ABOUT US
STONETILE (Canada) Ltd.
From its humble beginnings, Stonetile has grown into a state of the art, North American company based in Calgary, Alberta. With impeccable quality control and production from the 13,000 sq. ft. plant, Stonetile continues to deliver customers a product with an enduring style all its own.
Installed to exacting standards by our highly trained craftsmen, each Stonetile project carries a 25 year guarantee providing, long term investment benefits to new or renovated buildings.
Stonetile is a sophisticated, comprehensive, architectural cladding product line that replicates the look of real stone work. Stonetile uses a unique mechanical fastening system without using mortar which means it can be installed year-round in all weather conditions.
Stonetile’s innovative “Rain Screen system” ensures a continuous airspace between the stone cladding and the building allowing ventilation of trapped moisture to escape, virtually eliminating any possibility of wood rot or mould formation. Stonetile Canada Ltd. is the originator of this revolutionary cladding system and holds patents for product design in both the U.S. and in Canada.
Stonetile offers many advantages over traditional masonry products, yet is a cost effective solution. Using only the highest quality engineered and tested precast, installed by our certified craftsman, Stonetile is an enduring permanent exterior solution.
Rain-screen means that there is an airspace behind the exterior cladding. Stonetile has a 10mm space. This space allows water, that may enter the wall cavity to drain out again. Potential condensation is allowed to vent out (dry out). This rain-screen space is extremely effective in preventing rot and mold and mildew in exterior walls. Many exterior products do not feature this space. The 2005 Canadian national building code specifies that buildings shall be constructed with rain-screen exteriors. A properly functioning rain-screen system functions on the chimney effect principle. Air is allowed to enter at the bottom of the installation and will exit at the top thus drying out any water (condensation). If water droplets migrate into this space they will simply drain out at the bottom.
Stonetile products feature imbedded galvanized and can therefore simply be screwed onto the wooden sheathing of the building. This system hold all the tiles and molding firmly in place and there is no reliance and glues or mortars. Screw greatly outperform nails and staple which are typically used to fasten materials to exterior walls.
he joints in a Stonetile installation are filled with Tremco Urethane caulking. This product does not crack like ordinary cementitious mortars nor does it need to be protected from freezing. It is rated as a non combustible material. Please note: the grouting of the joints is merely for appearance purposes and is not an essential part to the rain-screen system. If no joints were filled rainwater would simply run down the exterior wall and the water that was to migrate behind the tiles would simply run down the backside of the tiles and exit at the bottom. This is the beauty of the rain-screen system.
Seismic forces will likely be absorbed by Stonetile’s unique and patented “crush zone”. The fact that Stonetile is fastened mechanically with screws should give the assurance that this material would survive fairly strong tremors without damage.
he greatest threat to concrete or other stone, or cementitious materials are wet freeze thaw cycles of high repetition. Concrete will last for thousands of years under water or in the dry sun but we can see the damage on sidewalks in just a few decades. A vertical exterior is usually dry when the temperatures plummet below freezing. If all the flashing is done correctly no wet freeze/thaw damage is possible to Stonetile.
n over 27 years of producing and installing Stonetile we have not had a single report that a Stonetile was cracked or broken by hail. We know of hail stricken areas where neighboring exteriors got destroyed by hail and the Stonetile exteriors showed absolutely no damage.
Stonetile is produced with the finest iron oxide color pigments. Iron oxide pigments in contrast to organic pigments are highly resistant to fading. The color pigments are throughout the mix and are not merely applied to the surface, as is practice with other manufactured stone products.
Stonetile is possibly the only manufactured masonry product that can be installed year-round, in freezing temperatures as well as on rainy days. No need to provide expensive heated hoarding for its installation.
Stonetile does not need mortar for its installation, nor does it need a stucco scratch coat. This greatly reduced the mess and the installation costs. You are saving a couple of steps, the application of the wire and the applying of the scratch coat. Normally these additional two steps are required for manufactured stone products.
We would not suggest that a lay person should attempt to install a Brick, Stucco or a Stone exterior. Stonetile is different. There are several training videos on this website and person without prior experience and who follows the instructions could install a beautiful Stonetile exterior.
Concrete is highly UV resistant similar to real stone. If a piece of Stonetile was placed in a hot dessert it would likely not show any damage from UV exposure for hundreds if not thousands of years. This is in contrast to wood or plastic products which show marked deterioration within a decade or two.
Stonetile is made of high density concrete. Concrete does not burn. A wall constructed with Stonetile and with a wooden substrate must not be considered as a fire wall. A fire wall must not contain any flammable materials.
Stonetile is not a painted product, there are slight color variations. Even on a single tile or molding you may detect slight variations. This is part of the beauty of Stonetile. This is the natural Stonetile patina. All masonry products will change their appearance slightly over the years and decades. Streaks will develop from water runoff and stones will turn a darker or lighter color. In most cases these changes are not detected. If we look at the historic stone buildings which are hundreds of years old you will see that the color variations are quite noticeable. In our opinion this adds to the beauty of a stone exterior.
It is a well known fact that when damage occurs to an exterior it results in costly repairs. This is due to the fact that the materials often fade over a very short time, or it is not possible to replace a single damaged piece, or products are discontinued. Often the entire wall needs replacing in order to make the repair unnoticeable. A single damaged Stonetile tile or molding can be replaced in the middle of a wall without having to replace the entire wall.
Stonetile has a patented crush zone. This means microscopic fragments are crushed at the perimeter of each tile, thus prevent damage or cracking to the tiles, when the outside temperatures reach a maximum in the first season thus avoiding a compound expansion of the exterior panels. Stonetile is the only product that has this feature. Other stone or stucco products will crack in vulnerable locations due to these cyclical contracting and expansionary forces.
Stonetile has the most versatile product line. There are several different tile profiles and several different molding profiles. This allows for exteriors that fit the design of any architectural period from classic to ultra high tech.
Silica sand is applied to the urethane caulking. This is done to even out small imperfections and to give the joints a realistic mortar appearance. This sand coating will give additional UV protection to the urethane caulking
The Stonetile product has been subjected to a battery of rigorous engineering tests in order to obtain the CCMC approvals. The engineer reports are posted on this website. Stucco for example has no engineer reports. It is a product that has grandfathered rights.
Stonetile is produced with real crushed stone (limestone) and with this material a high density concrete can be achieved. This is in contrast to concretes that are produced with light weight materials. These materials are highly water absorbent. Much higher density and strength can be achieved when concretes are produced with real crushed stone.
Stonetile ads a dramatic look to the exterior of a home. It is our estimate that a Stonetile exterior increases the value of a home equal or more than what it costs.
Stonetile has been recognized as a Built Green product. The raw materials are locally available (thus low transportation fuel requirements). Production also requires low fuel consumption (no high energy consuming kilns are needed).
Year 2020
Stonetile receives certification through Built Green Canada
Year 2019
Stonetile’s Red Brick is added to the product line.
Year 2018
Stonetile becomes a AAA Course Provider to Architects presenting a “Moisture Control in Exterior Walls” program
Year 2017
New products LedgeStone, AstroStone, MetroStone and SummitStone
Year 2017
New products LedgeStone, AstroStone, MetroStone and SummitStone
Year 2016
New product line UrbanStone (3D panels for exterior)
Year 2013
Corporate Restructuring
Year 2011
Stonetile developed the Cabo Stone product.
Year 2010
RUST SPOT REPAIR PROGRAM STARTS
Starts a full time proactive Rust spot repair program.
Year 2008
NEW FORMULA PURE LIMESTONE
Stonetile starts using new formula with pure ground limestone. This eliminated the rust spot issues.
Year 2007
SASKATOON START
Stonetile Saskatoon is started.
Year 2007
Stonetile expands by opening a distributor Vancouver
Year 2006
INCREASING 6MM - 10MM
Stonetile increases the 6mm Rain screen space to a 10mm space, conforming to the 2005 national building code.
Year 2003
Stonetile expands again into eastern Canada opening a distributor in Halifax.
Year 1999
It was also in 1999 when Stonetile received the CCMC evaluation. Extensive engineering tests preceded obtaining this approval.
