Complete Guide to Exterior Facade Installation

Exterior panels can be installed over cement board, CMU, plywood, or sound existing cladding. The substrate must be clean, flat, dry, and structurally sound. Address any movement, moisture, or planarity issues before a single panel goes up — they will telegraph through the finished wall.

Set out the wall from a control line and dry-fit panels before bonding. Because each panel carries genuine stone variation, lay panels from multiple boxes at once to blend tone and avoid clustering similar pieces. Plan corners and terminations using the detail library so cuts land where you want them.

For adhered work, apply construction adhesive per the data sheet and press each panel home with consistent pressure. For rainscreen, mount the clip-rail to the structure, then hang and lock panels onto the rail. Cut on site with a standard wet saw or angle grinder. Finish corners and edges with the matching profiles, then clean the surface with a soft brush and mild detergent.