Installation 

• Each consignment of cast stone products is supplied individually bar coded and complete with Handling Instructions (download here), to minimise the risk of damage by site personnel.
• For larger units lifting eyes can be installed, dependent on customer requirements to facilitate safe lifting.
• Cast stone products should only be installed by suitably experienced operatives who should be made aware of the handling guidelines.   
• When units are removed from storage they should be protected until they have been installed.
• All units should be laid and adjusted to their final position while the mortar is still plastic. Mortar exuded from joints should be cut away, taking care not to smear the face of the cast stone. During cold weather, fresh mortar should be protected from frost damage.
• Cast stone products are generally designed to be fixed with 6mm joints between units. Locating holes for dowel joints should be completely filled with an appropriate material such as a proprietary resin mortar.
• Constructions should be braced to avoid freshly assembled materials being damaged.
• At the end of each day it is recommended that the top of all of that day's work should be protected to prevent contamination and the ingress of water. Nevertheless, airflow around the cast stone units should not be restricted, and on no account should anything be stuck directly to the unit faces.
• It is recommended that finished work be protected with appropriate gauge polythene sheeting to avoid mortar drips, mastic, paint and other construction materials from staining or adhering to the cast stone. Mortar, in particular, is difficult to remove.
• Unprotected items such as scaffold poles and planks should not be supported directly on cast stone.

Click here to download our Handling Instructions guidance sheet

View the HSE Website for further information on safe handling of heavy items.

Fixings  

• Due consideration should be given to the type and size of fixings at the design stage. It is recommended that the cast stone manufacturer be consulted on the applicability of various alternative fixings.

Mortars

• It is essential to use the correct grade of mortar when installing cast stone products, as incorrect mortars can result in cracks appearing in long units due to differential movement. While these cracks are seldom of any structural significance, they detract from the visual appearance.
• Note that the mortar is frequently different from that used in surrounding brickwork; plain sand and cement mortars are not recommended. However, mortars containing lime are strongly recommended, as they are, to a certain extent, self-healing.
• Exposed joints may benefit from the water-repellence imparted by proprietary water-proofers added to mortars. The following table gives recommended mortars for different exposure conditions: