Installation
How flexible clay cladding is installed
Trowel, adhesive, knife, roller. No mechanical fixing, no support frame, no wet cutting — but the substrate and the set-out still decide the result.
The application itself is straightforward enough that most competent tiling or painting contractors pick it up on the first wall. What separates a good installation from a callback is almost never the sheet handling — it is the preparation underneath and the set-out before anything is stuck down.
The sequence below is the method we hand to applicators. Always read it alongside the adhesive manufacturer's instructions, which govern open time and curing.
Step 01
Substrate preparation
The step that decides whether the wall looks right in two years.
- The substrate must be sound, dry, clean and level. A bonded 3mm sheet follows whatever is underneath it — undulation, hollow render and lippage all telegraph through, and deep-relief collections show them most.
- Cure new plaster and concrete fully before cladding. Residual moisture behind a waterproof sheet has nowhere to go.
- Remove loose or flaking material, laitance and any surface that is not firmly attached. Wire-brush and vacuum rather than sweep.
- Check flatness with a 2m straightedge. Anything over about 3mm deviation should be filled and levelled first.
- Prime absorbent substrates — new plaster, AAC block, gypsum board — so the adhesive does not lose its water to the wall before it can grab.
Step 02
Setting out
Ten minutes here saves a day of cutting.
- Establish a plumb line at the starting point with a laser. Fine linear collections make any deviation from plumb immediately visible.
- Work out from the centre of the visible face so cuts land at the edges rather than in the middle of the elevation.
- On an external corner or a column, set out from the corner so the return is a full sheet and the seam falls where nobody stands. See the seam guidance on the curved cladding page.
- Dry-lay the first course before any adhesive goes on, especially in Random pattern, so you can shuffle faces and avoid two similar sheets landing side by side.
Step 03
Adhesive
Polymer-modified, notched trowel, one wall at a time.
- Use a polymer-modified adhesive suited to the substrate. For exterior work and wet areas, specify an exterior-grade flexible adhesive.
- Apply to the substrate with a notched trowel, keeping the notches running in one consistent direction.
- Only spread as much as can be covered within the adhesive's open time. In Bengaluru summer that is considerably less than the bag says — work in smaller bays.
- Do not butter the back of the sheet as well as the wall unless the manufacturer's instructions call for it. Too much adhesive squeezes into the joints.
Step 04
Application
Centre outwards, always.
- Place the sheet and work it down from the centre outwards in both directions, expelling air as you go. Starting at an edge traps air in the middle.
- Roll the whole face with a laminate roller to guarantee full contact. On relief textures use a soft roller so the ridges are not flattened.
- On a curve, keep continuous pressure while rolling rather than pressing at points — trapped air on a radius migrates to the seam and lifts it.
- Cut with a sharp knife or shears. Change the blade often; a dull blade tears the edge rather than cutting it.
- Clean adhesive off the face immediately, while it is still wet. Cured adhesive on a textured face is very difficult to remove without damaging the relief.
Step 05
Joints and curing
Leave it alone.
- Butt joints close, unless the design calls for an expressed joint. There is no grout line to fill.
- Let the adhesive cure fully before washing down or exposing the wall to driving rain — follow the adhesive manufacturer's figure, typically 24 to 48 hours.
- Do not load, drill or fix into the cladding during curing.
- Wash down with clean water once cured. No sealer is needed and none should be applied — the surface is already closed, and a sealer will change the sheen.
Avoid these
The five mistakes that cause callbacks.
Every one of these is preventable in the hour before the first sheet goes up.
Cladding over a substrate that is not level
Shadow patterns and visible waviness under raking light. Not fixable afterwards without stripping the wall.
Starting a wall at the edge instead of the centre
Trapped air in the middle of the sheet, which shows as a soft hollow spot and eventually debonds.
Spreading more adhesive than can be covered in the open time
Skinned adhesive that looks wet but has stopped grabbing. The sheet appears fixed and lifts at the corners a month later.
Random pattern laid straight out of the box
Two near-identical faces next to each other, which is exactly the repeat that Random pattern exists to avoid. Dry-lay first.
Sealing the finished wall
An uneven sheen that highlights every overlap of the applicator's roller. The surface does not need it.
FAQ
Installation questions
What substrates can it be applied to?
Any sound, dry, level substrate: cement plaster, concrete, gypsum board, plywood, AAC block, brickwork and existing tile. The substrate needs to be free of loose material and dust, and level enough that undulation will not show through — deep-relief collections are less forgiving here than flat ones.
How is it fixed?
With a notched trowel and a polymer-modified adhesive applied to the substrate. The sheet is pressed on, worked out from the centre to expel air, and rolled. There is no mechanical fixing, no support frame and no wet cutting — sheets are trimmed with a knife or shears.
Do you install, or supply only?
We supply across India and can put you in touch with trained applicators in and around Bengaluru. The application itself is straightforward enough that most competent tiling or painting contractors pick it up quickly — our installation guide covers substrate preparation, adhesive, application and curing.
Applicators
Need someone to fit it?
We supply across India and can put you in touch with trained applicators in and around Bengaluru. Tell us the location and the area and we will make the introduction.
Fitting it yourself? The specification page covers substrates, coverage and how to work out quantities.
Request a quote
Send us the area, the substrate and the finish you have in mind. We reply with shade options, a written price and a lead time — usually the same working day.
The enquiry form loads in a moment. If it does not, email us at enquiry@curvato.in and we will pick it up from there.
Get a quote
Send us the wall. We'll send back a quote.
Tell us the area, the substrate and the finish you have in mind. We reply with shade options, a written price and a lead time — usually the same working day.
- Thickness
- 2.5–3.5 mm
- Weight
- ~4.5 kg/m²
- Fire rating
- Level A1
- Min. bend dia.
- 381 mm (15 in)