Stone is a beautifully natural finish for the inside and outside of any home, but it can be very expensive and it requires specialist skills to lay – even though it is one of the oldest building materials used by man. But the good news is that modern technology has made stone much more accessible in the form of new-age “stone” veneer. It looks real, feels real, is lighter than the real thing, and it’s both cheaper and easier to install.
If you like the idea of stone veneer rather than using heavy, expensive quarried stone, and you start shopping around, you will find that not all manufactured stone is created equal. Simulated stone has been made from relatively lightweight precast concrete for decades. It’s relatively inexpensive and can look stunning, however, it’s much easier to lay than standard blocks or bricks. In addition to these traditional precast manufactured stone products, there is now another lighter, simpler, easier option that is suitable for interior projects, both big and small.
A Georgia-based company, Native Custom Stone, manufactures architectural stone and stone lookalike veneer that can be used to clad just about any surface. Interior products don’t need a concrete foundation or base to support the manufactured stone products, and you don’t need any mortar or special tools to install it. It’s lightweight, incredibly easy to work with, indistinguishable visibly from natural stone, and effortless to maintain. Easy-to-lay using tile adhesive, Go-Stone interior panels from Native Custom Stone are manufactured from discarded rubber tires that have been shredded. Similarly, their Go-Brick range mimics tumbled and face brick surfaces. All panels are supplied in boxes and are assembled easily, almost like a 3D jigsaw puzzle.
Additionally, the company has more traditional products that are suitable for outdoor cladding and siding, enabling you to transform even the plainest little house. These may also be used for retaining walls and other garden features, including freestanding pillars, flower boxes, and even firepits.
Overall, custom stone products provide an ideal solution for homeowners who want to upgrade their homes, particularly those who want to do it themselves. The greatest challenge is deciding which stone veneer will suit your home best.
Types of Manufactured Stone for Your Home
There are as many types of manufactured stone as there are types of natural stone; the difference though is that you don’t only have access to stone that occurs locally. With manufactured stone, the choice is much, much greater, depending of course on the stone sourced for molds. You can choose to have a randomly laid stone effect, a split-stone effect, or traditionally laid brick. There are so many color options and “stone” sizes you’ll be spoilt for choice. Really, it just depends on the type of interior accent you are looking for.
Native Custom Stone Offers the Following Styles to Create a Custom Look
- Country Villa creates a rustic random effect that mimics the work of ageless stone masonry. It’s slightly uneven on the finished face, and shows no sign of mortar being used to bond the units.
- Castle Rock is also random in terms of size and color, but it has a smoother and more regular finish. This one is perfect for the DIYer who wants to make his home his castle.
- Rubble Stone (Ashlar) will achieve a lovely traditional effect. It can be used with or without the addition of mortar joints.
- Stack Stone is a clean, contemporary option that typifies a well executive split stone finish. Even though it combines a number of different sizes, it has absolute authenticity.
- Ledge Stone is very similar to Stack Stone, but with defined texture. Shapes and sizes are also more irregular, and the effect more rugged overall.
- Field Stone is the look you might choose for garden walls and other outdoor features. It may be used to achieve a relatively rugged effect, either dry-stacking it or laying it with a mortar joint. It also works well combined with other types, including ledge stone.
- River Rock typifies the effect you would achieve by using a mix of water-worn stones pressed into mortar.
Whatever appeals to you, one thing is for certain: there is a synthetic stone veneer that you can use to improve the look of your home from Native Custom Stone. And if you want to, you can do-it-yourself with their options like Go-Stone and Go-Brick!
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