stones Archives - Native Custom Stone

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.

Up 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 Remove Mortar from Manufactured Stone Veneer

Manufactured stone veneers have become a very popular project for do it yourself homeowners. The stone adds elegance and rustic charm to everything from your fireplace to the outside of your home. Since it basically amounts to sticking rocks in mortar, building a manufactured stone veneer seems like it would be very easy but it can go wrong quickly. A veneer can be ruined by things as simple as:

Accidentally wiping mortar that’s still wet
Getting excess mortar onto the stones surface
Overly humid conditions
Incorrect stone placement

Once the stones are in place, it can be a chore to remove mortar from them without damaging the stones. However, if you do make a mistake and need to remove your mortar, it can be done in seven easy steps:

Gather the equipment that you will need for the job: water, dish detergent, two stiff brushes that are not wire and rags.
If the mortar is still fresh then you must wait for it to dry completely. In most situations a full day and night will be needed to thoroughly dry fresh mortar.
Mix up a warm water and dish detergent solution. The only trick to this step is that you cannot have bubbles in the mixture so keep mixing until all the bubbles disappear. Set it aside for now.
Using one of your stiff brushes, start wiping it across the mortar that you need to remove from your manufactured stone. It may help to put the brush at an angle so you are wiping at the contact point between the mortar and the manufactured stone. Try to get as much of the mortar off as possible during this step.
Use one of the rags to remove all the dust that has been accumulated on the stones surface.
Take your second brush and dip this one into your water and dish detergent mixture. Use the same technique as before to remove the rest of the mortar and give the other parts of the exposed stone a good scrub while you are there.
Now give the stone another once over with regular water and look for any residual mortar. It has probably all been removed at this point but if you can still see some just repeat step five again.

10 Steps to Install Custom Stone Veneer Around Windows

A custom stone veneer is a great way to add a little style to your home. It can make your house look like it was built entirely from stone but at a fraction of the cost of natural stone. To save a little money, homeowners with a do it yourself frame of mind have attempted to install their own custom stone veneer. As long as you’re careful, it is possible but you have to be sure and take extra precautions around your windows. If they are not sealed properly then you can leave yourself open to leaks and future water damage.

Before you get started on the steps below, you need to gather a few materials. For this project you will need:

Metal weep screed
Metal cap flashing
Silicone Adhesive

Step 1: On the plywood boards that form the outside of the house, known as the sheathing, you will find flashing tape installed. Squeeze out a beaded line of silicone adhesive in a zigzag pattern across that tape.

Step 2: Take your metal cap flashing and press it solidly against the flashing tape with the bottom edge against the top edge of the window.

Step 3: Now you will need to nail a metal weep screed into place over the top of the metal cap flashing. This will help to divert water away and act as a moisture guard.

Step 4: Starting at the bottom of the wall, begin installing the veneer and work your way up. When you get to the last piece of veneer, you have to measure the distance between it and the edge of the window and mark a line onto the back of the veneer.

Step 5: Cut along the line that you marked using an electric grinder but only cut about halfway through the veneer.

Step 6: Now place the veneer face down on a worktable with the line you cut running along the edge of the table.

Step 7: Using a hammer, gently tap on the part of the veneer sticking out past the table to break it along the line and remove excess material.

Step 8: Spread water over the back of the veneer piece to keep it from absorbing water from the mortar. If you don’t, it will cause the mortar to crack.

Step 9: Apply a half inch of mortar to the back of the piece and onto the wall where it will be placed. Then press the piece firmly into position.

Step 10: Repeat these steps as needed for the remaining windows.

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.

Once you have everything gathered up you are ready to start with step one:

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.
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.
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.
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.
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:

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.
Start to apply the mortar mixture to the lath in a layer that is between 1/8 and 1/16 thick.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

Christmas Decorating with Faux Stone

Christmas is quickly approaching and with Christmas comes days of decorating and bringing in the holiday cheer right into your home. Faux stone is a wonderful way to further your Christmas decorating creativity in a unique and cost-friendly way. Since faux stone is inspired by nature, this gives them an incredibly realistic look and appeal that will be sure to impress anyone and liven up any space. For example, you can incorporate stone into an accent wall, highlight trim, and the entire room will seem to have undergone a wonderful transformation.

There are also many options to use faux stone beams or paneling that look like wood, and many of these projects are simple and easy enough to do yourself. All you need are the basic tools, a little time and the holiday spirit and you will find yourself quickly revamping your entire house for the holidays in ways that you have never previously deemed possible. This material is also sure to impress your guests, whether you’re throwing a Christmas party or having family home.

