Rockpanel Natural
Harmony and harmony with nature. A timeless project harmoniously harmonized with the natural environment boasts characteristic features including simplicity, pristineness, natural beauty, organic feel, and eco-friendliness. The surface of Rockpanel Natural boards is unpainted and untreated, allowing you to create a façade that becomes a natural part of the surrounding environment.
Rockpanel Natural panels are made from pressed natural basalt. This environmentally friendly volcanic rock is widespread and readily available. The basalt fibers are bonded with an organic binder, giving all Rockpanel products their unique properties. These products combine the benefits of stone with the ease of processing typical of wood. They are suitable for facade cladding, roofing, and individual architectural elements.
Description
What is natural aging and color change?
Rockpanel Natural boards are subject to natural ageing and colour change due to natural factors including UV radiation, wind, rain and environmental factors such as nearby trees.
Examples of natural aging:
- rusting and tarnishing of metals (steel, aluminum, corten steel, zinc);
- natural discoloration (graying) of wood;
- change in color of stone and concrete.
Rockpanel Natural boards combine the natural appeal of wood with excellent performance properties, including high dimensional stability and water resistance.
Important notes
To achieve the best results, pay due attention to the installation process and project details using Rockpanel Natural boards. The following features should be considered:
- Thoughtful details help prevent algae growth. The building should be designed to ensure adequate drainage of water that falls on the slabs, prevent the accumulation of capillary moisture, and promote drying through effective ventilation. It is recommended to remove overhanging vegetation if present near the façade.
- Unlike other Rockpanel materials, Rockpanel Natural boards do not have a protective coating, so cleaning them will require more effort. This should be taken into account when designing the details. For example, consider using aluminum gutters with a front panel or double roof sheathing to prevent water marks (see diagrams).
- Any dirt can be removed with a wire brush. This type of cleaning inevitably removes a thin layer of the surface that has undergone natural aging. Therefore, the cleaned areas will initially stand out noticeably. However, as natural aging continues, these areas will gradually acquire the same color as the rest of the panel.
- Natural aging affects only the top layer of Rockpanel Natural boards. Scratches and other damage are initially noticeable, but over time, these areas also age and blend completely with the rest of the board’s surface.
- If panels are attached directly to the aluminum substructure, the heat accumulated by the façade dissipates faster at the attachment points than in the areas between them (in the spans). Therefore, initially, the aging process occurs at different rates, resulting in a visible difference between the areas adjacent to the substructure and the spans—the substructure is “seen through” the façade. However, over time, this difference evens out, and the visual differences disappear. Subsequently, the natural aging process occurs uniformly across all areas of the façade.
- Since the natural aging process occurs in the top layer of the material, Rockpanel specialists recommend using panels of increased thickness – 10 mm instead of 8 mm, 8 mm instead of 6 mm.
Dimensions and tolerances for different categories of slabs
Slab categories
The following categories of slabs are produced:
Durable > For general façade cladding and roofing applications
Dimensions and tolerances for different categories of slabs (mm)
Unique composition and properties
Flexibility as an integral quality
- Rockpanel boards are easy to bend and shape, creating stunning facade shapes. The table below shows the recommended minimum bending radius for the boards, which depends on their flexural strength.
Rockpanel Durable Plate thickness (mm) 8 Plate dimensions (mm) 3050 Minimum radius R (mm) 2500 Angle α 69,9º Chord (mm) 2864 Level (mm) 451 Lathing pitch (mm) 400 Distance between mounting points (mm) 300
Individual approach - greater efficiency
- Rockpanel offers custom-sized boards. The length can be tailored to your specific project needs*.
Thanks to innovative production processes, slabs can be produced in any length within the following ranges:
- 1700 – 3050 mm
- width up to 1200 or 1250 mm.
If you still require other sizes, please contact us and we will work together to find the right solution.
* Minimum order for special length slabs is 300 m²
Ease of use
- Unlike other materials, Rockpanel facing boards are easy to handle, which speeds up installation.
Nominal surface mass kg/m2 Rockpanel Durable 8 mm 8.4 Laminated plastic (HPL) 8 mm 11.1 Fiber cement board (FCB) 8 mm 15.4
Dimensional stability
- Rockpanel boards are characterized by high stability. Their dimensions remain unchanged even with changes in temperature or humidity.
Dimensional stability (EN 438-2) mm/(mºK) Rockpanel Durable 10,5 · 10-3 Concrete 12 · 10-3 Fiber cement board (FCB) 15 · 10-3 High pressure laminate (HPL) 28 · 10-3
METHODS OF INSTALLING ROCKPANEL FACADE PANEL
ROCKPANEL can be mounted on the facade in one of the following ways:
Butt joint
Overlap (Easy Fix)
Panels with tongue and groove edges
SAWING
When working with ROCKPANEL material, you can use the same tools as when working with wood.
- circular saw with a fine-tooth blade
- jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade
- handsaw
Thanks to this, all work with ROCKPANEL can be carried out directly on the construction site, making the cladding process extremely simple.
DRILLING
When riveting ROCKPANEL boards to a metal substructure, it is recommended to drill 5.2 mm diameter holes at the fixing points. All other holes should be 8 mm in diameter.
When fastening the boards to the timber battens with self-tapping screws, pre-drilling holes at the fastening points is not required.
FINISHING THE END OF THE SLAB
ROCKPANEL boards are weather-resistant, preventing delamination and rot. The edges do not require painting or priming to protect them from the elements. Beveling can be easily achieved by using leftover ROCKPANEL board strips and lightly sanding the edges. The edges of the boards can be painted for aesthetic purposes.
