Using Sandstone Cladding for your house? What You Need To Know

Using Sandstone Cladding for your house? What you need to know 

Using Sydney Sandstone Cladding in Australia for your home can achieve both the most aesthetically pleasing, traditional and modern designs.

Dealing with numerous Sandstone quarries in Australia and hearing constant feedback from reputable stonemasons/installers that work closely with Armstone, we have learned what sandstone needs to have to last the test of time.

Sandstone has helped shaped the landscape of Australian country towns and cities. The stone is produced within Australia and it’s the most desirable natural stone in the country. 

Sandstone adds value and excitement to any building application but with its beauty, there is also a risk, in some cases, it might not suitable for you.

It is very important to use Sandstone inappropriate locations, away from moisture to ensure the longevity of the aesthetics of the stone.

By reading this article to the end you will know how to minimise the chance of discoloration and keep its beautiful natural colour as fresh as you get on the first day.

If you are considering Sydney Sandstone as a wall cladding, you should read the below 6 most helpful tips:

6 Most helpful tips when using Sandstone cladding

With so many options available to you at the tip of your fingers, there are things to consider and take into account before getting the Sandstone Cladding.

Tip 1: It would be best to put Sandstone cladding in the direction facing mostly towards the sun. When Sandstone is under the shade, the stone can be prone to discolour and attract mould.

Tip 2: Make sure you do not have direct water interacting with sandstone as most feature walls around pools, for example, have the pool water going over it. 

All pools have some kind of harsh minerals in the water (chlorine, acid, salt etc) those minerals will cause your sandstone to crumble over time and you will find lots of sand in the filter of your pool.

Tip 3: If sandstone is used for piers or columns, please consult with us directly to know which size and format will work the best with your specific column size, we are able to supply the recommended size, meaning you don’t have to cut to size on-site and this will in-turn cut the installation cost down to the minimum.

 

Tip 4: Consult us directly about the cost of your preferred size as we might be able to suggest a cost-effective size that will bring the cost down drastically. For example, 600×300 size Rock faced Sandstone cost twice as much as the 400×200.

Tip 5: Ask us about installation method as by changing the format of the cladding could potentially save you lots of money on installation. If you opt for large pieces of Sandstone the weight of each piece can be extremely heavy which will mean it will need to be mechanically fixed, again this can be costly to install and buy. 

Tip 6: It is a must to Seal Sandstone with appropriate sealant to keep its colour new. On some cases, sandstone cladding needs to be dip sealed prior Installation. Ask us what would be recommended stone sealer for your cladding. Of course, you don’t need to seal sandstone if you like the stone to look worn/aged to match the style of your surrounds.

Sydney sandstone can be seen today in many iconic buildings across Australia. A popular choice as a building solution, paving and cladding.

If you are considering achieving the visual appeal of a Solid Sandstone wall then we have some good news for you. You can achieve this either by Dressing your existing brick wall or rendered wall with Sandstone rock face or Split face cladding – an inexpensive alternative to creating a natural look sandstone wall, you can see examples of this in our Glebe showroom.

 The use of Sandstone cladding will give you a feeling of performance and connection to the natural world, a grounded feeling and an earthy sensibility that resonates through the entire space. 

 “Sandstone Cladding” is made to dress your wall with sandstone without the costs of building walls with blocks and labour costs associated with them. You can easily clad your wall with your preferred texture and colour of Sandstone and blend it in to suit your environment in a more efficient and cost-effective way.

At Armstone we supply Sydney Sandstone in various finishes and colours.

The colours are available in White, Buff, Brown/Yellow and Pink. 

White – Plain white to very light pink or light grey.

Buff – Consistent grey with no banding.

Brown / Yellow – light, dark, figured and plain.

Pink – light, dark, figured and plain.

Armstone can produce a wide range of texture/finished available to suit your styling preference and project needs.

The most popular finish for Sandstone cladding is Rock Faced. The Rock Faced finish describes a textured rough-looking surface which is hand chipped to create a formally dressed finish. Rock-facing has commonly used
for cladding and capping as well as foundation courses at the base of buildings.

Hydro Split finish Cladding is A split edge achieved by being put through a hydraulic press. the machine-split finish which exposes the natural face of the stone.

Sawn Cladding – The cleanest and most precise cut that produces smooth surfaces and sharp edges.

Crude Cladding: Sawn back, split all edges and split face.

At Armstone you can choose the preferred coloured blocks coloured slabs and we can cut to your preferred size, we deliver Australia wide.

To cover the topic of Sandstone Wall Cladding we would also like to advise that there are imported sandstones. These have a similar look to Sydney sandstone, for example, Teakwood Rockfaced sandstone which is a much denser type of sandstone stone in comparison with Sydney Sandstone. We have Teakwood sandstone available in 12mm thin tiles (a true display of the strength of the stone) Sydney sandstone will crumble in your hand if you had these cut to 12mm thick! 

You dont have to set with Sandstone cladding, there are other Stone Wall Cladding option on the market that you might desire.

Conclusion:

Sandstone is a very beautiful stone that can be used in many settings, it’s important to remember that the genetic makeup of this stone is porous and can have adverse effects if the stone happens to interact with water (more so than other types of natural stone) It’s vital to keep this in mind when making the decision of which stone to use as it can be an expensive exercise to get it wrong. Armstone supplies only the finest grade Sandstone, be this Sydney sandstone or imported. If you need help determining the most suitable options for your sandstone project – reach out to us, we are happy to help.