FAQ’s

Thin Veneers

  1. What is the weight of Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers and related thickness?
    • All our natural stone thin veneers meet the national ASTM and CSA codes to be considered a light weight thin veneer. Natural stone thin veneers must be 15 lbs per square foot or less to be considered a light weight veneer. If the stone veneers are 15 lbs per square foot or less, then no structural requirement is necessary. Therefore our stone veneers are considered an aesthetic detail verses a structural detail. Please note the following styles of stone veneers with their corresponding weight guidelines:
      • Ledgestone approximately 9 to 11 lbs per square foot
      • Microledgestone approximately 11 to 13 lbs per square foot
      • Castlestone approximately 9 to 12 lbs per square foot
      • Fieldstone approximately 9 to 12 lbs per square foot
    • The thickness of our thin veneers are between ¾” to 1 ¼” with the exception of our micro-ledgestone which is 1″ to 1 ½”
  2. Are Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers performance tested?
    • Yes, all our thin veneers are ASTM tested for Freeze/Thaw stability, compressive break load, flexural strength, water absorption, etc. Our natural stone thin veneers far exceed the minimal acceptable ASTM/CSA standards for both the USA and Canada.
  3. How consistent are the colors of Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers?
    • All our veneers are quarried from the earth, and therefore the colors are steadfast. This is very important for the aesthetic detail when the mason is cutting and tooling the stone during installation. This is also very important as the stone may need to be cleaned from time to time due to natural weathering. You do not have to worry about exposing the layers of natural stone below the surface when cleaning.
    • Secondly, natural stone does vary in color and can vary in color within the same quarry. Our quality control experts ensure that colors are well blended within each layer of each crate. We also ensure that all sizes from heights and lengths are well represented. All our sample boards represent the range of color a customer can expect. However, because we are dealing with natural stone, it is ultimately the responsibility of the installer to facilitate design control for the project. If you wish to remove certain colors from the stones blend to get a desired outcome, please ensure that you increase your quantities to account for this. Removing certain colors which the customer may not desire is the responsibility of the customer.
  4. Will the color of natural stone fade over time like manufactured stone?
    • No. Natural stone color is steadfast and will remain the same for the life cycle of the product. If the stones develop a patina on the surface of the stone due to natural weathering, this may be easily cleaned to bring back the original color. You can do this time and time again over the life cycle of the stone. You cannot do this with manufactured stone. Manufactured stone colors will fade over time due to exposure to the elements whereas natural stone thin veneers will gain beauty and character with each passing year.
  5. Do I have to worry about efflorescence?
    • With natural stone you do not have to worry about efflorescence which occurs when water moving through a wall or other structures like brick or fire stop mortars is driven out as a result of the heat of hydration as cement stones are being formed. This brings water to the surfaces that are not commonly bound as part of the cement stone. When the water evaporates it leaves the salt behind. The salt forms a white fluffy deposit that can normally be brushed off. The white deposit is referred to as efflorescence. Since primary efflorescence brings out salts that are not ordinarily part of the cement stone, it is not a structural, but, rather, an aesthetic concern. Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers have very minimal water absorption through the stone which substantially reduces or virtually eliminates problems with efflorescence. If efflorescence does occur on the surface of the stone it can be easily cleaned with brushing or simply with a mixture of vinegar and water. Do not use an acidic solution on your stone veneers to remove efflorescence on the surface of the stone, but rather a higher pH solution, because the stone may not be acid resistant.
  6. How does the quality of Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers compare to best quality manufactured thin veneer?
    • Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers are far superior to manufactured stone veneers in all areas of performance testing. ASTM performance testing can be found on the resources page of our website. Compare our stone test results to any manufactured stone in the market place and see the difference for yourself. Please click on this link to find more information on how our stone performs. The term “quality” in our industry is overused and often not substantiated. Anyone can say they have a quality product, however if the company making the claim cannot back their claim with third party performance test results, you need to be skeptical. Natural stone is not a man-made product and therefore the quality of raw material from one part of the quarry may differ from another part of the quarry. Performance testing is the only way to assure product quality and guarantee it to our customers.
