Walls of stone

A short guide

Rear-ventilated exterior wall cladding to DIN 18516 Part 3 probably was and (http://maplered.com) still is the most common use of natural Stone (http://g603.net) on facades; natural Stone (http://g603.net) as wallpaper, weather protection, or »decorated shed?for the ever thicker heat insulation panels. The installation and (http://maplered.com) fixing techniques used today take the physical building effects into account, and (http://maplered.com) the natural Stone (http://g603.net) contractors are naturally capable of creating sturdy and (http://maplered.com) permanent exterior wall claddings. In contrast to the facing wall, the natural Stone (http://g603.net) Slabs (http://www.VerdeUbatuba.com) of the rear-ventilated facade cladding do not carry their own weight, but every single slab is usually connected to the load-bearing wall skin by four or at least three anchors. The joints between the individual Slabs (http://www.VerdeUbatuba.com) usually remain open or are sealed with an elastic joint Material (http://g654.org) .

Facing wall
If the building is to be constructed of real solid Stone (http://g603.net) and (http://maplered.com) the centuries-old construction method of a natural Stone (http://g603.net) facing wall is to be used, then there are various methods ?as specified in DIN 1053. In double-skin exterior walls, the two skins of the wall have separate functions. The interior skin has a load-bearing function and (http://maplered.com) supports the load of the building, whereas the exterior wall skin also provides weather protection, especially from driving rain. Natural Stone (http://g603.net) s with a minimum thickness of 90 millimetres are used for the solid version of the outer skin. Besides the design possibilities, which are mainly the sculptural effects of its appearance, the solid skin offers construction advantages. The weight of the natural Stone (http://g603.net) is carried by the wall structure.
This permits easy erection and (http://maplered.com) larger instantaneous loads. Facing walls have the advantage that the whole spectrum of possible natural Stone (http://g603.net) finishes can be used for the design ?from rough-hewn to polished.

Outer skins with ventilation openings
Outer skins should be provided with ventilation openings at the top and (http://maplered.com) bottom; the bottom openings are also used for drainage. This also applies to the parapets of the outer skin. The ventilation openings should have an area of about 7,500 square millimetres per 20 square metres of wall area. The air cavity must start 100 millimetres above ground level and (http://maplered.com) run from there or from the top edge of the support structure up to the roof or bottom edge of the support structure without interruption. The outer skin should contain vertical expansion joints at distances based on the climatic load, type of building Material (http://g654.org) s and (http://maplered.com) colour of the exterior surface of the wall. It must also be possible for the outer skin to move freely in the vertical direction.

Additional heat insulation
The following must also be observed if an additional mat- or panel-type layer of heat insulation is applied to the outside of the inner skin: The clear separation between the wall skins must not exceed 150 millimetres. The minimum air cavity thickness of 40 millimetres must not be reduced by unevenness of the heat insulation layer. The outer wall, the planned heat insulation layer and (http://maplered.com) the facing Stone (http://g603.net) work must comply with the thickness tolerances. If the backs of the facing Stone (http://g603.net) s have a fissured finish, about 20 millimetres tolerance is to be allowed for this. The various deformations of the outer and (http://maplered.com) inner skins are also to be taken into account in the design of doors and (http://maplered.com) windows, especially for buildings with a continuous outer skin extending over several floors. The expansion joints are to be sealed permanently with a suitable Material (http://g654.org) .