SPECIAL SOLUTIONS
INDIVIDUAL APPROACH – GREAT EFFICIENCY
ROCKPANEL offers custom-sized panels. The length can be tailored to your specific project needs*.
Thanks to innovative production processes, slabs can be produced in any length within the following ranges:
- length from 1700 to 3050 mm,
- width up to 1200 or 1250 mm
If you still require other sizes, please contact us and we will work together to find the right solution.
What is natural aging and color change?
Rockpanel Natural boards are subject to natural ageing and colour change due to natural factors including UV radiation, wind, rain and environmental factors such as nearby trees.
Examples of natural aging:
- rusting and tarnishing of metals (steel, aluminum, corten steel, zinc);
- natural discoloration (graying) of wood;
- change in color of stone and concrete.
Rockpanel Natural boards combine the natural appeal of wood with excellent performance properties, including high dimensional stability and water resistance.
Important notes
To achieve the best results, pay due attention to the installation process and project details using Rockpanel Natural boards. The following features should be considered:
- Thoughtful details help prevent algae growth. The building should be designed to ensure adequate drainage of water that falls on the slabs, prevent the accumulation of capillary moisture, and promote drying through effective ventilation. It is recommended to remove overhanging vegetation if present near the façade.
- Unlike other Rockpanel materials, Rockpanel Natural boards do not have a protective coating, so cleaning them will require more effort. This should be taken into account when designing the details. For example, consider using aluminum gutters with a front panel or double roof sheathing to prevent water marks (see diagrams).
- Any dirt can be removed with a wire brush. This type of cleaning inevitably removes a thin layer of the surface that has undergone natural aging. Therefore, the cleaned areas will initially stand out noticeably. However, as natural aging continues, these areas will gradually acquire the same color as the rest of the panel.
- Natural aging affects only the top layer of Rockpanel Natural boards. Scratches and other damage are initially noticeable, but over time, these areas also age and blend completely with the rest of the board’s surface.
- If panels are attached directly to the aluminum substructure, the heat accumulated by the façade dissipates faster at the attachment points than in the areas between them (in the spans). Therefore, initially, the aging process occurs at different rates, resulting in a visible difference between the areas adjacent to the substructure and the spans—the substructure is “seen through” the façade. However, over time, this difference evens out, and the visual differences disappear. Subsequently, the natural aging process occurs uniformly across all areas of the façade.
- Since the natural aging process occurs in the top layer of the material, Rockpanel specialists recommend using panels of increased thickness – 10 mm instead of 8 mm, 8 mm instead of 6 mm.
Dimensions and tolerances for different categories of slabs
Slab categories
The following categories of slabs are produced:
Durable > For general façade cladding and roofing applications
Dimensions and tolerances for different categories of slabs (mm)
Unique composition and properties
Flexibility as an integral quality
- Rockpanel boards are easy to bend and shape, creating stunning facade shapes. The table below shows the recommended minimum bending radius for the boards, which depends on their flexural strength.
Rockpanel Durable Plate thickness (mm) 8 Plate dimensions (mm) 3050 Minimum radius R (mm) 2500 Angle α 69,9º Chord (mm) 2864 Level (mm) 451 Lathing pitch (mm) 400 Distance between mounting points (mm) 300
Individual approach - greater efficiency
- Rockpanel offers custom-sized boards. The length can be tailored to your specific project needs*.
Thanks to innovative production processes, slabs can be produced in any length within the following ranges:
- 1700 – 3050 mm
- width up to 1200 or 1250 mm.
If you still require other sizes, please contact us and we will work together to find the right solution.
* Minimum order for special length slabs is 300 m²
Ease of use
- Unlike other materials, Rockpanel facing boards are easy to handle, which speeds up installation.
Nominal surface mass kg/m2 Rockpanel Durable 8 mm 8.4 Laminated plastic (HPL) 8 mm 11.1 Fiber cement board (FCB) 8 mm 15.4
Dimensional stability
- Rockpanel boards are characterized by high stability. Their dimensions remain unchanged even with changes in temperature or humidity.
Dimensional stability (EN 438-2) mm/(mºK) Rockpanel Durable 10,5 · 10-3 Concrete 12 · 10-3 Fiber cement board (FCB) 15 · 10-3 High pressure laminate (HPL) 28 · 10-3
METHODS OF INSTALLING ROCKPANEL FACADE PANEL
ROCKPANEL can be mounted on the facade in one of the following ways:
Butt joint
Overlap (Easy Fix)
Panels with tongue and groove edges
SAWING
When working with ROCKPANEL material, you can use the same tools as when working with wood.
- circular saw with a fine-tooth blade
- jigsaw with a fine-tooth blade
- handsaw
Thanks to this, all work with ROCKPANEL can be carried out directly on the construction site, making the cladding process extremely simple.
DRILLING
When riveting ROCKPANEL boards to a metal substructure, it is recommended to drill 5.2 mm diameter holes at the fixing points. All other holes should be 8 mm in diameter.
When fastening the boards to the timber battens with self-tapping screws, pre-drilling holes at the fastening points is not required.
FINISHING THE END OF THE SLAB
ROCKPANEL boards are weather-resistant, preventing delamination and rot. The edges do not require painting or priming to protect them from the elements. Beveling can be easily achieved by using leftover ROCKPANEL board strips and lightly sanding the edges. The edges of the boards can be painted for aesthetic purposes.
SPECIAL SOLUTIONS
INDIVIDUAL APPROACH – GREAT EFFICIENCY
ROCKPANEL offers custom-sized panels. The length can be tailored to your specific project needs*.
Thanks to innovative production processes, slabs can be produced in any length within the following ranges:
- length from 1700 to 3050 mm,
- width up to 1200 or 1250 mm
If you still require other sizes, please contact us and we will work together to find the right solution.
