Norstone® are renowned for manufacturing market-leading natural stone cladding with a versatile range of different stone types, colours and finish effects. In this new deep dive series of blog posts, we are going to reveal more about our natural stone materials, focusing on each type and giving you in-depth important information about the stone’s origins, qualities and special features that mean it fits the Norstone high quality stone cladding range.

In this first instalment, we will be looking at EBONY BASALT. An absolute showstopper, the jet black colour and ultra-smooth polished finish puts this basalt stone cladding on a par with marble and other high end natural stones for desirability. As the darkest stone we source, Ebony Basalt is a premium level product for deluxe applications not afraid to be bold with colour in the traditional sense. The precision honed finish and the dark colour of the stone combine to create a polished effect. Ebony Basalt cladding is available across our AKSENT™, LYNIA™ and PLANC™ stone cladding tile ranges.

According to open source scientific data, Basalt can be defined as a mafic (dark coloured) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of magnesium-rich lava exposed at or very near the surface of a terrestrial planet or a moon.

More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt. Basalt is a key component of oceanic crust as well as the principal volcanic rock in many mid-oceanic islands, including Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Réunion and the islands of Hawaii.

Basalt is often referred to as being ‘out of this world’, and that’s actually a very accurate description – because scientists have discovered Basalt can be found on the Moon and Mars. Much of the Moon's surface is underlain by basaltic lava flows and flood basalts. These areas of the Moon are known as "lunar maria." Olympus Mons is a shield volcano on Mars. It, like most other volcanic features on Mars, was formed from basaltic lava flows. It is the highest mountain on Mars and is the largest known volcano in our solar system.

Basalt is also related to Gabbro, known commercially as ‘Black Granite’. The key difference between the two rock types is their grain size. Basalt is the fine-grained equivalent of gabbro. It is fine grained because the magma cools very rapidly when it flows out onto the surface. This is because Basalts are extrusive (magma erupted to the surface) igneous rocks that cool quickly and have fine-grained crystals. Gabbros are intrusive (magma crystallises below the surface) igneous rocks that cool slowly and have coarse-grained crystals. Gabbros often tend to contain greenish mineral elements whereas Basalt is more neutral (darks, blacks, greys) which is another reason we at Norstone prefer the finish and style of basalt.

The word basalt comes from a Latin word meaning “very hard stone”. Though basalt is typically a dark, black rock, weathering can lead to a variety of colours – at Norstone we only source Ebony (black) and Grey Basalt.

Basalt commonly features a very fine-grained or glassy matrix interspersed with visible mineral grains. It is a hard material but is very workable and ultimately hard wearing when used in posed applications such as veneer or cladding. Our ebony basalt is sourced from basaltic lava formed eons ago, this basalt is darker, denser and finer grained than many other stones including granite or marble.

Basalt is used for a wide variety of purposes. It is commonly crushed for use as an aggregate in construction projects. Crushed basalt is used for road base, concrete aggregate, asphalt pavement aggregate, railroad ballast and many other ‘industrial’ applications. Basalt is also cut into dimension stone such as cobble stones. Thin slabs of basalt are cut and sometimes polished for use as floor tiles, building veneer and even monuments. Basalt has always been used historically, it can be seen for example on paving stones in the city streets of Rome, Italy.

The Basalt stone strips that feature in Norstone’s AKSENT™, LYNIA™ and PLANC™ series of cladding tiles are honed to a smooth surface leaving a silky finish which is matte in appearance and silky smooth to the touch. Basalt stone offers natural longevity making it a worthy investment for adding value to your home.

Because the stone is so dense and fine-grained, it cuts with supreme precision. In fact, the product is so seamless, to find the joins can be something of a “Where’s Wally” exercise (can you spot them in the wall photo below?). This is a bit of fun but emphasises how difficult it is the find the joins once properly installed – the seamless facades you can achieve are incredible.

