Edge Lamination Techniques for Stone
As you are no doubt aware, lamination plays an important role in stone fabrication. In fact, lamination techniques can turn the average project into one that onlookers cannot forget. One particularly interesting kind of lamination is edge lamination. In this article we will take a brief look at some different styles of edge lamination and consider why they are so appealing.
Why are edges laminations desirable for homeowners? Well one reason is for decorative value and appeal. However, what you will find is that there are differing opinions on what a good edge is. In design forums, discussion threads like
this one show that people have common preferences on what stone edges should look like and what they should not. Even though there is a consensus as to what constitutes an attractive edge and a sub-par edge, you will still find variety in opinions.
Edge lamination also carries with it differing opinions as to what is preferred. One person may like a particular edge lamination technique and another homeowner may choose a different one altogether. What that means is this: it makes sense to be familiar with various edge lamination techniques. In fact, it might even be wise to have samples of various edge lamination available for your client to see. Here are a few styles of edge lamination that could be helpful to have for demos.
Step Lamination
In the step lamination technique, two pieces of stone are joined together. Each piece of stone has an edge profile applied. The two edges are offset in such a way that the appearance from the side is similar to a step.
Stack Lamination
Using the stack lamination technique, a fabricator can create the appearance of a thicker piece of stone by "stacking" on piece of stone on top of the other and using an
indoor stone laminating adhesive to bond the two stones together. Or if it is for outdoor use, an epoxy glue may be better for those applications.
Miter Lamination
A Miter lamination is yet another technique for joining two separate stone pieces together. This lamination technique utilizes a 45° cut and then bonding the two stones on an edge such that the seam is precisely on the corner of the stone. When performed accurately, this type of edge lamination is very clean and virtually invisible.
Butt Joint Lamination
With a butt joint lamination technique, two stones are glued together to create an apron-like feature down the side of a surface. This kind of edge lamination gets some negative comments, yet when performed in a specific way some find it acceptable and even nice looking. There are some best practices to follow if you are going to use a butt jointed edge lamination.
Laminated edges are a popular way to give your stone surface an appearance of being thicker. There are many different styles of edge lamination performed by fabrication and installation pros. However, one thing is for sure, whatever technique is chosen you need to be sure that you have the right glue for the job and perform the lamination in the proper manner so that your laminated edge will look as good as possible for your customer.
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