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Using Custom Stone Veneer vs. Natural Stone for Your Project

Natural stone creates an amazing effect in homes and gardens, for walls and for feature structures including fireplaces, outdoor kitchens, water features and planters. But there’s a certain irony about this statement because you can create exactly the same effect using a custom stone veneer, and you’ll find it’s generally easier, cheaper, and much more manageable to maintain.

River Rock

While there is a certain mystique about natural stone, largely based on tradition and the age-old skills of practiced stonemasons, modern technology has enabled us to manufacture faux stone in various forms, including veneer. Custom stone veneer and other faux stone products are perfect for both construction and finishing projects. Stone veneer is also a great tool for revamping and renovating walls and other indoor and outdoor features.

Effects You Can Create Using Custom Stone Veneer

Here’s another irony: unless you have an unlimited budget for natural stone, you have many more choices in terms of the effects created by using faux stone and veneers than you do when using natural stone. The reason is simple. When you use the natural stone from the area where you live, you are limited to what stone occurs naturally. If you opt for faux stone blocks or custom stone veneer you are limited only by the range produced by an accessible manufacturer like Native Custom Stone.

The reality is that manufacturers offering manufactured stone veneer products have dozens of styles and colors. There are also numerous different finishes and sizes that will give you the opportunity to copy any effect from an elegant castle stone finish to a typical rubble effect like the traditional ashlar, commonly used in southern USA.

Alternatively, you might want something that looks as if it was built using genuine fieldstone or perhaps river rocks. No need to go into the field or seek out a river, a good quality custom stone veneer or manufactured stone will provide you with the materials you need.

Working With Stone Veneer Rather Than Natural Stone

Custom Fit Stone

Traditional stonemasons didn’t need university degrees to do their work, but they did need incredible skills that were generally passed down through the generations.

While stone can be used in the form of boulders or random blocks, unless you are building a rockery or irregular dry-stone structure, the stone will need to be cut into blocks or slabs that will slot together or enable them to be laid neatly and effectively. Natural stone is heavy and can be challenging to cut.

Stone veneer, on the other hand, is available in the form of individual units or simple panels. Interlocking panels in particular, are very easy to install without any skills at all, other than the ability to use a spirit level to ensure they are laid level. They are also lightweight and easy to handle. Furthermore, no foundations or additional structural support is required and they can be used to clad a variety of frame types, both metal and wood, or even a masonry structure.

Typically natural stone walls vary in size from about 2 to 30 ins (or 51 to 762 mm). Manufactured stone veneer, on the other hand, is substantially thinner than natural stone blocks, varying in size from about 1 to 3 ins (or 25 to no more than 76 mm), partly dependent on the texture chosen.

So if you like the effect of natural stone, explore the options offered by the Native Custom Stone range of veneer products.

 

 

 

Why Should You Use Manufactured Stone Veneer In a Bathroom

Manufactured stone veneers are getting used in more and more places around the house. Everyone has seen how good it looks around a fireplace as a center piece for a room. It looks equally good on the outside of a home because it lends a certain rugged charm but have you ever considered using it in your bathroom? The basic qualities of a manufactured stone veneer are its amazing durability and its almost complete resistance to moisture and staining. If you are shopping for the perfect building materials for your bathroom then durability and stain resistance are probably the two things you are specifically searching for.

Manufactured Stone | Custom Stone Veneer | BathroomUp until recently, only the most affluent homes could have natural looking bathrooms covered in marble and other high end stone. The price tag on bathroom projects like these would sometimes rival a small house but with a manufactured stone veneer they became a much more practical design decision. Even middle income homeowners can afford to own:

  • Unique vanity top designs. These are made out of stylish stone that really adds a dash of elegance to a room.
  • Decorative accents made from cultural marble. Marble is always a hit and most people cannot tell natural stone apart from its manufactured counterpart.
  • Cultured Onyx, Granite and Piedrafina. These stones and many more are available in manufactured varieties and they are very easy to work with.

If you have never seen manufactured stone then you may think that it will look cheap or fake. Most manufactured stones are actually made from rock dust instead of plastic or synthetic materials so it is an actual stone, just not a naturally formed one. This process of formation is the main reason that manufactured stones are so easy to work with. Liquid polyester is utilized to make all the rock dust stick together and then it is covered in a non porous coating that resists stains and spotting. The end result is that you are left with a bathroom that doesn’t absorb moisture or hold onto odors and it can be easily cleaned with soap and water for the most part.