Year 1999
Due to manufacturing needs, Stonetile is relocated to its present facility in February of 1999. 13,000 sq. ft.
Year 1997
Stonetile expands by opening a distributor Edmonton in the summer 1997.
Year 1995
18 months after leasing the first facility the production was moved to a 3500 Sq. Ft. space. We outgrew this space by January 1995 and moved to a 6000 sq. ft. location in which we operated for 4 years.
Year 1991
Stonetile was introduced to the general public in February 1991 at the Calgary Home and Garden Show. The customer response was overwhelming. The second significant installation was done in the spring of 1991 at 37 Woodhaven View.
Year 1990
Asides from installing tiles on Peters own home the first full installation was done in the fall of 1990 on a new home located on the east side of Chestermere Lake.
Year 1990
The first government approval was the provincial approval: Alberta Product Listing
Year 1989
The first leased facility was 1200 sq. ft. and served as office, show room, and the production area. Several months of further development followed.
Year 1988
A $25000 grant was secured from the Alberta Innovative Housing Grants Program It took almost 2 years of time to develop the form and backer board, the hanger and production system.
Year 1988
The first tile was made on April 20, 1988. Home garage was used to do a lot of the initial experimentation.
GENERAL
Stonetile is a richly crafted exterior wall product consisting of a diverse line of patented concrete tiles and moldings suitable for all types of new and retrofit construction. This line of stunning concrete products ranges from the Ultra Modern, to the traditional classic designs at a very reasonable cost. All tiles and moldings have imbedded metal fasteners that allows this product to be screwed onto the exterior. The joints are filled with urethane caulking which is then coated with silica sand to give the joints a realistic mortar appearance. This joint material will remain flexible.
Stonetile is made of high density concrete. Dry or wet concrete will last almost indefinitely. Concrete is not affected by UV. Concrete, and for that matter real stone, will however deteriorate if it is subjected to many wet freezing and thawing cycles. The first Stonetile installations were done over 25 years ago. Upon examination of these projects, one could expect centuries of life as there has been no detectable change. Proper flashing installation and the prevention of ground water soaking into the Stonetile exterior are important steps to ensure that the Stonetile exterior stays unchanged. Our warranty is 10 years on the product. Under normal circumstances, Stonetile can last almost indefinitely if not exposed to unusual wet freeze thaw cycles.
Maintenance is not required.
A Stonetile exterior will add beauty to any home, no matter what architectural style it is, that being said the choice of moldings should be in keeping with the architecture of the home. To select baroque moldings, keystones and some other accessories for example would not be the correct choice for a Craftsman or a contemporary style.
Stonetile will add beauty to a home where large partitions of the home feature another siding products such as Stucco, Vinyl, fiber board, brick etc. Great results can be achieved with existing stucco. Moldings and quioning can be installed without removing the stucco. A Stonetile representative will know if an existing product needs to be removed.
Call us toll free at 1-800-266-9320 or fill out our service request form here and they will either repair or replace it.
We suggest you look at the “Gallery” and get a feel of what your project would look like. You may choose a simply elegant tile exterior with very little moldings or you may choose an exterior with a lot of trim moldings. It will be determined by your personal preference on influenced by your budget.
No, the cultured stone is applied with mortar onto a stucco scratch coat, it is produced with light weight aggregate and features multi color shading on the surface. Stonetile has a mortar free installation and the rain-screen system.
Stonetile is produced in a Calgary plant by Stonetile (Canada) Ltd.
Stonetile is sold though our distributors (see list of distributors) or it is sold directly through Stonetile (Canada) Ltd.
Until 2007 Stonetile was produced with concrete sand from local pits. We found that the impurities, especially Pyrite in this material was increasing dramatically. Even though the concrete quality was excellent, the fragments of pyrite resulted in unsightly spots. Stonetile has since solved this issue by sourcing from a new quarry, pure crushed limestone.
