Good quality manufactured stone veneer provides an amazing alternative to real stone, particularly when it looks exactly as if it was quarried or even just found in your area.
There are a number of different types of manufactured stone veneer that use a variety of materials including lightweight aggregates, Portland cement, and iron oxide pigments that help to create the impression of real stone.
Generally manufactured stone veneer is not a structural product, and so therefore isn’t used to build with. Instead it is used to clad a variety of wall-type structures made from blocks or bricks and mortar, or those that are metal- or wood-framed.
One of the most attractive advantages of using manufactured stone veneer to achieve a natural stone finish on walls is the fact that no concrete foundation or other type of structural support is needed. It is quick and easy to install, and costs considerably less than a natural stone wall does to build.
While most manufactured stone veneer is intended for both indoor and outdoor use, an innovative Go-Stone panel version manufactured by Native Custom Stone, primarily from rubber tires, is a product used mostly to clad walls and other indoor surfaces.
How Manufactured Stone Veneer is Made
Whatever materials are used to make manufactured stone veneer, these products are cast in molds that enable manufacturers to replicate the texture and look of natural stone. Pigments are used to simulate colors, include those produced on Go-Stone panels.
Molds are usually made from rocks that have been quarried in a particular area, making it possible to choose a finish that could quite conceivably have been found nearby. Of course because the veneer is manufactured in a factory, it is also possible to choose finishes that replicate stone that isn’t found in your area, and would be extremely costly to transport to where you live.
Manufactured Stone Veneer Finishes and Textures
The finishes and textures simulated during the manufacture of stone veneer products are intended to reproduce different types of stone as well as a variety of ways stonemasons cut natural stone. Furthermore, these finishes can be used to effectively mimic different wall structures, a dry stone wall for example.
Native Custom Stone has a range of styles and finishes ranging from what look like large chunks of cut stone, to rugged ledge stone, and smooth river rocks. All are available in a wide range of color palettes that add to their visual versatility.
- Castle Rock simulates neatly cut stone of various sizes that can be laid to replicate an architecturally elegant building – or a castle.
- Country Villa also comprises cut stone of different sizes, but the look is less formal and suits a range of architectural styles. It is available in 24 color variations that replicate a variety of rock types including sandstone.
- Rubble Stone or Ashlar mimics a finely dressed stone that can be dry stacked or installed using mortar to achieve joints that add to the walls realistic appearance. It’s a good option for those wishing to create a traditional look from the old south using manufactured stone veneer.
- Stack Stone that, as its name suggests, is ideal for copying the effect of stone that has been dry stacked. Thinner than Rubble Stone, it produces a clean and contemporary effect.
- Ledge Stone is also thin, but it is has a much rougher texture than Stack Stone and is available in more shapes and sizes. This is a great choice for anyone who wants to create the impression that every stone was hand selected.
- River Rock comes in various sizes and a wide range of shapes, just as smooth river rocks do in nature. Installed using mortar, River Rock looks exactly as if you’ve spent hours selecting the right stones from a local river bed.
- Field Stone has a rugged texture intended to replicate the appearance of walls built from local stone found on site. It can be used to create the look of a dry stacked wall in the country, or combined with other types of stone for a completely different effect.
- Go-Stone panels look like cut stone once installed. Although there are fewer color and texture combinations when compared to Native Custom Stone’s other manufactured stone veneer products, these innovative faux stone panels are three times faster to lay than other types.
The choice is yours. Contact Native Custom Stone for more information.
