Samples of the BendyStone stone veneer have been tested by Soudal for FIXING and a product called Soudaseal 240FC has been recommended.
The Soudaseal 240FC is a one-component, solvent free, ready to use, elastic, high quality, neutral, MS-Polymer based adhesive. For applicaton, the substrate must be smooth and it is recommended to fully cover the back of the stone veneer sheet using a 4mm knotched trowel leaving 5mm blank from the edge of the sheet to stop any adhesive oozing out. The stone veneer sheets will instantly grab to the surface but still allowing a little movement for the sheets to be adjusted into place. The sheets can either be butted up against each other or fitted using a small grout joint (recommended) leaving a tile effect (can be grouted using Mapei Ultracolour Plus or left blank and painting the behind surface with a contrasting colour), either option is down to personal choice.
The Soudaseal 240FC is black in colour and comes in a 600ml sausage tube. The coverage is approx 1.5 square meters per tube. A special applicator gun is advised for extracting the adhesive from the tube.
Samples of the Natural Stone Veneer have been tested by Mapei for the GROUT JOINTS and a product called ULTRACOLOR PLUS cementitious mortar has been recommended.
The Ultracolor Plus is a fast setting and drying, high performance, polymer modified, anti-efflorescence, water repellent grout for joints from 2mm to 20mm that is available in 26 colours. It also is combined with Drop Effect and anti-mould with BioBlock technology.
If a gap between the sheets is preferred and you want it to be filled then this is the product to use. Firstly pick which colour grout best suits the Stone Veneer sheet. It is recommended to grout the joints after the sheets have been fixed in place and left to set for at least 24 hours. Prior to grouting, tape the Stone Veneer sheet edges to avoid the Ultracolor Plus grout getting onto the surface of the stone veneer sheet, mix the required amount and then fill the joints following the Mapei mixing and grouting guidelines. Drying / curing time is approx 12 hours based on the below coverage rate. Based on a standard sheet size of 1220mm x 610mm….. and a 10mm wide x 5mm deep joint, the coverage works out at approx .2 of a kg per square meter.
Alternatively (and it looks great!), you can also have a small grout line (3mm approx) and leave the grout line empty. Just paint the behind substrate with a matching or contrasting colour colour.