Rain-screen is basically a 10mm (or more) airspace directly behind the siding. This airspace allows water that has migrated through the siding to drain down on the backside of the siding and exits at the bottom. This space also allows any condensation to vent out at the top. Rain-screen is the second line of a very effective defense of water entering the building wall cavities. Rain-screen is the solution for preventing rotting of the exterior walls or mold and mildew to appear on the inside of the building. Many other exterior products do not feature the rain-screen system even though the 2005 Canadian national building code requires rain-screen for all new construction.
We recommend that the stucco is removed so that the tiles and molding can be screwed directly to the wood substrate. If you are doing a small appearance package, such as a few sills under window or some corner quoining it may be simpler to keep the stucco.
We have developed a fastening system that allows the product to be installed over Styrofoam. There will be extra installation costs. Please call an exterior envelope engineer to get assurance that potentially devastating condensation issues are avoided with the application of Styrofoam.
Vinyl and aluminum siding must be removed. Wood siding could be left in place provided that a flat surface can be achieved.
The whitish stains are calcium efflorescence. Efflorescence may occur with all product where cement is used. The stains will come off with the household cleaner CLR. After the cleaning rinse and scrub with a hard nylon brush.
Yes, but our craftsmen are trained for exterior installations only.
Stonetile does not need cleaning like for example vinyl siding. The reason why vinyl siding gets dirty prematurely is the fact that due to the excessive shrinking and expansion between day and nighttime temperatures. This movement causes static in the siding. It is this static which attracts air born dust. If you have accidental dry paint splatters on your Stonetile, they can be removed with acetone or lacquer thinner on a cotton rag.
Yes, wintertime when the vegetation around the house is dormant is the best time of the year to install Stonetile on renovation projects.
Stonetile has a limited manufacturer’s warranty for 10 years. Stonetile has now been in business for over 25 years and good customer service is behind our success. In contrast, siding applicators traditionally do not offer lasting warranties.
Stonetile is produced with iron oxide color pigments which are the most fade resistant color pigments. Color changes over time will likely not be noticeable.
Stonetile is installed by our trained craftsmen. Most recently we have a training program for the DIY “do it your-selfers”. There are several videos on our website under “Installation” that teach the know how. We still recommend that the more complicated installations are done by our craftsmen. We firstly do a layout in order to center the product on the wall and set up the necessary scaffolding. We ensure that the product is installed level and that the caulking and sanding is done in a professional manner.
No, it is not necessary to replace tiles or moldings which have developed a rust spot (pyrite spot). In our signed contracts we commit to repair these spots with a colored grout.
TECHNICAL
Stonetile has uniquely tapered edges. When expansion happens on hot days, the product expands slightly. (concrete expansion is minimal when compared to plastics or metal) nevertheless this expansion is absorbed in the tapered edges and any thermal cracking is prevented. In contrast other masonry products need unsightly expansion joints and even with expansion joints cracks often develop.
Yes Stonetile can be painted with a good quality acrylic latex paint. Due to the fact that Stonetile has the venting and draining rain-screen system paint will adhere perfectly and not peel on vertical walls.
No Stonetile gets screwed into the plywood or OSB sheathing with 1” #8 screws.
Stonetile is made of high density concrete of which the main ingredient is pure crushed limestone. The tiles and the moldings have embedded galvanized metal fasteners.
We make an attempt to seal all joints with the urethane caulking but our primary focus is a great appearance. If traces of water end up behind the tiles it will simply runs down the backside of the tiles and exits at the bottom and there is no harm done. If for example the joint filling was not done, the rain-screen system would still be fully functional and water could not enter the wall cavity.
Stonetile is about the same weight as a good quality stucco exterior and no additional support is required.
Architecturally, brick and Stonetile is quite complementary although the earth tone color palette of Stonetile may not be complementary to the bright brick colors. If brick and Stonetile are used together, painting the brick may be a solution.
No sealer is sprayed on the surface of the tile. Sealers have a limited lifespan. Our high density concrete is the best protection against UV light damage. Sealers as well as many other products will be damaged or will disintegrate over the years.
Contact the distribution directly you would ideally like to work with, and email a copy of your resume attention to the Construction Manager. The duration of your training will depend of how much general construction experience you have already.
