March, 2007

New & Noteworthy; BellaStone Exterior Stone Panels

By Staff Report

Builders, contractors, and architects who want to include the beauty of natural stone in their projects now have a new lightweight option.

BellaStone is a panel-based stone material manufactured by Crane Performance Siding under the Exterior Portfolio by Crane line.

The company, based in Columbus, Ohio, says its lightweight BellaStone panels install at least 50% faster than traditional stone, while still displaying the aesthetics of natural stone.

Mark Axelrod, marketing director for Exterior Portfolio, notes that the most attractive feature of BellaStone is that it can be mounted directly to the wall by a siding installer without special installation materials. He adds that BellaStone weighs five times less than manufactured cement stone, which makes the product much easier to work with and handle.

“The beauty of BellaStone is that it can be installed by a siding installer, and that means that there’s a much larger labor pool available to builders,” Axelrod says.

BellaStone is the end result of more than eight years of engineering and development, Axelrod says. It consists of a real stone aggregate material bonded to the panels with a polymer, a technology that Axelrod says Crane has pioneered.

“It’s very solid. You can touch BellaStone and it has the real, granular feel that you expect from real stone,” Axelrod says. “We’re all seeing a trend toward using stone in design, and this is really the centerpiece of our Exterior Portfolio by Crane line.”

The company says that BellaStone has a minimum R-Value of 4 and, unlike manufactured cement stone, also provides sound abatement. It also has a moisture management system built in so water will not deteriorate the substrate or loosen its bond to the wall.

Introduced at the 2007 International Builder’s Show in Orlando, BellaStone will be available in the second quarter of 2007. It will initially be marketed in ledge stone-style panels that come in Tuscan (an earth-tone shade) or Torino (a gray-tone shade). Axelrod says that BellaStone offers so many unique patterns that virtually no stone will repeat, and any style wall or color can be replicated.

BellaStone also offers a full line of accessories, including window surrounds and water table sills, to provide a complete design package. All BellaStone products also come with a 50-year limited warranty.

Exterior Portfolio by Crane focuses on exterior design options for architects, builders, contractors, and homeowners. Exterior Portfolio offers cladding products and accents including BellaStone, CraneBoard, and Architectural Essentials.

 For more information on BellaStone or Exterior Portfolio by Crane, visit www.exteriorportfolio.com or call 800.366.8472.