The type of stone cladding you choose and the complexity of your project are the main contributing factors. There are also several issues that could delay your feature wall build that need to be taken into consideration.
How long does a stone feature wall take to build?
There are two main factors that will determine the time it will take to build your feature wall:
1. The type of stone cladding
The type of stone cladding you choose for your feature wall will greatly influence the duration of your build. A Traditional Format stone wall, for example, will take less time to construct than a Free Form wall or a stone in a specific pattern. A stone wall comprised of large stone pieces may take less time than a cladding product of a much smaller format.
2. The complexity of the project
Regardless of what natural stone product you choose to finish your feature wall, the complexity of the project will largely inform how long it will take to complete. A feature wall that is integrated with cabinetry or one that has difficult angles, for example, will take longer to install than a straight-edged, rectangular feature wall.
Generally, a highly intricate project with a more time-consuming stone to lay will have a significantly longer construction time than those straightforward jobs.
Factors that could delay your feature wall
There are also factors that could delay your feature wall beyond the time and stone choice. These include:
1. Material supply delay
The timing of your natural stone order and the product availability will have a significant impact on the feature wall construction time. Planning in advance is crucial as not all natural stone products are in stock and a delay in material delivery will have a knock on effect.
To minimize the risk of delays and keep your feature wall project on track, speak to your supplier about stock levels, delivery times and required order dates when you first start looking at stone samples.
2. Unpredictable weather
If you are building your feature wall outside, unpredictable weather may be a factor that could delay your project. It goes without saying that we can’t control the weather, however, we can do some planning around it.
Prioritizing works that need to be completed on days with good weather, such as concrete substrate construction can help minimize downtime. Likewise, starting the process of fixing the stone when you have days of clear skies will help avoid delays and improve the quality of the workmanship.
3. Curing time
Natural stone cladding requires a structural substrate which is often made of concrete, blockwork or brick. If you’re building a new concrete wall to support your stone material, this will need a curing time of 6 weeks. This will obviously increase the time it takes to build your feature wall than if you were cladding an existing substrate.
In addition, the concrete/mortar bedding and or adhesive will also need curing time to become hard and set. The time this will take will vary depending on the environmental conditions, the thickness of bedding and the types of adhesive used.
4. Stone shortage
When placing an order for stone, it is recommended you order slightly more than necessary to finish the wall. This will allow for any accidental breakages and cuts that are required which is particularly important for those more intricate projects.
If you haven’t allowed for this, you may be left short and will be forced to wait for the supplier to deliver more stone. Ordering 5-10% more stone cladding can help prevent this delay.
5. Scope changes
As with any aspect of a build, changing the scope not only incurs costs but it also causes delays. If you change any aspect of the feature wall or surrounding elements of the space, you can expect the construction to take longer than first anticipated.
Finalizing your plans before you get started and avoiding the temptation to tweak your design will help keep your project moving in the right direction.
6. Overbooked crew
Quality stonemasons are highly sort after and can, from time to time, be held up on another job. This is an unforeseen factor that could increase the time it takes to build your stone feature wall.
Having a buffer for things such as overbooked crews can help reduce the strain on your project timeline, especially if the rest of the job depends on the feature wall.