There is one thing to be careful of when buying manufactured stone veneers and that is to get them from a reputable company. Some will skimp on the manufacturing process and it can result in you buying inferior manufactured stone.

How to Repair Cracked Manufactured Stone Veneer

Quite a few homeowners have decided to install a manufactured stone veneer instead of natural rock. In most situations it is a smart decision because they look the same, last forever and cost a lot less than the natural stone equivalent. Over time any type of veneer can become damaged, cracked or chipped just through normal wear and tear. Unlike natural stone, you can repair your own manufactured stone veneer in 5 easy steps. Before you get started with repairs, there are a few items that you will need to get including: a small broom, trowel, cold chisel, wire brush, a hammer, grout bag and mortar mix.

  • Manufactured Stone | Custom Stone Veneer RepairStep One:  Find the damaged veneer piece and place the cold chisel on the grout line. It needs to be at a forty five degree angle with the tip of the chisel facing inward towards the stone piece. Lightly tap the hammer on all sides of the broken piece to loosen the grout and remove the stone. If it refuses to come loose, you may need to chip away at the piece itself until it comes free.
  • Step Two:  Use the wire brush to clear away the debris and dust from where the stone piece was removed in step one. Be careful of the wire mesh inside the socket because you do not want to pull it away from the foundation of the veneer. That mesh is what you will be securing the new piece onto.
  • Step Three: Measure the hole that was left and find a piece of stone veneer that will fit into it. If you cannot find one small enough you can use a wet saw to cut a large piece down to size.
  • Step Four: Get a bucket and mix the mortar with water until it thickens into a paste.
  • Step Five: Apply a thin coat to the wire mesh, otherwise known as a Skim coat. Then you can apply a half inch thick layer of mortar onto the Skim coat using a trowel. If that is too big then you can substitute a putty knife. Now apply a half inch layer of mortar to the back on the replacement stone piece and press it solidly into place. Once the piece is in position you can use a grout bag to squeeze out a line of grout around the perimeter of the new piece. After that the only thing left to do is wait for it to dry.

5 Steps for Creating a Custom Stone Veneer Accent Wall

Manufactured Stone  has always been a popular building material because it gives a home a natural look and is more cost effective than natural stone. If you have the budget it is always best to let a professional construct your veneer for you but if you are comfortable working with your hands, it is possible to just do it yourself as well.

Before you get started you will need to gather up a few tools and materials like a trowel, mortar mix, metal lathe, 2 inch galvanized nails, plastic moisture barrier, stone veneer, hand rake, wire brush, a hammer and sand.

Custom Stone Veneer Accent WallOnce you have everything gathered up you are ready to start with step one:

  1. Secure a plastic moisture barrier over the surface of the wall that will be your veneer. It is best to use painters tape in case you need to make adjustments or move the barrier. Next you will need to use the galvanized nails to secure the metal lathe to the moisture barrier. Try to keep the nails 6 inches apart and try to hit the wall studs as much as possible.
  2. Read the mortar package then mix the sand and mortar accordingly. This will create a cement mixture that you will begin applying to the lathe. Use the trowel to spread a thin layer of the mixture over all of the exposed lathe.
  3. While the cement mixture is still wet you need to use the hand rake to either make scratches in the cement or just rake it. This will help your stone to adhere to the surface more securely. After you have finished you need to let it set undisturbed for forty eight hours.
  4. Take one of your stone veneer pieces and apply a layer of mortar across the back about a half inch thick. Then press it into place on the wall near the top. Press firmly enough that some of the mortar squeezes out from beneath it. Keep placing pieces until you reach the bottom and try to keep the pieces as tightly spaced as possible. It will reduce the amount of mortaring you will have to do later. Let everything dry for about an hour or two.
  5. Go back across the surface and press mortar into any cracks that you see between the pieces. Use a wire brush to clean the excess cement of off the stone pieces.

4 Steps for Applying Manufactured Stone Siding

Adding manufactured stone veneer to your home is a great way to add value, and make your home more beautiful.  Stone has been a staple building material since the beginning of time. Manufactured, or custom stone veneer, has changed up the game a little bit though.  It is less expensive, and much easier to install.  In fact, this particular project can be completed over the weekend with little or no professional help.  There are many different styles of manufactured stone veneer to choose from, so make sure you choose one that perfectly accents your home.

