Content Overview What You’ll Need Before You Start How to Prepare the Surface for Stone Cladding Choosing the Right Adhesive for Stone Cladding How to Lay Stone Cladding Step by Step Finishing Corners, Grouting and Sealing Common Mistakes to Avoid Frequently Asked Questions Stone cladding is one of the most visually striking upgrades you can make to a Perth home – a textured, natural finish that transforms a plain rendered or brick wall into a feature worth looking at. Knowing how to install stone cladding correctly is what separates a result that lasts decades from one that needs rework within a few years. This guide covers the full stone cladding installation process: tools and materials, surface preparation, adhesive selection, laying sequence, grouting, and sealing – everything a confident DIYer needs to approach the job properly. If you’re still weighing up product options, Remastone’s DIY guide library has additional resources for Perth homeowners tackling outdoor and exterior projects. What You’ll Need Before You Start A stone cladding installation that goes wrong almost always fails in the preparation phase, not the laying phase. Getting your tools and materials together – and making sure they’re the right ones – determines how smoothly the rest of the job goes. Tools checklist: Notched trowel (6–10mm notch depending on panel thickness – check the adhesive manufacturer’s recommendation) Spirit level and chalk line Angle grinder with a dry-cutting diamond blade for trimming panels Tile spacers Rubber mallet Grout float and large sponge Bucket and mixing paddle Painter’s tape to protect panel faces during grouting Safety glasses, P2 respirator and hearing protection for cutting Materials checklist: Stone cladding panels – Remastone stocks Natural Ledge Stone and Stone Veneer panels suited to exterior and interior applications in a range of tones Polymer-modified tile adhesive rated for stone (see adhesive section below) Grout – sanded for joints wider than 3mm, unsanded for narrower joints Penetrating stone sealer Surface primer, if specified by your adhesive manufacturer Corner pieces where required A note on safety: Cutting natural stone and some manufactured stone veneer panels generates fine silica dust, which is a serious respiratory hazard. Always wear a P2 respirator when cutting, work in a well-ventilated area, and use wet-cutting where the tool and setting allow it. Safe Work Australia has detailed guidance on managing silica dust exposure during construction and DIY work. How to Prepare the Surface for Stone Cladding Stone cladding bonds to a range of substrates common in Perth homes: rendered masonry, brick, concrete and Hebel are all workable. Whatever the substrate, the surface must be structurally sound, clean, dry, and free of any dust, oil, paint or loose material. Even a substrate that looks fine to the eye can cause adhesion failure if it hasn’t been properly prepared. Check the wall is plumb and flat before you start. Minor undulations telegraph through to the face of the panels, particularly with flatter veneer-style products. Fill any cracks, holes or low spots with render and allow them to cure fully. For larger areas of unevenness, a scratch coat of sand and cement render brings the wall into a consistent plane and gives the adhesive an ideal bonding surface. Exterior walls require a waterproof membrane before any adhesive is applied. Without one, moisture that gets behind exterior cladding in Perth’s wet winters has nowhere to go except the wall structure. Apply the membrane to the manufacturer’s specified coverage rate and allow it to cure fully. Plan for a 10–15mm drainage gap at the base of the wall so water can escape rather than pool at the footing. Prime the substrate if your adhesive manufacturer requires it. Some polymer-modified adhesives bond directly to an unprepared surface; others need a primer on smoother or lower-porosity substrates like Hebel or painted masonry. Skipping this step when it’s specified is a common cause of adhesion failure. Choosing the Right Adhesive for Stone Cladding Standard ceramic tile adhesive is not appropriate for most stone cladding applications. Stone panels are significantly heavier than ceramic tiles, and on exterior walls in WA, surface temperatures can reach 60°C or higher during summer. A standard adhesive can soften under these conditions, causing panels to slip or slowly detach over time. A polymer-modified adhesive is the minimum specification for any stone cladding installation, interior or exterior. For exterior applications and properties in coastal suburbs around Perth, choose an adhesive rated for high-movement conditions – typically indicated by a C2 or higher classification. The flexible polymer content in these adhesives accommodates the thermal expansion and contraction that cladding panels experience across WA’s temperature range, which can be considerable between a cold winter morning and a 40-degree summer afternoon. Lighter veneer panels and heavier natural stone slabs have different adhesive requirements, so match the adhesive to your specific product rather than defaulting to a one-size option. Remastone’s additional items range includes adhesives and sealers suited to their stone cladding products, and the team at Bibra Lake can advise on the right combination for your job. How to Lay Stone Cladding Step by Step Before mixing adhesive, dry-lay your panels along the length of the wall. Arrange them in the pattern you intend to use, check the joint lines, and identify any cuts needed at edges and corners. Adjusting the layout at this stage costs nothing. Making the same adjustments after adhesive is on the wall is a far more expensive problem. Step 1: Set your starting line. Stone cladding is always laid from the bottom up – never from the top down. Snap a horizontal chalk line at your starting height, accounting for the drainage gap at the base on exterior walls. This line is your reference for the first row, and everything above it is only as accurate as the row below. Step 2: Mix and apply