  7. Does natural stone have a warranty?
    • No. There is no warranty on natural stone because it is a product of nature. Blemishes, fissures, striations, veining, etc are natural characteristics of the beauty of natural stone and are not considered “product defects”. However, the only way to ensure there are no product failures is to have the natural stone product performance tested. Performance tests ensure product quality in lieu of product warranty. Project failures rarely are a result of product failures but rather installation failures. Ensure that you do your homework and find a certified professional.
  8. How easy is it to install Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers?
    • Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers are very easy to install in comparison to any other natural stone thin veneer and also in comparison to manufactured thin veneers for the following reasons:
      • Our thin veneers are primarily fabricated from natural sandstone. Sandstone is granular making the stone easy to tool, shape and fit where required during the installation process.
      • Sandstone is composed of silica. Silica is acid resistant by nature. Therefore our sandstone is very easy to clean after installation and easy to maintain for the life cycle of the product.
      • Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers all come with GripSet™ technology which increases the surface area of the stone which also increases the co-efficient of friction and allows the stone to attach quickly to a vertical substrate. This also helps make it an ideal product for seismic areas of our continent.
  9. Is Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneer a “green” product?
    • Yes. The production of our stone emits minimal carbon into our environment as much of our production process involves a high degree of labor and minimal machinery. Our stones must be split and tooled with the expert knowledge of our masons and machinery for this process is no substitute. Any of our natural stone waste from our fabrication process is recycled for roads and infrastructure construction. All the water used for the processing of our stone is 100% recycled. All our tools used in fabricated are easily re-sharpened and reused. Currently we are working with GHG Climate Team, LLC. in Sacramento, CA to evaluate our carbon foot emissions to ensure that we maintain our social responsibility.
  10. What sort of maintenance is involved with Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers compared to manufactured stone thin veneers?
    • Our stone veneers are virtually maintenance free. From time to time you may want to power wash your stone and remove any patina that may have formed on the stones surface from natural weathering, other than this, there is no maintenance required. Natural stone veneers require the least maintenance of any cladding product available in the marketplace today. With manufactured veneers, you cannot clean the surface of the veneer in any way as the paint will be removed from the surface exposing the pumice underneath. If you are using manufactured veneers for the exterior of your home or commercial project, you will eventually have to replace this material due to the products failure over time which will become a very expensive proposition. A performance failure of a manufactured veneer on an exterior space is inevitable as a man-made exterior veneer will never stand up to the test of time.
  11. How does Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneer prices compare to manufactured veneer prices?
    • Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers are very competitive when it comes to the supply and installation of our products for the following reasons:
      • All our natural stone thin veneers are sold as a dry stack. This means that if you have a project which is 100 square feet, you will receive 100 square feet of material. All manufactured veneers are sold with ½” mortar joints, therefore when you order 100 square feet and want to dry stack your installation, you will have to order 15% more material.
      • Secondly, with manufactured veneers you may receive another 5% to 10% of your material order which are broken and not usable. 100% of our natural stone thin veneers are useable because with natural stone, the only wastage would be the cuts that a mason makes during installation. Natural stone you can cut to fit, with manufactured stone you cannot cut to fit and are limited with the pieces you receive and therefore may have a higher degree of wastage.
      • Thirdly, you must consider “capital costs” verses “operational costs” of your project when you are considering price. The “capital cost” is the initial cost of the materials and installation for your project. The “operational cost” is the cost of maintaining the product for the life cycle of the product. Pangaea Natural Stone Thin Veneers may have a slightly higher “capital cost”, however there are no “operational costs” associated with the product over the life cycle of the product. Manufactured stone has a slightly lower “capital cost”, however the “operational cost” can be astronomical. “Operational costs” will primarily be in the form of replacement cost due to the products performance failure over time.
  12. Can there every be a repeating patter with natural stone thin veneers compared to manufactured thin veneers?
    • No. Each piece of natural stone is as unique as a fingerprint and can never be duplicated as designed by nature. Also, masons are like artists and each mason will place his or her own finger print on the project. Two homes or commercial projects side by side with the same natural stone will look different from each other for these reasons. If you are using natural stone thin veneers on your project, your project will always be unique
  13. What is the life cycle of natural stone?
    • Good quality natural stone is a product which last for many lifetimes, but because we have to give a life cycle value, we generally say 1,000 years. However, we know of many ancient natural stone structures from around the world which have far surpassed the 1,000 year mark. If the right stone is chosen for the application, the stone will last you a lifetime and be virtually maintenance free. You cannot say this about most man made products.