Masonry Magazine March 2008 Page. 38
NATURAL STONE
From an affordability standpoint, [thin stone] opens up the demographic that the product can serve," Fernandes says.
New industry technologies have also aided in designers' search for unique and distinctive design opportunities. From natural and polished, to antiqued and leather, the number of natural stone finishes has become almost as limitless as the types of stone available.
"What [designers] enjoy the most about genuine natural stone is the palette that's available to them," Fernandes says.
The WIRE-BOND® Clip...
Stability, When The Earth Moves
The WIRE-BOND® Clip system adds stability and protects against problems associated with thermal expansion and contraction in earthquake prone areas. It also provides more uniform distribution of lateral forces. The Clip conforms to requirements of the Uniform Building Codes for seismic zones.
The WIRE-BOND® Clip may be welded into any system using double hook for adjustment such as our RJ711 or double hook-and-eye system.
Continuous straight-and-cut wire is installed in the WIRE-BOND® Clip which is embedded in the mortar joint. Curved lug of the clip secures seismic straight-and-cut wire. The tie is installed in the plate or eyelets which are fastened to the support structure.
INNOVATION IN MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
"What we see a lot now is they're mixing materials and finishes. So for a patio, for example, they may mix a honed material, sandblasted material and a natural cleft material, creating a really interesting pattern. They're savoring the design flexibility of the product."
Dellacroce agrees, adding, "The trend seems to be that architects are using the full knowledge and capabilities of the industry to design to the specific style of the home. So rather than coming in and saying, "This is really hot right now, we're going to use this, they're finding that the same product can be tumbled, flamed, sandblasted or bush hammered in any number of different ways. To that end, they are specifying specific to their architectural intent more than designing for what's considered popular."
Aspiration
Commercial and high-end residential building design has made extensive use of natural stone, which has further increased its prestige and longstanding prominence. In seeing these grand uses of natural stone and longing for the finer things in life, Americans have aspired to someday have their master bath completed in natural stone from tip to toe and