Dave Witbeck, Airstream enthusiast and co-owner of Affinity Stone, here! While there’s no substitute for in-person discussions and demonstrations, I figured I’d give everyone a head start on Affinity Stone. I’m going to give you my brief rundown of what separates our stone veneer panels from the competition – and the key questions! 

My partners and I didn’t create Affinity Stone to be a mediocre product that’s someone’s second choice. We wanted it to be a solution for contractors and homeowners that was equal parts practical and beautiful! In my mind, the two things that make Affinity Stone standout are the aesthetics and ease of installation.

From an aesthetic standpoint, we wanted Affinity Stone to have gorgeous colors and an arrangement of stone in the panel that looks completely natural – like there is no panel at all. The installation is designed to be precise, easy, and a time-saving solution.

Top 10 Most Asked Questions & Answers

From my time hitting the road and getting Affinity Stone into stores, here are the most common questions you’ll probably hear. If you can answer these 10 questions, you’ll be in great shape. Plus, you can call me anytime – even in the middle of a sales presentation! – if you need to fact check something or get even more details!  

Question 1: What do you do for corners?

Answer: This is a key advantage that we focused on when building Affinity Stone. We knew we wanted our corners to look so much more realistic – as unattractive corner pieces were one of the most common complaints about other panels. The corners of Affinity Stone have the EXACT same geometry as the flat sections. The only difference is that our corners have a finished, textured edge – plus our panels are thicker than the competitors giving a more substantial look to the corner.   

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Question 2: What do you do when you have to cut off the nailing strip?

Answer: When you have to cut off the nailing strip under a soffit or a window, you simply cut the panel to height. Then you look for a good place to screw through the panel to attach it to the wall. I recommend a 3/16” masonry drill bit to pilot through the panel.

Question 3: How does the wainscot cap work under a window? 

Answer: You’ll want to install your first couple of courses of stone leading up to the wainscot cap normally. Then you cut the panel that is going to go under the cap to height. To finish it off, slide the cut panel in from the side to fit under the wainscot cap and then face-drill the panel in place.

Question 4: How do you transition from stone to siding?

Answer: Transitioning from stone to siding is easy and looks great – we have plenty of pictures that show this, too! When I get asked this question, I bring up our metal edged trim piece (currently stocked by Palmer-Donavin). This product creates a great transition between our stone and vinyl siding. I’ve also seen contractors use two layers of AZEK Trim and terminate our stone panel into the AZEK.

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Question 5: Can you install stone below grade?

Answer: Just like with all of the other lightweight stones, you can’t install it below grade. I recommend that you need to be at least 4 inches above grade for installation over grass or mulch – and a quarter or half an inch above a concrete patio.

Question 6: What do you need behind the stone for a weather barrier?

Answer: This is an easy one! Behind the stone, you just need a single layer of vapor barrier. In fact, this is one of the key advantages that sets Affinity apart. You don’t need felt paper behind it and you don’t need to waterproof it – it’s the same as if you’re installing vinyl. This is thanks to the half inch rain screen that makes sure any rain that would get behind it just weeps down and out.  

Question 7: What screws do you need to install this? And how many do you need per panel?

Answer: You need two #10 1-5/8” exterior grade screws per panel. One screw goes into a framing member, and one goes into the sheeting. Palmer-Donavin is stocking 1-5/8” GuardDog screws from FastenMaster for the installation. View our installation video to learn more.

Question 8: How do you figure out square footage needs for flats and corners?

Answer: Great question. I recommend using the product calculator on our website, which makes it easy.

Question 9: Do you need to seal between the panels?

Answer: No sealing is needed. Any water that would get behind the panels is going to weep out thanks to the rain screen.

Question 10: How do you do inside corners?

Answer: You’ll have all of the panels on one side terminate into the wall, while the panels on the other side terminate into that panel. One contractor told me that he gets great results doing some nipping and tucking with a four-inch grinder for a great finished look!

Have Any More Questions? Let’s Talk!

While this should cover the vast majority of what you’re going to potentially hear from store owners (and maybe even some of your contractor friends), I know there’s no way to include everything. If you ever have questions, I mean it when I say you can call or text me at 217.254.9641. If I physically can answer, I will!

Helpful Resources

Product Catalog | Technical Product Catalog | Affinity Stone PD Sell Sheet