When you have chosen your perfect manufactured stone veneer, you’re ready to get started:

  1. Prepare the surface that you will be applying the siding to. First you will need to create a moisture barrier by affixing house wrap or roofing felt to the area. If you are preparing a masonry wall you can skip the moisture guard. Next you will need to attach a metal lath to the wall with screws or nails to give the mortar a way to gain purchase on the wall.
  2. Start to apply the mortar mixture to the lath in a layer that is between 1/8 and 1/16 thick.
  3. Start applying the stones to the mortar by holding them in place for 5 to 10 seconds. Try to keep them as tightly spaced as possible because it will make filling in the gaps much easier later on.
  4. If you fit all of the stones tightly together then you may be able to just fill in the spaces between with an S type mortar. If not then you may have to cut small pieces of stone to put between the larger stones. The best way is to mark a stone using a pencil and then use a cut off grinder to give it the correct shape.
Native Custom Stone, a lead manufacturer of custom stone veneer has high quality stone in many varieties.  They are sure to have the perfect stone to accent your home, or commercial building.

 

Using Manufactured Stone for Commercial Projects

Manufactured stone veneer offers many features that real stone can’t, and if taken advantage of it can make a big difference in the success of your next construction job.  If you are familiar with using natural stone in a lot of your projects, maybe reading a little bit about the great benefits of custom stone will changer your mind. You will have many projects done in half the time, at a fraction of the cost.

A few of the ways the manufactured stone surpasses natural stone are:

  1. Manufactured stone costs a small fraction of the current price for regular stone. This can come as a surprise to construction companies because they view natural stone as being cheap and plentiful.
  2. Since a manufactured stone veneer is all part of the same piece, it can be installed much faster than normal stone. This is a benefit to commercial locations that do not want part of their building to be off limits for an extended period of time because if foot traffic is impeded it can result in lost revenue.
  3. Manufactured stone veneers are much safer than a standard stone facing. If a natural stone were to come loose and hit someone it could cause serious injuries. Since the manufactured stone veneer is a single piece, you never have to worry about parts coming loose.
  4. You will stand out from the crowd. Most commercial companies want to look businesslike and stylish so they tend to use a lot of stone in their construction. It looks good but after awhile it all tends to blend together.  If you use a manufactured stone veneer, you can get any look that you want. You can have a veneer that perfectly emulates natural stone or you can have a veneer that perfectly reflects your own sense of style. You have complete control over how it will look in the end.

A great manufactured stone veneer is key when working on a commercial project. Customers are sure to be pleased with the quality, efficiency, and price of this great product.

4 Steps to Add Manufactured Stone to Your Garage

If you’ve been house hunting recently you may have noticed an increase in the popularity of stone work on the exterior of homes.  This manufactured stone veneer product is one of the best materials on the market for this kind of work.  There is river rock, castle rock, ledge stone, and many more designs that you can choose from to make the outside of your home look wonderful with half the installation work, and a much lower cost.

If you would like to dress up your garage, you might want to start with adding a manufactured stone veneer.  This Native Custom Stone product is so easy to apply it will take two people just the weekend to finish.

Applying a manufactured stone veneer is a fairly simple procedure that can be accomplished following these 4 steps:

  1. You need to have a base for your concrete. The best base is made by attaching felt paper and wire mesh to the surface of the garage wall. First cut the felt paper into manageable pieces and start stapling it to the wall with a hammer tacker. Now put the wire mesh over the felt paper and attach it to the wall as well. A pair of tin snips will make cutting the mesh much easier.
  2. Read the instruction on your concrete and mix it accordingly. Use a bucket or a wheelbarrow so you will have room to mix it with a shovel. Once the concrete is thick and creamy, it is ready to apply.
  3. Use a mason trowel to start covering the wire mesh with the concrete mixture. You want to force the concrete into the mesh so that it completely encases it.
  4. Take your first manufactured stone piece and apply a ½ inch layer of concrete to the back. Then press it into place on the wire mesh. If you tightly stack the pieces as you work your way around the wall, you will not need to go back and use grout to fill in the joints.