8 reasons EBONY BASALT is ideal for stone cladding projects:

• Precision machine-cut basalt tiles are millimetre exact for precise layouts
• Tiles are modular and can be installed by a tiler.
• Cuts accurately to avoid waste and damage.
• Ends are L shaped for perfect interlocking tile - no grout required.
• Profiles range between 12/16mm - perfect for those spaces that require thinness but also want to achieve a solid stone cladding look
• Lighter than traditional Rock Panel Range -. approx. 40 kg per m2
• Qualifies for Warranties/guarantees to be installed onto Knauf using laticrete MVIS Adhesive.
• Aksent™ Range has both internal and external ‘stepped’ interlocking corners for ultimate ease of installation
  

Please note: Basalt is a naturally porous stone and therefore it easily attracts and retains oils, dirt, and other contaminants. Norstone UK recommends that you treat EBONY BASALT with a water-based penetrating natural stone sealer to keep the tiles protected, clean and low maintenance.

So, that was our first deep dive of the series – we hope you learned some valuable ‘nuggets’ of information about basalt in general and our very own EBONY BASALT in particular.

If you are curious about basalt as a cladding material, you should really consider ordering a sample so you can see and feel the finish and colours firsthand – you cannot fail to be impressed by basalt!

For more inspiration, check out our project galleries to see some fantastic examples of ebony basalt stone cladding design projects.

Sources / credits: Wikipedia / Geology.com / open.edu / https://www.flickr.com/photos/lucasartoni/14351679721/

Norstone have been a leading manufacturer and retailer of quality natural stone veneer cladding systems since 2003. Our market-leading panels, along with finger jointed corner systems have proven to be an incredibly popular choice for both homeowners, architects and civil / commercial projects alike.

As the years have passed, so has our range evolved. From our original, classic Rock Panels™, to our super sleek, honed Aksent™ panels, we have innovated within the stone cladding marketplace time and time again. Recently, across our major retail markets (Australia, USA, UK) we have introduced with great reception new materials and finishes, of which the beautiful natural Lava Stone has proven to be a show-stopping, conversation starter whenever it has been used.

So, what else could we develop to fulfil our client’s requirements and exceed expectations? Well, we answered the call of more creative freedom with the introduction of PLANC™, our loose stone plank system. Available in highly desirable shades of monochrome from silver quartz to deepest black ebony basalt, PLANC™ is also a perfect canvas for our hugely popular Lava Stone finishes, available in Platinum and Graphite colourways. Lava stone, which is formed from molten lava that cools slowly, has a truly unique surface texture with interesting bubbling,  pitting and colour textures.

The true beauty for those seeking a unique, signature look is the complete flexibility the PLANC™ system provides; you can easily pick and choose individual plank strips and combine them as needed. The large format PLANC™ stone rows are all uniformly sized (with two narrow and one wide strip per set: 60mm/80mm/140mm x 800mm long), allowing designers to mix and match the colours and finishes and create coherent, stylish patterns should they wish to. We have seen graduated strips, vertical bands, symmetrical, asymmetrical or staggered patterns from creative designers & architects

We have seen some stunning installations of PLANC™, from modernist villas and smart LA residences, to commercial feature walls, fireplace surrounds or even kitchen backsplashes.

Norstone PLANC™ large format stone cladding strips are made from 100% natural stone, meticulously sourced from hand-picked quarries and fabricated at our factory in Vietnam to the highest standards for the most demanding markets around the globe. PLANC™ cladding can be used on both internal and external projects, making it suitable for wet areas and also freeze/thaw applications.

We have designed and manufactured PLANC™ to be a highly calibrated system, best set in a dry fit marble style installation without grout joints over flat vertical surfaces. It can also be laid in vertical arrangements, and is also suitable for a more standard, grout joint look where desired. PLANC™ is also designed to allow for easy corner installations, for more information please read about PLANC™ corners.

With lava stone finishes in particular, it is advisable to consider pre-sealing PLANC™ stone strips prior to installation as this will greatly reduce the amount of maintenance and care of the stone cladding over its lifetime – additionally it makes cleaning  off installation mess such as excess adhesive a much more straightforward process. We recommend that PLANC™ cladding strips should be sealed with a penetrating water-based sealer, we have a choice of 3 sealants….Rapid Drying Stone Impregnator, Lavaseal and Norseal H20 for our Norstone Range. We will advise which one to use upon ordering. Please remember, that small application tests should be conducted before application, to determine its suitability.

Norstone PLANC™ stone veneer loose strip system is ideal for:

• Interior or Exterior projects looking to achieve a large format look with a long linear pattern.
• Residential Applications, including entryways, exteriors, fireplaces, kitchen and bath backsplashes, pools and waterfalls.
• Commercial Applications, including hospitality, medical, and commercial office build outs, retrofits, and signage.
  