adhesive. Mix to a smooth, lump-free consistency following the manufacturer’s water ratio. Apply to the substrate with a notched trowel, working in sections no larger than one to one-and-a-half square metres – adhesive that skins over before the panel is set won’t bond properly. Back-butter each panel too: apply a thin coat to the back face before pressing it into the bed. This two-sided application eliminates air voids and significantly improves long-term bond strength. Step 3: Set the first row. Press each panel firmly into the adhesive with a slight twisting motion, then check level before moving on. Use a rubber mallet to seat stubborn panels. Place spacers as you go to maintain consistent joint width. Step 4: Work upward, staggering the joints. Once the first row is set and confirmed level, work upward course by course. Stagger the vertical joints between adjacent rows by at least one-third of the panel length – no two neighbouring rows should have their joints aligned. Aligned vertical joints interrupt the natural randomness of the stone pattern and are immediately visible once the wall is finished. Step 5: Cut panels to fit. An angle grinder with a dry-cutting diamond blade handles most stone cladding cuts. Score on the waste side of the line and make your cuts outside, or inside with extraction if the angle grinder allows. Dry-fit every cut piece before applying adhesive – stone doesn’t forgive mistakes the way softer materials do. Finishing Corners, Grouting and Sealing Corners are where most DIY stone cladding installations show their limitations. Purpose-made corner pieces are the cleanest solution – they return cleanly around the corner without the need for precision mitring and sit flush with the face of the surrounding panels. For natural stone panel ranges where purpose-made corners aren’t available, a cut-and-mitre approach is workable but requires accurate cuts and a quality angle grinder with a fine-grit blade. Allow the adhesive to cure for the full period specified by the manufacturer before grouting – typically 24 to 48 hours. Grouting over partially cured adhesive can cause movement that opens hairline cracks in the joints. Mix your grout to a workable consistency, apply with a grout float pressing firmly into the joints, and work in manageable sections. Clean excess grout from the panel face with a damp sponge before it dries – textured natural stone surfaces are difficult to clean once grout has set on them. Sealing is the final step and should not be skipped on any exterior installation in Perth. A quality penetrating stone sealer applied once the grout has fully cured – 72 hours minimum – protects against UV degradation, moisture ingress and the salt air that affects coastal properties. Interior stone cladding benefits from sealing too, particularly in kitchens or covered outdoor areas. Apply the sealer per the manufacturer’s specification and allow it to cure before exposing the wall to rain or moisture. Common Mistakes to Avoid Skipping surface preparation. The adhesive bond is only as strong as the surface beneath it. Clean, primed and structurally sound substrates are not optional extras – they’re the foundation the installation relies on. Starting from the top. Gravity is a constant. Always start from the bottom and work up. Panels laid above unsupported lower rows can move before the adhesive cures, pulling the joint alignment out of true across the whole wall. Using the wrong adhesive. Standard ceramic tile adhesive is not rated for the weight of stone panels or the thermal movement they experience on a WA exterior wall. Use a polymer-modified C2-rated adhesive as a minimum for exterior applications. Skipping the dry-lay. Laying directly from the box without planning the joint pattern first almost always results in awkward cuts at the edges or poorly placed seams that draw the eye to exactly the wrong part of the wall. Sealing before the grout has fully cured. Sealing too early traps moisture in the uncured grout and can cause efflorescence – a white, powdery deposit – to appear on the stone face. Wait the full manufacturer-specified curing time before sealing. Frequently Asked Questions Can I install stone cladding myself? Yes, for most residential applications. Feature walls, entry columns and single-storey exterior walls are within reach of a competent DIYer with the right tools and preparation. Natural stone panels are heavier and less forgiving than manufactured veneer panels, but both are achievable. For applications above single-storey height, engage a licensed tiler. What surfaces can stone cladding go on? Stone cladding adheres well to render, brick, concrete and Hebel, provided the surface is structurally sound, clean and free of loose material. Exterior applications require a waterproof membrane. Low-porosity or previously painted surfaces may need priming – check the adhesive manufacturer’s guidance for your specific substrate. How long does stone cladding installation take? A feature wall of around 10–15 square metres, including surface preparation, can typically be completed over a weekend – one day for prep and laying, a second day for cut work and completion. Grouting adds another half day once the adhesive has cured, with sealing to follow. Allow at least three to four days from first adhesive application to a fully sealed wall. Do I need to seal exterior stone cladding in Perth? Yes. Perth’s UV exposure and temperature range make sealing essential on any exterior installation. An unsealed stone surface weathers faster and is more susceptible to moisture ingress and efflorescence. Use a penetrating sealer rated for exterior stone and plan to reseal every five to ten years depending on sun and rain exposure. Ready to start your project? Browse Remastone’s full stone cladding range online or visit the Bibra Lake showroom to see the panels in person. If you’re still deciding whether stone cladding is the right product for your application, the guide to the pros and cons of stone cladding covers the key trade-offs worth considering before you commit.