Non-Load-Bearing Veneer Stone Introduction and History

Veneer non load bearing introduction is the main purpose of this text. Non-load-bearing veneer stone  is a thin layer of any stone. Veneer stone is used as decorative facing material that is not meant to be load bearing. Stone cladding is an example of Stone veneer, or simulated stone. Stone cladding is applied to a building or other structure made of a material other than stone. Besides, it may be applied to concrete and steel buildings as part of original architectural design.

Stone Veneer History in Various Decades

Stone veneer was first developed in the late 19th century. However, there were other materials developed much earlier. This foreshadowed the use of stone veneer for a while. Parts of the Roman Coliseum were made out of marble veneer that can no longer be seen. The holes in structure of the Coliseum are from the anchors of the veneer panels.

Veneer Stone in Roman Empire

People in the Roman Empire also developed concrete out of cement and rubble stone, which helped builders expand structures greater than before. Stone was used as a part of the facings of these new concrete structures in the Roman Empire, as seen in the Coliseum.

Start of Modern Stone Veneer

Modern stone veneer first made its appearance in the late 1800s. The oldest of modern stone veneer product is now disintegrating. It was cut into thick portions and then hand tooled into the appropriate panels. The stones that were used in that case, were namely granite, marble, travertine, limestone, and slate. Early in its development, thin stone veneer only had the capabilities to be utilized in areas such as the inside of buildings, street-level facades and storefronts.

Veneer Stone in 19^th and 20^th centuries

In the Late 19th and early 20th century non-load-bearing stone veneers were regularly affixed to load-bearing walls behind. By passage of time, and with the advent of skeletal steel framing buildings began to grow taller. Thus, it became necessary to diminish the thickness and weight of masonry walls in order to withstand the dead weight of the building.

Without steel supports, load bearing walls could grow several meters thick on their lowest stories. A solution employed in the construction of early skyscrapers was the use of a steel structural frame that supported exterior stone walls at every floor, thereby distributing the load into the frame. This avoided a gradual buildup of weight that resulted in inconveniently thick lower walls.

The Popularity of Veneer Stone

The utilization of thin stone veneer for complete facades of buildings popped up in the 1940s. Stone veneer construction became much of what we see today in the 1950s. Transportation improved, so stone veneer was transported more efficiently and at lower costs than ever before. Methods to attach veneer to steel were developed; diamond-bladed tools became popular for developing thin stone veneer, while elastomeric sealant began to replace mortar techniques in the construction process.

Veneer Stone in 1960s

Thin stone veneer in the 1960s became more of a standardized look. In fact, standard education on stone veneer became available in The Marble Engineering Handbook and Marble-Faced Precast Panels, which were published by the Marble Institute of America and National Association of Marble Producers.

As stone veneer panels got thinner in the 1960s, the properties of the stone used became more important in order to compensate. Concrete as an aid to stone veneer continued to develop, as “in order to eliminate bowing, cracking, and staining of the veneer.

 Veneer Stone Decreased Thickness in 1970s

“Diamond-studded cables” were used to cut Italian marble into the necessary slabs as a part of an era of specialization in the 1970s. A 1976 patent shows that the stone material of composite stone veneer could be finished and developed in such a fashion that “it does not have the appearance of being a part of a composite stone veneered product.”

The stone veneer was able to be cut to a thickness of ¹⁄₈ inch that is 3.2 mm in the 1980s because of improvements in technology. The thickness of typical thin stone veneer was three centimeters by the early 2000s. Anchors of support were provided by a specific type of stainless steel or of aluminum with a non-corroding material separator between the metal and stone. These anchors are attached to the back of the panels with a rod.

Veneer Stone Industry

You may have seen beautiful displays of veneer stone or natural stone on the walls of homes or businesses. If you have a difficult time telling veneer stone apart from natural stone, that is entirely by the manufacturers’ design. The veneer stone industry is doing its best to displace natural stone as the masonry covering of choice for home exterior cladding, fireplace surrounds, and all sorts of interior touches.

Veneer stone and natural stone, each one, have their own pros and cons. How about you? Which one do you prefer more? Which stone product would you purchase and install for your home cladding, fireplace, wainscot, and other architectural details? If you love to find the answer to this question, stay with us on next upcoming papers on this subject.

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Sources

www.thespruce.com/natural-stone-vs-veneer-architectural-stone-1821084

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_veneer