Wet cladding & dry cladding

Tile / stone can be installed at wall surface at external as well as internal areas in 2 different methods, i.e., wet cladding and dry cladding. In wet cladding, tile / stone were installed over the tile adhesive which is applied on the surfaces like, RCC, CC, plywood, gypsum boards, fibre cement boards, etc. Where as in dry cladding, tile / stone were installed over the steel frame work which is fixed to RCC / cement plaster. There are many advantages and dis advantages in these 2 methods and some have been listed below:

1.  Wet cladding saves time as this method involves just mixing, application of adhesive and installation of tile / stone. Whereas, dry cladding, involves in drilling holes in to the surface, fixing the anchoring system, installation of frame work, cutting the stone in matrix or drilling holes, fixing of clamps, installation of tile / stone.

2.   Wet cladding does not need more man power.

3.   Wet cladding is cost less.

4.   Proper support to the tile / stone shall be provided till it’s initial setting time in wet cladding. Whereas, in dry cladding, one installed, that’s finished.

5.   Dry cladding may crack the wall in the drilling process.

6.   Tile / stone bonds perfectly from edge to edge leaving no space in between them i.e., paper joints. But if required, proper joints can be maintained using spacers. This helps in expansion and contraction.

7.  If good recommended adhesive is not used, tile / stone can de-bond and fall-off causing damage to the tile / stone, and surface.

8.  If good recommended adhesive is not used, then adhesive can change the tile / stone colour.

9.  Tile / stone position will depend on the tensile strength of adhesive in wet cladding, where as in dry wall cladding, it depends on the anchor grout pull-off strength with the surface matrix.

10. Since tile / stone are installed in free bond system to the clamps, this method allows for expansion and contraction of stone in extreme weather conditions.

11. The dry cladding method protrudes the wall surface externally and creates a gap of around 30 to 45 mm minimum between the wall and tile / stone covering, providing a layer of air cushion that acts as a thermal barrier. But water / moisture can also enter from here and may cause the staining the tile / stone.

12. Dry wall cladding requires skilled workmanship, for perfections, alertness to drill the holes or notch properly in the tile / stone, etc.

13. More difficult to install the sedimentary stone using dry wall cladding as stone comes-off layer by layer.

14. In dry cladding, space gap between the surface and the tile/stone, may lead the hiding space to dangerous creatures like snakes, etc.

15. In dry cladding, tile / stone may get break / crack in the anchor tightening process or after also due to tension in the tile / stone.

16. In dry cladding, tile / stones were installed in liked style to each other. So, when one tile fails, many of the tile / stone shall be removed and fixed again. Where as in wet cladding, only one damaged tile / stone can be replaced very easily.

Few points, what construction standards says about the tile & stone installation:

Standard IS 4101 Part 3 - Design and installation of external ceramic and mosaic wall tiling in normal condition.

BS EN 5385 Part 1 and Part 2

Size of the tile / stone shal be 900 Cm^2.

What is thin bed adhesive and what is the thickness of thick bed adehsive?

Expansion joint and movement joints in tile installation?

Maintain movement joints at corners in internal areas tiling works.

Cross-sectional drawing of tiling works.

Why tile joints in tiling works?

Height of tile installation?

Clamps and mechanical fixture in tile and stone installation?

Clamps used in tile and stone installation:

Many thanks to: Google.com and 96.DOC from where the data has been referred.

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