Stone Cladding Vs Tiling Vs Paving
Stone cladding options for your design project
If you’re wondering how stone cladding, tiling and paving differ, here is a basic explanation of these popular building techniques and materials:
Stone Cladding
Stone cladding is a material applied on top of a substrate to improve the appearance of spaces. It is commonly used on a building façade to create a feature wall or finish off a boundary fence.
Stone cladding is made of quarried stone in various finishes or a man-made veneer. Therefore it can complement the look of the architecture or interior with different types and formats available. Furthermore, the stone can be stacked randomly, in a geometric pattern or a linear arrangement.
Read about the difference between natural stone cladding and manufactured cladding here.
Depending on the material selected, it may also be waterproof or fire-resistant and provide thermal insulation.
Tiling
Tiles adhere to a surface to enhance a space’s appeal and functionality. Although often aligned with wet interiors like bathroom or kitchens, they are also used outdoors for pools, entrances and around fireplaces.
Tiles are usually made of glass, ceramic, concrete, metal, granite and marble. However, there are also soft tiles such as cork, wool and recycled paper. These come in various colour patterns and finish options to suit your design.
For installation, tiles require a surface as flat as possible and are fixed with a mortar or specialised adhesive. To finish off, they may need grouting to maintain surface integrity.
Paving
Like tiles or bricks, pavers finish off and protect an underlying surface. Generally a larger, thicker format than tiles, they are used for more high-traffic areas such as driveways and courtyards. They are now more readily used inside to create a seamless link with the outdoors.
Internally, stone flooring is fixed to a concrete foundation, while being laid on a concrete or compacted sand base externally as per the application. Sand, soft earth or grout is then used to finish and secure the pavers in place.