The Elegant Look of Faux Stone Veneer

Home improvement is something that is on every homeowner’s mind. Sometimes a room just seems to be missing something, as far as design goes; as if just a little something would make a world of difference. Often what the room is lacking are accent pieces. Accent pieces are often what can bring a room to life and create just enough balances and counter balances to make the room really glow. One great product to use and that we will be discussing is faux stone veneer.

Faux stone veneer, as the name states, is fake however this does not mean that it looks fake. In fact, to any eye this manufactured stone looks authentic. This is largely due to innovative designs and processes in which the manufactured stone is molded directly off of natural stone to get a look that is precisely like the real stuff. This really ups the ante on appeal, and when you take into consideration the cheaper price, better durability and lower maintenance, there is very little that keeps people from opting for faux stone veneer.

Another thing to consider when working with this product is the actual heft of it. Obviously it is much lighter than natural stone and so requires less structural support and installation than real stone. Faux stone veneer can also be incorporated into small or large products and come in a variety of colors and designs, including stone but also woods, to suit any room or project that needs enhancing or full-scale remodeling. Make that fireplace really stand out with a manufactured stone veneer setting, or finish off the bathroom counters. The possibilities are many, so let your mind wander and explore the delights of having faux stone veneer a part of your interior or even exterior decorating! You can easily work this stone into the exterior of your home and even into your landscape. Give Native Custom Stone a call today to help decide which stone veneer would make your home look great.

Manufactured Stone Veneer Suits Any Occasion

Manufactured stone veneer is finding its place in the household and landscaping in many different ways, thanks to the great versatility and appeal of this great product. It’s more affordable and durable than real stone or wood, and innovative design techniques have made which is real and which is not pretty much indistinguishable. In other words, you just can’t go wrong!

One of the ways that manufactured is being used and to great applause and success is in wet rooms. Now some of you may not be familiar with what a wet room is. Basically, take an oversized, luxurious shower area that pretty much is the whole bathroom and you have a wet room — the ultimate showering and relaxing experience that is usually encountered in spas and fancy hotels. However, with manufactured stone veneer you can bring the beauty and enjoyably of a wet room right into your home, making a spa day just a few steps away whenever you need it. Sounds amazing right?

Just imagine having a huge bath tub surrounded by rocks in earthy reds and browns, polished to a shine as though they were quarried and finished right before being brought to your home for installation. This is what manufactured stone veneer can do: It looks real because it is molded directly on what is real but the color and designs have far more possibilities because you can count on this product to be more affordable and flexible than real stone. You can have that wonderful stone encased tub or counter top without all the maintenance and sometimes sensitivities that come with real stone work. Manufactured stone veneer also comes in wood moldings that can offer you any style of wood design that you like. The options really are endless and can be specifically designed with you and your home in mind. So give Native Custom Stone a call today to give manufactured stone veneer a try.

Get Creative with Manufactured Stone Veneer

With manufactured stone veneer the possibilities seem endless, and in many ways they are. There are so many different styles, colors, designs, and uses that manufactured stone veneer has that they can basically fit into whatever need and desire you have, providing the natural beauty inside and outside your home to enjoy for years to come.

There are many ways that simply stacking or arranging manufactured stone veneer, or where you decide to install manufactured stone veneer, that can greatly alter the look of the product as well as its surroundings. This means that installing manufactured stone veneer is often the most difficult and time consuming process. Not only is there is a bit of prep work involved, for those who enjoy do it yourself projects, but careful placement and deliberation is needed when it comes time to actually install manufactured stone veneer – to get the right look, as well as ensure that it will last for as long as possible. After installation there is also finishing that needs to be carried out. Again, this ensures that everything is as it should be with manufactured stone veneer. For those who aren’t as handy, call in a contractor to do the work for you and leave the work to them. Once your project is successfully completed you will have beautiful, natural-looking, durable and creative enhancements to enjoy for many, many years.

The best advice anyone can give you about manufactured stone veneer however is to get creative and think outside the box. Manufactured stone veneer is very versatile and with the wide range of options, you can make your dreams come true, whether it’s enhancing the fireplace or creating a breathtaking accent wall. For more information on how to incorporate manufactured stone veneer into your home, give Native Custom Stone a call today! With fast and friendly service, they will be able to assist you in all your project needs.