Landscape & Hardscape Ideas, Project Planning & Tips

Cast Veneer Stone: A modern answer to an old problem

Stone surfaces aren’t what they used to be, and that can be a good thing.

All along farming hills and valleys are fieldstone walls that were piled by the land workers as they tilled the earth. The low walls would stretch far and wide, sometimes acting to prevent livestock from grazing the crops, other times drawing lines between a farmer’s acres and the neighbor’s lands.

Named for the origin of their materials, fieldstone walls are a marvel. Constructed without mortar, stone setters would choose each stone carefully for its shape, then fit it in snugly with the others. The better the spatial expertise, the stronger the stone wall. Indeed, many of the masons left such well-crafted structures that these walls still stand today.

 

Some mortared stone houses from the 1600s through early 1900s are also still standing, their sturdiness a tribute to early pioneering spirit and ingenuity. Many of the stone surfaces we see today try to capture this history of graceful strength and resourcefulness of early American life. The days of unearthing field stone or quarrying ledge stone have become less common. The toll on the environment and the human effort required can lead to pricing that is enough to discourage the conscientious homeowner away from natural stone. Fortunately, stone surface technology exists that replaces and improves upon the old ways.

  

Cast Veneer Stone (CVS) is one such advancement. CVS, a man-made product, so closely represents natural stone that even a trained eye would have difficulty discerning the difference. Pennsylvania Fieldstone, Ledgestone and other traditional stone surfaces like brick can be recreated at a fraction of the cost of quarried stone.

Cast Stone Wall Face Shells, Breckenridge

 

The secret is in the sauce as they say. Cast stone veneers are made, simply, by pouring concrete (a cement, sand & water mixture) into molds. But that explanation is where the simplicity stops and the artistry begins. Our craftsmen have painstakingly perfected a coloring technique that achieves the natural nuances found in nature. Varied earth hues that complement the environment are what set our cast veneer stone apart from the rest. CVS looks like stone because it is manufactured from stone, and the molds are made using actual pieces of natural stone in order to replicate the varied sizes and textures Mother Nature created. Our lighter, thinner, and mortar-friendly CVS is much easier to install than their quarried counterparts, which saves hours of labor costs. The advantages of CVS are many. Asking contractors and builders for their reasons of exclusively using our stone veneer would be a good start to your home-improvement journey.

 

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