to consider if you haven’t already or unfamiliar with the finish. No. The same paint that they paint the wall with will be fine. The builder probably had every intention to paint it and not leave it black. 7 3693 ![]() it's definitely not looking nice. My builder will give the first floor cladding. We are not very comfortable with this cladding. What cladding you have used. Our is strip… 2 1773 Hi Would love some advice on a DIY project I've dived into that's now keeping me up at night. We've got a cool 1970's Mid Century style house here in NZ and have always… 0 5943 |