Category: Stacked Stone

Norstone & Laticrete - Flying to the Falklands

30/11/2021

We've seen Norstone stone cladding used in very diverse scenarios over the last 20 years, and this new project is no exception.

Our client, The Falkland Islands Company Limited, have opted for Norstone's market leading Rock Panel™ stone cladding for a new construction project on the Falkland Islands! Yes, the Falkland Islands, over 8,000 miles away from the UK. A journey of epic proportions into a land with conditions that are challenging, to say the least (see below for more about the Falkland Islands).

So, which system and application approach would be best suited for the wild and windy location? Luckily our Rock Panel™ cladding systems are designed to handle adverse weather conditions and are supported by the combination of KNAUF Aquapanels and Laticrete MVIS adhesive. Offering unparalleled levels of support and adhesion, this rock solid partnership means the rock panels are secure and will last the test of time.

The project shown below is work in progress, we can't wait to see the completed design. It employs our Ochre Blend (SL) Slim Rock Panels affixed onto Knauf AquaPanel that have been mounted onto the building's front elevation. The slimline rock panels are thinner and weigh less than conventional panels - for maximum performance they have been assembled with Laticrete MVIS Adhesive.

Norstone (SL) slimline stone cladding...

Available in Ochre Blend and Charcoal, the Slimline (SL) range is slightly thinner and lighter (15-30mm thick) and allows us to pass significant savings on to our clients.

They are the same natural stone as our classic XLS and XLV ranges and the same size (610mm x 152mm) panels but weigh only approx. 48 kilos per m2.

We've kept all the features that make Norstone the market leader in natural stone cladding; precision cut, hand assembled unique panels, interlocking corner joints that do away with the need for time-consuming mitre cuts, the highest quality natural stone and, of course, our unique dual warranty for complete peace of mind.

All this at an amazing budget price! Insist on Norstone - accept no substitute!

About the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean. The principal islands are about 300 miles (480 kilometres) east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about 752 miles (1,210 kilometres) from the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. The archipelago, with an area of 4,700 square miles (12,000 square kilometres), comprises East Falkland, West Falkland, and 776 smaller islands. The archipelago's two main islands are separated by the Falkland Sound, a waterway that gave its name to the islands over time. East Falkland houses Stanley (the capital and largest settlement), the UK military base at RAF Mount Pleasant, and the archipelago's highest point: Mount Usborne, at 2,313 feet (705 m).

The climate is unforgiving. Typically, it is cold, windy and humid. Rainfall is common over half of the year, and sporadic light snowfall occurs nearly all year.

*Information sourced from wikipedia.

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The 5 best ways to use stone cladding in your home

8/11/2021

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5 ways you can add stone cladding to your interior spaces...

As the UK’s preferred natural stone cladding company, we at Norstone have seen our stacked stone used in a myriad of ways, and we are always delighted to see the versatile and stylish results.

We have seen great exposure of our stone cladding on external projects, from commercial building façades to luxury home architecture and recognisable sites such as hotels, retail centres and golf courses.

The beauty of our high-quality cladding ranges is that they are perfectly suited for internal use as well, and we have been amazed over the years by the huge array of designs and finishes that our clients have achieved. If you want to check out some stunning examples, visit our project gallery.

In this article we’re going to run through the most common and popular ways that we see stone cladding used in homes across the UK. As the winter draws in, we’re all thinking about being indoors, cosy and enjoying our interior spaces, so why not check out these stone cladding applications and get inspired!

Fireplaces

Perhaps the most iconic of stone cladding fitouts is to a fireplace or chimney stack. As a commanding area in the home, fireplaces attract the eye. It’s for that reason then that we see our stone cladding used to amazing effect.

Fireplace surrounds and chimney breasts are among the most popular uses of Norstone - from cool, modern white to minimalist Charcoal to the more traditional Ochre Blend stone cladding. In recent times, we have seen a big increase in the trend for ebony basalt which give a very high-end look and our exclusive lava stone in platinum and graphite finishes, these will deliver a showstopping look that will become an instant talking point.