The long linear format of Norstone’s PLANC™ system allows the designer to apply texture, pattern and colours to walls in ways only dreamt of before. PLANC™ is not restricted by the ubiquitous brick bond pattern used for fixing stacked stone panels, instead allowing the designer and contractor to collaborate on layouts that will be unique and stunning in appearance – we can’t wait to see what you will do with PLANC™ on your project.

Norstone, the real home of all-natural Stone Cladding, recently introduced the new product range called Planc™, firstly in the USA some 9 months ago and more recently, just being launched here in UK.
 
The Planc™ cladding tile range consists of 5 striking colour and stone types, namely, Ebony and Grey Basalt, Silver Grey Quartz, and stunning Platinum and Graphite Lavastone. All Planc™ stone tiles are smooth and consistent in depth, creating a very consistent and tidy stone cladding wall surface.
 
The Planc™ stone cladding range comes in sets of 3 differing sizes, all 800mm in length, all 20mm thick, but in 3 heights, consisting of 140mm/ 80mm/ 60mm.
 
There is no strict pattern required for installation, they can be staggered, uniform, or even spaced to allow for grouting (internal installs only). Even vertical installation is possible for a very different look and feel. The length of the Planc™ provides elegance to any Interior Designer’s / Architect’s designs.
 
Having very recently released it in the UK, we have on more than a few locations, received orders from builders who have seen it being installed nearby, and their clients have enquired as to who is producing this beautiful Planc™ Range.
 
It’s undoubtedly eye-catching and offers something very different to the commonly used rock panels – the sleek, clean lines are for those looking for an elegant and refined finish.
 
You may ask is it hard to install correctly when they are varying different size panels? Norstone has taken this into account when packaging the Planc™ Range. We produce the Planc™ panels in sets of 3, which takes out all the confusion of selecting appropriate panels when installing. The sleek lines, butt jointed to each other and all panels are machine cut to create a look that makes the Planc™ tiles stand out from the rest of stone cladding products available in the UK.
 
Special new features include pre-assembled Corner sections in all the range, while the Platinum Lavastone Planc™ does not require honed corners at all because the ends are the same colour as the facing - this affords the buyer extra cost savings as an added bonus.
 
Lavastone Planc™ in Platinum and Graphite also have uniquely pitted and textured surfaces (looks a bit like moon rock!) while the Basalt Planc™ Range, has a very silky smooth and elegant finish which is soft and inviting to the touch.
 
We also recommend a skilled professional tiler installs your Planc™ cladding project to make sure you achieve the best possible result and look – we have a lot of documentation and guidelines available on pour website and we can also put you in touch with tried and tested installers if you want to get your stone cladding looking perfect.
 
So, would you consider having a Planc™ clad wall or fireplace? As you can see from the photos above, it is a stunning effect and stands apart from traditional, rough-hewn stone cladding that is typically supplied in the UK – if you want to be different and stand out from the crowd, maybe the Norstone Planc™ cladding system is for you.

After our bespoke lava stone installation in the USA received rave reviews, we decided to develop a new product utilising lava stone and also using this large-scale format to include the ever popular basalt and quartzite materials used in Norstone’s other stone cladding ranges.

A minor departure from our renowned modular panels, the large format Planc™ still posseses all the benefits associated wiith Norstone’s product range - rapid, seamless installation of the highest quality, precision-cut natural stone with the warranty options Norstone has become famous for.

Packaged in sets of three (800 x 60/80/140mm), this versatile product can be laid however you prefer - staggered, symmetrical, asymmetrical or even whichever random design you decide upon. Be creative! We can also accommodate bespoke sizes from 150-1000mm wide to 1500mm long - please email us for more details.

The style is uncompromisingly modern and the range encompasses a silver grey quartzite to an ebony basalt. Surfaces range from naturally pitted lava stone to silky smooth basalt with degrees of honed finishes inbetween. Whether monochrome or a blend of several colours and finishes, our Planc™ range produces stunning results.
For further information please phone or email us.

Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX6aUxWL3Dc&feature=youtu.be

Norstone's Youtube channel:
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLvWX1Jo8o0XQVYN_FnLvQA