An architectural finish element operable to be placed adjacent similar architectural finish elements to form a finished surface on an architectural structure includes a body formed of a rock-based composite material comprising a low density solid particle additive, a plurality of unitary real stone veneer elements bonded to the body in courses extending in a first direction and in a random non-repetitive pattern, the real stone veneer elements having respective face surfaces generally lying in a plane to form an overall face surface of the architectural finish element. The low density solid particle additive is provided in an amount suitable to cause the architectural finish element to have a density of between about 10 to 15 pounds per square foot. The architectural finishing element may be mounted by mounting a portion of a body of at least one dual architectural finish element support to a surface of an architectural structure.

An integrated fiber cement and foam cladding system is provided that incorporates foam or similar light weight material to improve the insulation capacity of the cladding system. The system includes at least a fiber cement layer and a foam layer disposed on the backside of the fiber cement layer. The system improves the R-value of the building, a measure of the building's resistance to transferring heat or thermal energy.

A wall insulation system includes a thermoplastic polymer foam board, ribs of melt barrier material extending horizontally across the width of the thermoplastic polymer foam board and a metallic facing bonded to the outside surface of the thermoplastic polymer foam board and covering the outside primary surface of the thermoplastic polymer foam board and any ribs exposed along the outside primary surface of the thermoplastic polymer foam board. A rib of melt barrier material extends across the width of the thermoplastic polymer foam board in any 50 centimeter distance along the height of the foam board.

Panels for coupling stone or brick units to a wall structure are disclosed herein. The panels can include an expanded polystyrene foam having a plurality of laterally extending channels formed on one or more of a first and second side of the panel. The channels can aid in adhering a plurality of stone or brick units to the panel. The width of the channels can be less than the width of the stone or brick units such that the stone or brick units are disposed outside the channels when coupled to the panel.

An insulation wall is constructed from insulation plates. The edge sides of the insulation plates are provided with edge connecting elements such as a tongue, a groove or a ridge for forming a tongue and groove joint or a half lap joint between adjacent insulation plates in the insulation wall. At least one drainage channel is provided through the insulation wall for draining away moisture that has penetrated between the insulation plates into the insulation wall. This at least one drainage channel includes adjoining drainage channel sections which are provided in the longitudinal direction on the edge connecting elements of the interconnected insulation plates.

A faade insulating system includes an insulation panel of thermal insulation material, an outer panel, and a plurality of fastening devices. The thermal insulation material includes a first surface configured to face a wall of a building, a second surface opposite the first surface, and side surfaces. The plurality of fastening devices are configured to connect the outer panel and the insulation panel to the wall of the building. The insulation panel includes protrusions distributed over the second surface of the insulation panel. The protrusions are configured to abut the outer panel, such that, when the outer panel and the insulation panel are connected to the wall of the building, air channels are formed between the second surface of the insulation panel and the outer panel. Each of the plurality of fastening devices includes a distancing section. The distancing section includes two bracket sections. One of the bracket sections defines a first contact surface for abutment against the second surface of the insulation panel. The other bracket section defines a second contact surface for abutment against an inner surface of the outer panel, thereby determining a distance equal to a height of the protrusions between the second surface of the insulation panel and the inner surface of the outer panel.