Make the fireplace the true focal point of your room with just a few square metres of Norstone natural stone cladding panels.

Feature Walls

A staple of interior design, the feature wall has evolved over the decades from paint, to wallpaper, to material textures and then, the cycle begins again. Perhaps one of the most important advancement in feature walls in the last decade or so is stacked stone, or stone cladding panels. These thin natural stone veneers allow you to apply a genuine stone finish to any wall, but the slim size and advanced fixing methodology means you don’t have problems with massive weight or affixing issues.

Creative use of Norstone's real stacked stone panels for stone feature walls can lift a room or a building and transform it into something special for a relatively small cost. Sympathetic lighting can highlight the texture of the stone and make it a talking point. Check out this stunning feature wall made with our unique Planc™ cladding system:

Norstone stone cladding gives a 100% authentic, real stone finish with a beautiful range of colours and hues, all from responsibly sourced natural stone quarries - coupled with our long-life guarantees and handy finger joint corners, it's a winning combination.

Bathrooms

The new normal is for our bathrooms to be a haven, a retreat, a place for pampering and to re-invigorate ourselves. Enter stone cladding! It can be used sparingly as a feature or extensively to fully cover your bathroom, and it will bring style, elegance, and luxury to a previously overlooked and often outdated part of your property. Please note, we don’t recommend installation of natural stone cladding in the immediate wet areas of the bathroom…this is due to maintenance and cleaning.

Whether it’s the brilliant natural white, or the natural stone qualities of the charcoal rock panel, the three dimensional randomly stacked stone wall inevitably creates a conversation piece. For warmth and a snug feel, the beauty of Ochre Blend cladding cannot be underestimated.

Pro tip: for a highly contemporary look, use charcoal stone cladding panels as a stunning contrast to white and chrome.

Kitchens

Most properties today are rated quite heavily on the kitchen – its no exaggeration to say that a poorly designed kitchen with a ‘bad look’ will turn off potential buyers, whereas a stunning highly designed kitchen space will add thousands in value to your home.

With the rise of open plan spaces, we often see the kitchen, dining and living spaces blending together and this is where stone cladding can really add huge impact in terms of its placement, and the way it can be used to tie the different areas together.

The subtle range of Norstone’s distinctive natural stone cladding (charcoal, ochre blend, sahara, white, ivory, deep grey, silver grey, platinum, graphite) will work with any kitchen’s colour scheme and finish - whether lacquer, matt or gloss. Whether a gentle blend or a bold, stunning contrast - either will produce a superb effect and make an already magnificent kitchen even more striking. Norstone’s stone cladding panels look equally at home in both classic traditional and ultra-modern kitchens.

Already a world leader and a byword for quality and cutting-edge design, Siematic kitchens now feature Norstone’s equally innovative natural stacked stone cladding panels as a design option at the planning stage. Siematic have begun to roll out Norstone to all their distributors and will soon be available to view at their stores throughout the UK.

Our charcoal rock panels used as a surround to a panel of appliances on a white wall gives a stunning effect - people will look, but they have to touch as well. Our natural stone veneers are incredibly tactile – you must stroke them!

Columns

Whilst not a common feature in many homes, if you do have a column, pillar, or stack in your property, you would be amazed at how easy it is to completely alter its appearance with a stone cladding wrap.

Our precision cut stone cladding corner units are quick and easy to fit and complete the impression of a very substantial natural stone wall. By applying them to columns or pillars, we can get a fantastic look in a short timeframe and with an affordable price tag.

Used extensively externally, we can also apply corners and panelling to internal columns - every Norstone corner section is handmade after being precision cut. No longer do installers have to mitre the edges which in the past increased wastage and time, which in turn increased costs. Our renowned interlocking finger joints are unique and another reason why Norstone is the undisputed premium brand in the market.

