Twelve Questions and Answers About Natural Thin Stone Veneer
Why Manufactured Stone Products and Full Depth Stone Are Outdone by Quality of Natural Thin Stone Veneer
1. What is natural thin stone veneer (also called natural stone veneer, or natural stone thin veneer)?
Natural thin stone veneer is a natural stone product, which means that it is not manufactured stone or artificial stone, which is often referred to as cultured stone or fake stone.
2. Where does natural thin stone veneer come from?
The stone is quarried from the earth (e.g., from a stone quarry it) and then cut (fabricated) using a large diamond-bladed saw.
3. How thick is natural thin stone veneer?
Natural thin stone veneer is typically about one and one-quarter inches thick, although this may vary depending upon the customer’s needs.
4. What is the advantage of cutting the natural thin stone veneer to 1-1/4 inches thick?
In the past, when it came to using stone products on the surface of a building or wall exterior, only full thickness stones were used. The only alternative was using an artificial stone veneer product. Both of these options have distinct disadvantages.
In contrast to these two choices, natural thin stone veneer retains the visually appealing aspect of the full depth natural stone while eliminating its disadvantage of heavy weight and significant cost (due to quarrying, shipping, and installation costs).
Natural thin stone veneer also provides the highly aesthetic visual appeal of a natural stone surface while avoiding the inferior appearance and durability problems associated with artificial or cultured/manufactured stone. Natural thin stone veneer lasts much longer than artificial stone products, and actually gains character over time.
Manufactured/synthetic/cultured/fake stone products, on the other hand, suffer severe appearance issues over time due to the colors fading, and also due to warping and cracking of the manufactured stone products.
5. Is natural thin stone veneer difficult to maintain?
No. Natural thin stone veneer, just like full depth natural stone, is virtually maintenance free. In areas that have a moderate climate, such as southern California and other areas that remain relatively warm (e.g., above freezing) all year around, no sealant is necessary on natural thin stone veneer. This provides a distinct advantage when it comes to maintenance issues because when a stone is not sealed then it doesn’t have any sealer maintenance requirements.
An unsealed natural stone product also does not suffer the discoloration that can come with sealers and also is a problem with artificial stone products.
6. How do natural thin stone veneer products handle scratching and chipping?
Natural thin stone veneer resists nicks, scratches, and chips, and even if the stone does become chipped or scratched the overall look will not change because the stone is consistent throughout, unlike manufactured stone which has a different color just beneath the surface and thus looks flawed once it is nicked or chipped.
7. Does using natural thin stone veneer have less of an environmental impact than full depth stone or manufactured stone products?
Yes. Since natural thin stone veneer weighs only about one-third of what full-dimension stone weighs, about three times as much natural thin stone veneer can be shipped as full depth stone on a similar sized truck, and thus natural thin stone veneer can be shipped for about one-third of the cost and one-third of the overall environmental impact.
In addition, the use of natural thin stone veneer rather than full depth stone can extend the life of the quarry that is the source of the stone. Since natural thin stone veneer is a natural stone product that is reclaimed directly from the ground (and not mixed with any artificial or synthetic ingredients), it is more environmentally friendly than fake stone products.
Furthermore, natural thin stone veneer quarried locally helps create local jobs.
8. Why should I choose natural thin stone veneer over full-depth stone?
There are numerous reasons to choose natural thin stone veneer over full-depth stone. First of all, visual appearance of natural thin stone veneer is virtually indistinguishable from the appearance of full-depth stone.
Secondly, natural thin stone veneer costs just a fraction of the cost of full weight stones. Third, the installation time and cost of natural thin stone veneer is much easier than the installation time and cost of full depth stone.
Fourth, natural thin stone veneer is a “greener” choice. Less stone is is used overall for the same amount of wall coverage, and this is better for the environment.
Fifth, if you are installing the product yourself, natural thin stone veneer is much easier to install for an average homeowner without advanced masonry skills, and only takes about half the time to install compared to full thickness stone.
9. How hard is natural thin stone veneer to install compared to full depth stone?
Heavy cut stone, on the other hand, requires the skills of a stonemason for proper installation. In some situations, natural thin stone veneer is the only choice for a natural stone finish because the structure cannot support the weight of full depth stone. With natural thin stone veneer, no stone or brick ledger, or masonry shelf foundation is required. For situations with severe space constraints (e.g. a zero clearance fireplace) as well as situations with weight constraints, natural thin stone veneer is often the only feasible choice.
10. What material do architects and engineers recommend?
In many cases these professionals in the fields of architecture and engineering recommend natural thin stone veneer due to its lighter load, particularly on non-load-bearing walls, yet still the natural stone product is able to provide the highest quality appearance and durability of any material available. Special cut of natural thin stone veneer can be engineered for particular situations, as well as special angles and corner cuts.
11. Is natural thin stone veneer good for interior areas?
The natural thin stone veneer is also ideal for interior areas because it does not take up as much space, and for large exterior areas, such as the surface of a multi-level home, natural thin stone veneer is often recommend because of its lighter weight.
The weight of full thickness stone over very large surfaces adds up cumulatively to put a tremendous stress on the walls and down into the footings, while natural thin stone veneer, at just a fraction of the overall weight, will provide an appearance that is virtually indistinguishable from full depth stone and every bit as appealing.
12. How does natural thin sandstone veneer age over time, and how does it handle nicks and scratches?
Natural thin stone veneer keeps its beautiful appearance without fading over time like fake stone products. Natural stone actually look better over time, warmer and more welcoming, and is scratch and nick resistant.
If natural thin stone veneer is nicked, the color beneath is of the same texture and color, and a nick or scratch will not detract from the appearance of the natural thin stone veneer. The result is an enhancement of the value of your home over time.
