Flexible stone veneers as a floor cladding

Flexible stone veneers as a floor cladding

Cladding your floor can be a tricky business. When using a cladding on your floor, it needs to be able to bear weight, easy to clean & while also being suitable to be installed on the surface below. Today, let’s discuss what flexible stone veneers are & what benefits flexible stone veneers bring when used as a floor cladding.

What are flexible stone veneers?

Sketch Australia’s flexible stone veneers are sustainably extracted with a minimum carbon footprint from 100% natural metamorphic rock. It results in a thin layer of stone which is attached to a backing, which is most commonly fiberglass, but could also be fabric or translucent.
This backing, with the thinness of the stone layer (1.5 mm to 2.0 mm) gives not only tremendous durability, but also ensures a light-weight & easy to install stone veneer. The stone surface provides natural water & heat resistant, which means that it can be installed both indoors & outdoors.

Sketch Australia’s flexible stone veneers can be installed on top of any substrate, including glass, tiles, cement, wood, brick & render. From floors to walls & ceilings, applications are only limited by your creativity, with the most common applications being splashbacks, feature walls, fireplaces, bathrooms, bedrooms, & furniture.

Why consider stone veneers as an option for floor cladding

There are many reasons why you should consider flexible stone veneers as an option for floor cladding. Let’s discuss a few of those reasons in detail.

1. Durability
The stone surface speaks for itself. Since the surface of the veneer is natural stone, it’s durable & resistant to extreme weather conditions, whether scorching hot or freezing cold, so you can install this in both indoors & outdoors floors. Unlike so many other cladding options, the stone surface is also resistant to scratching & chipping, & with the proper installation & maintenance, it’s bound to last a lifetime. After applying a sealant on top of the surface, it makes the cleaning process much easier as well.

2. Water & heat resistance
Sketch Australia’s flexible stone veneers are naturally water & heat resistant, since the surface is natural stone. So, you can install it in places where water & heat resistance is an absolute necessity, including the outdoor floors where it’s more prone for moisture or rain, or even the bathroom or shower floor.

3. Visual appeal
Flexible stone veneers have an elegant look, whether it’s installed on indoor or outdoor floors. The natural stone surface is unique in appearance & since each sheet is unique from the other, it creates a theme of its own.

4. Ease of installation
Unlike most cladding options like large format tiles, flexible stone veneers are extremely light-weight, only being around 1.5 kilos per standard sheet. That, combined with the thinness, contributes to ease of installation, to the point where the product is DIY. No need for special equipment or an installation team, just an angle grinder to cut the sheets, a PU adhesive to paste it, & finally a penetrative sealant on top of the surface. You’ll not only save up on labour cost, but also, it’ll be something fun for you to look forward to do in the weekend, especially if you’re a DIY enthusiast!

5. Versatility of application
Sketch Australia’s flexible stone veneers can be installed on both indoor & outdoor floors, but that’s not the best part – seeing that it can endure extreme weather conditions as well as be installed on top of any kind of substrates used on the floor, including cement, tiles or wood, applications are limitless! You can not only install it as a cladding for your floor, but also, install it as a wall cladding too, & create a theme of its own.

6. Affordability
Compared with other floor cladding options (including tiles) & considering the advantages it offers, flexible stone veneers are affordable. Not only saving up on the labour cost if you do it on your own, but each sheet is extremely cost effective for the benefits & unique look it offers. If you use large format tiles, they will be comparatively more expensive & prone to crack easily.

7. Lightweight
Unlike other cladding options, the flexible stone veneer is an extremely thin slice of rock, weighing only around 1.5 kilos per standard sheet, so it’s the perfect solution when you want an elegant stone appearance, without the weight & difficulty in installation.

8. Low maintenance
Once a penetrative sealant is applied on the stone surface after installation, it’ll preserve the surface & the most basic dust & day to day dirt can be easily cleaned with water, so you can be rest assured that it’s perfect to use in messy areas, even outdoors!

9. Add to the substrate structural integrity
This applies especially if the floor below is damaged. Flexible stone veneers can be applied over damaged floors using the glue to fill up the damages, & applying this durable thin stone sheet will add to the structural integrity of the surface below, further reinforcing it. This is especially a useful feature if your floor has endured long years of wear & tear, & you’re installing a cladding for reasons beyond style or theme, but more focused on longevity, durability & damage control.

10. Cover up damages to the floor below
If you’ve decided to install a cladding on your floor, it could be for more reasons than just to upgrade its look, but also because it’s bound to show signs of wear & tear, especially with years of use. The best part of installing flexible stone veneers is that you can install it on almost any floor surface, including tiles, cement & wood, & using the glue, you can fill in any damages in the floor below & install the veneers to cover the damages. This means that not only are you covering up the damages, but also, you’re doing it with style.

11. Create a theme
You can also use the flexible stone veneers to create a theme or pattern of its own, depending on how you lay the stone sheets on the floor. One of the main features of the stone veneer is that you can use it on both indoor & outdoor floors, as well as on walls, so you could use this to your advantage & lay the sheets on the outdoor floors & walls in one design, & complement it on the indoor floors & walls with another design.

12. Wow factor
Talking about style – flexible stone veneers have the look & feel of solid stone slabs, & the moment anyone sees it, they’re bound to think that it is natural stone slabs installed on the floor, & it’s a wow factor to think of a stone cladding on an indoor or outdoor floor. It’s often said that the first impression is the last impression, & in that case, flexible stone veneers offer a very pleasant experience to the viewer.

Food for thought

Flexible stone veneers are taking the Australian construction & renovation industry to the next level by offering a cladding option that is versatile in application, while also being durable & affordable. It’s one of the best stone products which you can use on both indoor & outdoor floors due to the sheet’s flexibility, lightweight, water & heat resistance as well as ease of installation. This is why you need to think of flexible stone veneers as an excellent option for floor cladding, whether indoors or outdoors. While adding durability to the structure, flexible stone veneers also add to the elegance, within no time & for a relatively low cost compared with other cladding options used on floors.