Bonus: Curved Walls

Finally, a last use for stone cladding that looks really incredible… Using natural stone cladding on radius walls and curves.

Do you have a home with curved walls or round rooms? Radius walls make a very interesting and distinctive design element and create a distinctive sculptural statement. Let your imagination run free to create sensational feature walls that will enhance your indoor or outdoor living spaces.

The rugged texture of the 3-dimensional stone helps to delineate the curvature of the wall to create a very edgy and impressive design. Curved or radius walls can be free-standing or part of an existing structure, the choice is yours.

So, there you have it, the 5 most popular uses for natural stone cladding in the home. As market leaders, we have seen our range used extensively across all these scenarios with some amazing results - please browse our projects gallery to see some prime examples.

If you are inspired and want to bring some of this amazing design to your home, then please contact us – we have the experience and network of guarantee backed installers to give you the stone cladding project of your dreams.

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Norstone® – a global leader & innovator in stone cladding

13/5/2020

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At Norstone, we pride ourselves on the unparalleled quality of our stone cladding and the extremely high standards we adhere to for both sourcing and manufacturing our natural stone cladding panels and stone veneer tiles. Backed by our incredible customer support and technical advice services, we offer our customers a full 360º turnkey experience and do our upmost to make the stone cladding installation process quick, simple and frustration-free. With our long warranties provided in conjunction with our designated substrate and adhesive partners, our clients also know that they have the peace of mind of calling on us at any time if any issues need attention.

So how did Norstone come to be synonymous with stone cladding?

Founded in 2003, and headquartered in Sydney, Australia, Norstone has become the byword for innovative and premium natural stone products around the globe. Over the past 17 years we have grown and expanded with expansive market presence in North America, Asia, Australasia and Europe.

Why is Norstone a market leader in stone cladding systems?

Norstone’s early and ongoing success is built on a number of factors which combine to deliver an unbeatable combo of superior product and outstanding technical expertise.

First and foremost, our products speak for themselves. We rigorously control the quality and provenance of our materials and the entire manufacturing process, from quarry to finished product, is managed directly at our modern production facility in South East Asia. There are cheaper alternatives, but you cannot substitute our premium quality without compromising the end result.

Secondly, we are always looking to innovate and surpass ourselves. Not content with sitting on our laurels, we constantly look to deliver new and innovative ways to use natural stone products with ease and simplicity. Our passion is to introduce the beauty and impressive benefits of natural stone so you can better understand it’s amazing inherent attributes and how it will enhance your environment.

Thirdly, the installation methods and corner systems we have developed over the years have received very positive feedback from professional installers around the world. We back up our 360º commitment with ongoing support and we also assist with project scope to make sure that the right materials and substrates are chosen, and your stone cladding project turns out perfect. Within the UK, we also provide substantial warranties when the cladding is installed to our technical specification with the appropriate fixing materials.

Finally, Norstone are also driven by firm commitments to both labour welfare and the environmental impact of our products:

Norstone will never source natural stone from environmentally sensitive areas such as river systems, abides by all government regulations regarding the quarry of natural stone products, and is fully licensed to deal in the quarry and subsequent manufacture of natural stone based products.
Norstone natural stone cladding products are environmentally friendly, inert and fully recyclable as well as energy efficient in production.
Norstone employs only qualified professionals in its quarries and factories, and firmly stands against the exploitation of child labour.

So Norstone cladding is the best?

Norstone’s unique rock panel system has been installed in some of the world’s most prestigious architectural projects and is often specified by architects and commercial designers. Our track record demonstrates that our cladding panels deliver outstanding results in a myriad of projects, from commercial environments to high end residences.

The superior ease and speed of installation combined with natural stone of the highest quality make Norstone the stone cladding of choice for architects, designers and builders all over the world.

What are the key features of Norstone stone cladding?

The leading premium natural stacked stone cladding brand
Wide range of colours and finishes from quartzite to lava stone
Unique interlocking internal & external stone cladding corner system for 65° – 115° angles
Precision machine cut for accurate and perfect installations every time
Hand assembled, ensuring each stone cladding panel is completely unique
Quick panel installation rates with no grouting or mitres required
Norstone Rock Panels will not shatter or splinter when cut or drilled
Norstone can be affixed to brick work / concrete / block work / interior cement backerboard and also on concave & convex curved surfaces
Small amounts of stone wastage on installation - less than 10%
Norstone technicians available to answer any questions & provide advice
Complete unique warranty solutions provided by Laticrete (adhesive) and Hardie / Knauf
Comprehensive Norstone Masterguide Installation Guide available under documentation

Norstone at a glance

Founded: Early 2003
Number of Employees: more than 200

Global Distributors:
USA, UK, Europe, Mid-East, Asia, Australasia

Asia Pacific Headquarters:
Norstone Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia

North America Headquarters:
Norstone USA INC, Los Angeles, USA

UK Head Office:
Norstone UK Ltd, London, UK

Norstone – heritage and future

We’ve already proven our pedigree with outstanding performance and innovation since we started in 2003, and as a forward-thinking company, we have many new ideas and design concepts in the pipeline. We’re very excited for the development of Norstone in the years ahead – we hope you will join us on our journey.

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Warranties and Norstone

10/10/2018

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Norstone stone cladding ranges incorporate both contemporary and also rustic, catering for all tastes and styles within the market. Our stone cladding systems also offer incredible versatility, from sleek, geometric tiles such as Aksent™ and Planc™, to modular, large-scale format formats including XLX Rock Panel™ and Rustik™. With such a diverse range, it’s critical to have a thorough and well-understood methodology for both installation and aftercare.

Our many years as leading UK stone cladding suppliers means we have developed an extensive, highly effective technical application guide based on real-world feedback from our commercial partners and our approved materials distributors. It is really important, whether it is on a commercial scale or a small private dwelling, that your project is protected by reputable, long-standing warranties and guarantees – Norstone have partnerships with our preferred suppliers, Laticrete International and Knauf.

When installed to the technical specifications and using the correct substrates, the combined Knauf / Laticrete warranty is good for a staggering 25 years! Because of these warranties, many of the UK’s leading architects and interior designers work closely with Norstone before choosing a stone cladding range suitable for their project.

Design projects that feature stone cladding surfaces can differ greatly, due to technical considerations such as proximity to the sea, cliff top locations, etc. Certain weight restrictions may mean timber or steel frames are required, this often requires working closely with our partners to develop a suitable system warranty that satisfies the most discerning architect, but more importantly, you.

We will not only sell you lifestyle choices, but more importantly, our natural stone cladding ranges are backed by warranties which will stand the test of time. Remember, stone cladding and warranties go hand in hand at Norstone.

Visit our technical documentation section or call us on 0203 178 2801 to discover more.

Norstone stone cladding installation with Laticrete and Knauf Aquapanel

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Norstone at the Southampton Boat Show

16/9/2014

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Those lovely people at Garden Spaces will be exhibiting their incredibly stylish wares again at this year’s Southampton Boat Show on stand A106 (Sept 12th - 19th).

We are flattered that they’ve again chosen our new Charcoal XLV rock panels as the finish for their exhibit for this prestigious show. Their previous showing of a Norstone finish at this year’s Grand Designs London show proved to be a great success and a major talking point. Our Ochre Blend and Charcoal rock panels (both XLV and XLS) are widely used in gardens, landscaping and water features and are by far our biggest sellers in this market.

However, one leading garden designer has planned to use our Ivory and Sahara panels in her future designs so we're waiting with bated breath to see the results. We will, of course, add them to our website for all to see as soon as we get the photographs.

Owing to popular demand, we have now added Sahara, Ivory and White to the previous XLV range of Charcoal and Ochre Blend. These are identical to the standard XLS panels apart from featuring fewer pieces per panel which gives bolder, chunkier look highly suitable for grand scale projects.

