The exterior design options for metal buildings tend to be pretty standard. Installing realistic stone wainscot to the exterior of your metal building adds the dimension and eye-catching curb appeal your home or business needs to stand out.
Opting to wainscot a metal exterior using faux stone keeps your project within budget and provides lasting results without sacrificing looks. Keep reading to explore the benefits of using faux stone wainscot on a metal building, how to install it, and which faux stone variety is best for your building.
Can I Wainscot the Exterior of A Metal Building?
Often, we see homeowners use stone panels to wainscot their home’s exterior to bring a pop of natural color and individuality. But, set your everyday home aside for a minute. Did you know that you can use stone panels to wainscot the exterior of a metal building, too?
Most metal buildings are built for function, not looks. Therefore, the addition of realistic stone wainscot on a metal building’s exterior can highlight its architectural features and help it stand out amongst the sea of standard metal buildings popping up.
Can I Add Stone Wainscot Paneling to any Metal Building?
Not every metal building is suitable for wainscoting.
It’s recommended to only install faux stone wainscot paneling to a metal building with horizontal ribbing, or lap siding.
If the metal ribs on your building run vertically, the panels will only adhere to the high points of the wall, leaving voids in between the panel and your building. With vertically ribbed metal buildings, the best option is to install faux stone panels as a full wall (from the ground to the roofline).
How to Measure a Metal Building for Stone Wainscot
Taking a metal building exterior to the next level is easy with faux stone paneling. Using simple tools you might already have at home, installation is a matter of trimming your stone panels to size, keeping your lines straight, and adhering the panels to your metal building.
When you’re ready to install, use our detailed installation guide.
To ensure a successful installation, it's important to order the right amount of paneling. As a rule of thumb, wainscoting should cover the bottom third of a wall. Use the steps below to calculate how much stone paneling you’ll need to wainscot your metal building.
In the example below, we are wainscoting the front side of a metal building with Colorado Dry Stack faux stone wall panels.
- Measure the height of the wall you plan to wainscot. In this example, the exterior metal wall is 10 feet tall, so the wainscot height is 40 inches.
Note: To reduce waste; be sure to take into consideration the size of the stone panel style you selected. For example: Colorado Dry Stack panels are available in 2 sizes, 24" tall or 36” tall. It’s recommended to either stack 2 24” panels high or reduce your wainscot height to 36” and use the 36” Colorado Dry Stack panel instead.
- Measure the total length of the wall you’re covering. In this example, the front side of the metal building is 36 feet long.
Note: If you plan to wainscot around the entire building, measure the total length of each side, then add them together.
- Take the wainscot height (40 inches) and the total length of the wall (36 feet) and use our quantity calculator to calculate how much paneling you need. In this example, we need 19 24” tall stone panels to complete the job.
Taking proper measurements and using the quantity calculator not only helps you determine how much stone paneling you need, it shows you what you can expect to spend on your project. And we know you’ll find that choosing faux stone over real stone is much more wallet-friendly.
Benefits of Faux Stone Wainscot Versus Real Stone
Real stone wainscot is beautiful and durable. But when you add up the cost of the product itself and the expense of hiring a contractor to install it, it's expensive. Realistic faux stone panels are a great alternative to real stone not only for their looks and versatility but for their affordability.
Stone veneer panels are:
- Cast from molds of real stone to mimic the texture and look of natural stone
- Made from durable polyurethane that won’t crack, chip, or fade
- Hand-painted so each panel is unique
- Available in a wide variety of styles and colors
- More affordable than real stone
- Easy to install yourself
- Lightweight, and won’t compromise structural integrity
- Resistant to damage from normal weather patterns and pests
- Low maintenance and easy-to-clean
How to Choose the Right Faux Stone Paneling to Wainscot a Metal Building
We offer a wide variety of stone panels to choose from, so you’re sure to find one that will set your metal building apart from the rest. All faux stone panel varieties are suitable for exterior applications.
Below are a few of our popular stone panel varieties that are ideal for wainscot application on a metal exterior.
Stacked stone panel varieties, like Colorado Dry Stack and Montana Dry Stack, add organic charm to an otherwise dull metal exterior and can seamlessly blend a metal building into its natural surroundings.
Regal Chiseled faux stone panels are available in five casual, natural-looking shades that each complement the color and style of any metal building.
The irregular mosaic pattern of Carolina Chiseled faux stone panels adds texture and spice to a basic metal building.
Warmth and natural beauty are prominent with Anson Fieldstone panels. This product’s 8 color options range from bright white to dark graphite to integrate beautifully with the existing color of your metal building.
Each stone wall panel can be accompanied by coordinating accessories including corner pieces and electrical outlet surrounds.
Get Started on Your Stone Wainscot Project
Break up that big wall of color on the exterior of your metal building with a gorgeous faux stone wainscot. Whether you wainscot one wall or all four sides, stone wall panels take metal buildings from basic and drab, to eye-popping works of art.
To get started, view our collection of hyper-realistic stone panels, and let the transformation begin.
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