Of course, if you don’t have time to do it yourself, it is still an excellent choice for Christmas decorating, as contractors can have whatever additions you want to make to any room quickly installed, cutting labor costs and increasing the time you have to enjoy these creative inspirations. Upgrade the mantel to display stockings, or install decorative trim at corners to provide accents. After all, its all in the details and it can give those little hints of charm and cheer that will brighten rooms and moods.

For more information on the many different designs and ways that you can use faux stone in your Christmas decorating, give Native Custom Stone a call. Their friendly and experienced staff will be able to assist you in completing whatever wonderful, creative project you have in mind.

Custom Stone for Kitchens & Bathrooms

Custom stone is a wonderful way to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal in any room in your home, but two places where stone can greatly revive with style and finesse is in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Simply remodeling your counter tops or floors with custom stone can make a huge difference, but the appeal isn’t just aesthetic.

Stones such as granite and other natural stone options are also incredibly durable and will stand the tests of wear and tear, weather and abuse, that many other materials will eventually begin to deteriorate under. Granite is not only beautiful but a lasting custom option for many outdoor areas, whether that be an outdoor kitchen, pool deck or hot tub. The reason granite does so well is that it is

Custom Kitchen

naturally harder and scratch resistant than other materials. Stone such as granite is also heat resistant and only under the most extreme, unearthly conditions will this type of stone crack.

Granite is also a natural stone that comes in a variety of colors and designs. Finishes can increase or revitalize granite as well, making your stone uniquely yours. And just to give you an idea of what I mean by variety, there are well beyond 3,000 color and finishes on the market. When it comes to custom stone granite, limited options is definitely not an issue.

This brings us to issues of cost, and you will be pleased to hear that granite custom stone is not nearly as expensive as one might think. In fact, when you take into account how long it will last and all the activity it will endure while still looking brand new, you’re making a far better investment than installing a cheaper material that will need to be redone, refinished or completely torn up relatively soon in comparison to granite custom stone. For more information on design availability and costs of remodeling with custom for any project you have in mind, give Native Custom Stone a call today!

The Advantages of Faux Stone Paneling

Stone veneer panelingmay be one of the best choices for consumers today. For those who wish to install traditional stone, you can do so, with the help of professionals. However, with paneling, you have far more flexibility and far more homeowners can easily install it in their homes. There are numerous advantages of using this product over traditional stone.

Faux Stone Panel

One of the key benefits that may not be as easy to see is that it is easier to handle. In short, stone veneer panels are lightweight far more so than traditional stone. That is because they are reinforced using lighter weight aggregates. This allows these panels to be durable but also keeps them light enough to easy to install without a great deal of structural strength necessary (though you still do need to ensure you meet the product’s needs.)

This shows another advantage of stone veneer paneling, then. It is easier to install. You can install it on or near just about any surface with ease, even on drywall. You can install it on wood, concrete or metal, too. It is easy to cut to fit and does not require a great deal of woodworking skills to make it happen. You need to know some basics in woodworking, of course.

Perhaps the most important of the advantages of stone veneer paneling is its cost that does not compromise its beauty. This is a great aesthetic choice in nearly all cases because it looks like natural stone. It has all of the same features of natural stone, in texture, shape and color, but it is manufactured. For many people, it is simply the best option because it is available, in wide assortment of styles, without requiring a very high budget. These factors play an important role in the decision to use this product over others.

Manufactured Stone Fireplace Benefits

A manufactured stone fireplace is an excellent choice in design for those who want a natural look without the added cost of real stone. Over the years manufactured stone fireplaces have increased in favor among homeowners due to such factors as:

1) Affordability

2) Light weight materials

3) Numerous stone veneer options

4) Easier to replace with a new manufactured stone if desired.

Manufactured stone fireplaces are built from a reliable compound created in molds designed from stones found in nature and then tinted with colors which make it nearly impossible to tell they’re not the real thing. The materials come in every imaginable color and consistency to imitate the various stones found in the great outdoors. What this does is allow those who are looking into manufactured stone fireplaces to get an end result in any design, color or theme possible from the heavier, more expensive alternative.

Some other bonuses in choosing this product are:

1) Doesn’t need the added cost of a foundation.

2) Does not require footings.

3) No added cost of other reinforcements needed with natural materials.

4) Needs very little maintenance.

5) The pigment is the same inside the stone so that, if nicked, it still looks natural.

6) So durable that the warranty on materials is outstanding.

7) Cost of installation is much less than with the real alternative.

Obviously, the money saved throughout the process is the amount of money saved in materials and continued with the installation costs. Manufactured stone fireplaces will as long as the homeowner wishes and will look great while it’s in place. Contact a great company today that can answer more questions and provide various examples what’s possible. There’s simply no drawback to choosing from manufactured stone fireplaces to give the whole room a new look.