Natural Stone

Natural stone

Real stone veneer or natural stone veneer is a product that is commonly used to beautify interior or exterior projects. Real stone is offered as a full bed depth or thin veneer. Natural thin veneer stone is fieldstone, granite, sandstone or quartzite, that has been cut, split, shaped and sawn to a thickness typically one (1) inch. It is used as a siding for homes or commercial buildings.

Thin stone veneer was first developed in the late 19th century, but there were materials developed much earlier that foreshadowed the use of stone veneer. Thin stone veneer has made the use of natural stone more economical and practical. It can be applied to any vertical surface without the need of a footing. Certain modular patterns lend themselves to a consumer installation for those of you wishing to tackle your own projects.

Real stone that is full bed is typically 3-6 inches thick. It requires a foundation shelf due to its weight of 40lbs per square foot. Typically a stone mason will use a masons hammer and shape the stone to fit together and applies mortar in between to interlock the layers and fill the voids. Modern stone veneer first made its appearance in the late 1800s. It was cut into thick portions and then hand tooled into the appropriate panels; the stones that were used were “granite, marble, travertine, limestone, and slate.” Early in its development, thin stone veneer only had the capabilities to be utilized in areas such as the inside of buildings, street-level facades and storefronts.

Natural (real) stone is the perfect material to use for exterior and interior applications. It can also be used at or below grade, such as a veneer over a concrete foundation. Because natural stone has been created by natural forces the color and texture of the stone is present throughout the entire piece and can be trimmed, and “worked” during the installation process to achieve the finished look that is desired.

Natural stone veneer is used as an exterior wall siding or cladding to protect the structure from the destructive forces of the natural elements such as rain, wind, sun, and ice. Since each piece of natural stone is different and unique, this creates a one-of-a-kind finished project. Natural stone is also used as an interior surface covering to provide beauty and decorative appeal for all types of interior design. A fireplace is known as the focal point of a room, so stone veneer is the perfect finish. Modern homes are adding stone to interior walls, pillars, showers and backsplashes. Natural stone veneer can be used as a substitute for wood, brick, stucco or vinyl for exterior siding or cladding. It can be used to create beautiful chimneys and hardscapes for residential and commercial construction projects. Different shapes of natural stone are:

• Mosaic
• Round
• Square and Rectangular
• Strips with sawn top and bottom

Thin natural stone veneer weighs less than 15 pounds per square foot (lbs/sf). It is installed directly to a vertical wall without requiring a supporting masonry shelf. Properly installed, this material will perform perfectly during many life-times of freeze-thaw cycles, blazing summer sun and pounding spring rain. Best of all natural stone will not fade and is the most resistant to extreme environmental factors looking like new for a very long time.