We've seen Norstone used in some pretty unusual places and the versatile uses clients come up with never ceases to amaze us, although we've yet to see it used on a boat - please let us know if you see one!

However, you don't need to be a sailor or boat-owner to go to the show and if you're thinking of utilising your garden to add another much-needed room to your house then we strongly recommend talking the experts at Garden Spaces and seeing (and touching - it’s ok, everyone does!) Norstone at first hand on a real installation.

Tell them we sent you!

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Norstone @ The Chelsea Flower Show

8/1/2014

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Going for gold - RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Following a last minute S.O.S. from multi award-winning garden designers Bartholomew Landscaping, our crack team of installers
were dispatched to Chelsea with indecent haste to solve what appeared to be an impossible problem. A truckload of our Ochre Blend natural stone cladding was loaded up at the warehouse and sent in a westerly direction to brave the M25 with instructions not to spare the horses.

Stoke -On-Trent’s Mandate For Change garden at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show featured some intricate wall designs which proved to be far too time-consuming to be completed using traditional construction methods by the strict deadline. Our intrepid installers quickly got to work in a race against the clock...

Norstone’s stacked stone panels can be cut to accommodate any curvature, even tricky concave sections and, better still, this is achieved without splitting or cracking the stone, saving valuable time and money. The panels were quickly cut in three sections using nothing more hi-tech than a wet saw, and rapidly fixed using a revolutionary new stone adhesive from Laticrete. There was an almost audible sigh of relief as the complex design started to come to life. When we say we can install fifteen square metres a day, we mean it! No time-consuming grouting or pointing was needed, meaning that the job was finished in days rather than weeks. The finished wall was a thing of beauty and still gave the designers time to work their horticultural magic on our stone tapestry.

We were pretty pleased with our efforts and it seems we weren't the only ones...

Designer Mathew Unwin of Bartholomew Landscaping:

"Thank you so much for working with us at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2013.
I was immensely impressed with the Norstone walling. The finished garden was something to be truly proud of – the stone wall was beautiful and it was a real achievement that your team supplied and installed a fantastic product so quickly – especially under the tight ‘Chelsea’ time scales!!

The RHS may have awarded the garden a Silver, but the judges feedback was that the wall was fantastic and if judged on its own it would have been a GOLD medal. The feedback from the public and fellow Chelsea professionals was also highly complementary.

Very well done to your team, we would love to work with Norstone again at Chelsea Flower Show and will look to specify your product in other suitable projects in the future."

Ground Force? Pffft! Alan Titchmarsh eat your heart out!

Having encountered a problem with another supplier for our Centenary Chelsea Flower Show Garden 2013, we approached Jack Jago (Norstone) for his help and advice, who in turn was very professional and super efficient when it came to solving our immediate problem which threatened the completion of our garden.

Jack also kindly offered to take over the sponsorship and had his team of highly skilled operatives and materials on site within 2 days, with all the works completed to the highest possible standard and within tight time-frame and constraints that one faces at a show such as Chelsea.

Lastly, it was an absolute pleasure to have worked with Norstone who ultimately delivered beyond all our expectations.

Barry Burrows
Managing Director
Bartholomew Landscaping

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Norstone & Laticrete - Flying to the Falklands

Norstone (SL) slimline stone cladding...

About the Falkland Islands

The 5 best ways to use stone cladding in your home

5 ways you can add stone cladding to your interior spaces...

Fireplaces

Feature Walls

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Columns

Bonus: Curved Walls

Norstone® – a global leader & innovator in stone cladding

So how did Norstone come to be synonymous with stone cladding?

Why is Norstone a market leader in stone cladding systems?

So Norstone cladding is the best?

What are the key features of Norstone stone cladding?

Norstone at a glance

Norstone – heritage and future

Warranties and Norstone

Norstone at the Southampton Boat Show

Norstone @ The Chelsea Flower Show

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