than a regular stone surface. Material characteristics Flexible stone veneer varies in thickness, color, and texture and will generally carry color and texture from the original stone it is pulled from. The processed stone sheets are similar to the original slab and can vary widely from another similar stone of the same type. As the materials are made from real stone slabs and marble with an acrylic, each layer varies as well the texture of each sheet has a unique finish. History Flexible stone veneers were first created by accident in 1995 when the slate furniture designer Gernot Ehrlich of Germany found that when resins used to bond slate tiles were removed from a broken table top, a remaining stone skin, or veneer, of the original stone was left attached to the resin. After many years of research and development the process was perfected to an entire new series of veneer products. These materials are now produced worldwide and used for flooring, cabinet fronts, door skins, wall covering, columns, furniture, and wherever a flexible real stone look is desired. Standard application Applications of flexible stone veneers include: backsplashes, window sills, residential flooring, ceilings, walls, columns, curved surfaces, furniture, light weight signage, lighting, shower and bath remodeling or new installations. Installation Installing flexible stone veneers is typically done by cutting the sheet using long nose tin snips and then adhering to a substrate using various adhesives. Because the flexible stone veneer sheets are waterproof they can be used in most wet locations. These materials hold up to most indoor/outdoor environments other than extreme low freezing conditions. Like real stone, these flexible stone veneers can also be sealed using wood or stone sealers to bond and protect the surface while bringing out the colors. References Building stone Stonemasonry Wallcoverings