Cladding & Facade Supply
Thin 3 and 6 mm porcelain panels for interior cladding and renovation over existing surfaces, plus large-format panels and the mechanical systems used for ventilated facades.
Overview
Cladding & Facade Supply in Metro Vancouver.
Porcelain gets interesting when it gets thin. At 3 and 6 mm it goes straight over an existing tiled wall or a tired facade without demolition, and at 1200×3000 mm a whole wall can be two pieces. We stock the thin panel lines and supply the mechanical systems that hang them on a ventilated facade: the material and the fixings, not the labour.
Ask about panel systems
Why clad in porcelain
Cover it, rather than demolish it.
Goes over what's already there
Three and six millimetre panels bond directly to existing tile, render or concrete. You skip the demolition, the skip bin and the dust, which is often most of the cost of the job.
Light enough to be practical
Thin porcelain weighs a fraction of a full-thickness slab of the same face area. That's what makes a full-height wall panel or a facade cassette something two people can actually handle.
Mesh-backed where it matters
The 3 mm mesh-backed lines carry a fibreglass mesh on the back, and several of the 12 mm panels are mesh-reinforced too. It's there so the panel survives handling and stays put if it is ever struck.
Facade systems, not just panels
Ventilated facade work needs rails, clips and a drainage cavity behind the skin, not adhesive. We supply the panel and the system designed for it, so your installer isn't improvising a fixing method.
How buying works
From elevation to panels on site.
- 01
Send the elevation
Wall areas, heights, and what's behind: existing tile, render, block or a framed cavity. Interior or exterior changes both the panel and the fixing method.
- 02
Panel and system chosen together
Thickness, format and fixing get decided as one thing. A 3 mm interior panel on adhesive and a 6 mm facade cassette on rails are different products even when the face is identical.
- 03
Cut sizes confirmed
The mills cut panels to a range of set formats, and several will cut to a custom size on a production order. We confirm what's available before you plan the setting-out.
- 04
Delivered crated
Thin panels ship in purpose-built crates and stay in them until the installer is ready. We deliver to site across Metro Vancouver and take the crates away afterwards.
Who this is for
Cladding supply suits you if…
- You're refacing a wall, fireplace or bathroom and would rather clad over than demolish.
- You're an architect or builder specifying a ventilated facade and need panel and system from one supplier.
- You're refurbishing a commercial frontage and need something that survives weather without repainting.
- You're wrapping furniture, a reception desk or a table in a porcelain face and need it thin and light.
From the trade
What contractors say about panel supply.
“Good stock and fair pricing on a trade account, across slabs and pallets of tile both. One order slipped a few days waiting on a container, but they called ahead rather than leaving me to find out.”
“I specify a lot of porcelain and the hard part is knowing which faces a collection actually runs, and in which formats. These are the only people locally who will walk you through that properly instead of guessing, and it's why my floor tile and my counter finally match.”
“They sent me home with a proper offcut instead of a little sample chip, which completely changed which colour we went with. The floor tile, the bullnose and the trim all came from the same batch, so nothing had to be fudged on site.”
Cladding FAQ
Questions about panels and facades.
Do you install cladding or facades?
No. We supply the panels and the facade system; the installation is your contractor's. Exterior facade work in particular is engineered and permitted work, and it should be done by people who do it for a living.
Can I really tile over my existing tiles?
That's the main reason thin porcelain exists. The existing surface has to be sound, flat and well bonded. If it's drummy or moving, it comes off first. We'll tell you plainly when a substrate isn't a candidate.
How thin is too thin?
Three millimetre is for walls only, and the mesh-backed version is the one to use. Six millimetre can take interior floors. If it's a floor with any real traffic, go to 12 mm and stop thinking about it.
What is a ventilated facade?
Panels hung on rails with an air gap behind them, so rain drains and the cavity dries. It performs better than bonding straight to a wall and it's what the mill systems are engineered for, but it's a designed assembly, not a DIY job.
Will the colour fade outdoors?
No. The colour is fired into the body rather than painted on, and these lines are rated UV-stable and frost-proof. That's the whole argument for porcelain over a painted or rendered facade.
Can panels be cut to a custom size?
Often, yes. Several mills will cut to size on a production order, and we can quote it. That's a mill option ordered through us, not shop fabrication; anything cut locally goes to your fabricator.
More from Stone Trail
The rest of the job.
Slab Supply
Large-format porcelain slabs pressed in Spain and Italy: marble looks, concretes, travertine faces and oxidised metals in 12 and 20 mm, up to 1600×3200 mm.
Explore slab supply →
Tile & Paving Supply
Large-format porcelain floor and wall tile, trim and 20 mm outdoor paving from Italian and Spanish mills, stocked in North Vancouver up to 1600×3200 mm.
Explore tile & paving supply →
Trade & Fabricator Supply
Account supply for fabrication shops, dealers and builders: held stock, consistent face matching across repeat orders, and delivery on your production schedule.
Explore trade & fabricator supply →
Sourcing & Special Order
Finding the specific collection you want: book-matched pairs, discontinued faces and mill orders brought in on request from Spain, Italy and further afield.
Explore sourcing & special order →Ask about panel systems
Send the elevation and what's behind it. Panel, thickness and fixing are one decision, and it's much cheaper to make it before the scaffolding goes up.