The sophistication and elegant appeal of thin stone veneers

Throughout history stone has been used as both a decorative and structural building material. With its superior properties over other building substrates its been favored by architects since the beginning of human civilization.  Evidence of humans using quarried stone dates back to around 2600 BCE.  The Egyptians used stone they had quarried to build one of the worlds greatest wonders, the pyramids.  Using two types of stone (limestone and red granite). Khufu being the largest of the pyramids stands at a staggering 775 feet tall. The base and sides contains approximately 2.3 million blocks all hand cut and fitted tightly together.

Natural stone has been greatly valued over our history due to its aesthetic appeal, durability and ease of maintenance. You can find it in an array of colors and textures making it one of the most versatile building products used in construction around the globe. Granite, limestone, travertine, sandstone, marble, slate and quartz are just to name a few.  Its uses are endless as they can be used in a variety of of ways and incorporated into almost any project. Building facades to floors, roofs to patios, accent walls to fences, roads and landscapes the limitation are only your imagination.  Its no wonder that the greatest buildings in history were constructed of stone.  Even to this day its a favorite among architects and designers to create the sophisticated and elegant aesthetics desired by their clients.

Nowadays building with stone has endless possibilities and can be very cost effective with the right planning.  Due to labor and transportation cost of heavy products manufacturers have turned to making thin stone veneer. Its easy to work with and much lighter than its full bed depth predecessors.  In fact its so easy most people can do it themselves following some basic guidelines and installation techniques.

Thin stone veneers come in two basic types; Natural stone veneer and faux stone veneer.  Natural stone veneer are stones that have had the back side cut off of them creating a flat surface.  Usually about 1" to 2" thick they are much lighter than and easier to work with as you don't have to stack them up on a foundation ledge in order to handle the massive amount of weight that you do with full bed stone.  What this means is they can be used almost anywhere on your home! Faux stone veneer are much the same as natural stone except they are man made out of cementitious materials formed in molds and colored with dyes, making them extremely valuable when a specific color pallet is desired. These faux stone veneers are more economical, lighter than natural stone and come in more shapes and colors than one could ever imagine.

Over the last decade we've seen a trend in thin stone veneer being used in all sorts of projects.  Fireplaces being a big one!  I consistently have clients that come in and become overwhelmed by the amount of choices and option available to them, making it some what of a difficult process in making the perfect choice. Lets face it resurfacing your fireplace or even your entire home is something you only want to do once, so making the right decision is critical.  We know how overwhelming this task of choosing your favorite profile and color can be and we are here to help you find that perfect stone for your project.

In conclusion if you are looking to create a timeless accent to you home or property you can't go wrong with using thin veneer stones. They come in so many shapes, textures and colors that you the will certainly find something that suites your personal taste and decor.  Many of our clients love to bring us pictures of ideas they have found on pinterest.com.  By taking a look at what others have done will help inspire you to get your project started and completed while giving you piece of mind that you have made the right choice throughout the building process.