To the average person, natural and manufactured stone veneer appear the same. Both have the look of textured stone as the outside “siding” on the building. The main difference is that manufactured stone veneer, also known as faux stone, is a manufactured stone created from Portland cement, lightweight, natural aggregates and iron oxide pigment–to add color. But natural stone veneer has several benefits over that of manufactured veneer.
Nothing beats the beauty of the natural stone on the exterior of a building. Stone veneer originated as buildings constructed entirely of natural stone with the exterior of this stone being known as the façade. But as construction techniques got better and walls could be built thinner using stronger building materials, builders began slicing thin slabs of natural stone and mounting on the base wall material such as cinder block or brick using a mortar mix to create the natural stone look.
Natural stone veneer is the most environmentally friendly building option available and the mass of the stone itself serves as an insulator, absorbing the heat of the day and releasing that heat when the surrounding air cools back down. This natural insulation helps reduce energy costs by “flattening out” the daily fluctuations in temperature and lowering your heating and cooling costs.
Homes with natural stone veneers have a higher resale value. Natural stone veneer on buildings tend to increase the resale value of a property because of the beauty and the general perception that natural stone buildings are more expensive than buildings constructed with other materials. So, installing a natural stone veneer as an upgrade to the building usually is a good investment which will more than pay for itself in the increased resale value.
Natural stone veneer is extremely durable with a well-built stone veneer lasting for decades. Another benefit of a stone veneer is that it is fireproof.
Natural stone veneer is extremely low maintenance. You don’t have to paint it or add siding to it and it is easy to clean. You just apply a natural stone sealant every once in a while, to help protect it from the elements.
There are some drawbacks to installing a natural stone veneer when comparing it to other building materials:
Where manufactured stone veneer is a mix of materials that create the appearance of natural stone while not being as heavy as natural stone. Installing natural stone veneer requires that the building be built so that it can support the weight of natural stone veneer.
Getting a genuine natural stone veneer installed is very expensive when compared to other forms of siding applied to a building. Almost every other type of siding is cheaper than natural stone veneer.
Natural stone is heavy, dense and hard to cut making it more labor intensive to prepare for installation. Another challenge is finding the right color, shape, and size of the stone for your building.
Only you can decide. Weigh the pros and cons and get the advice of a natural building stone expert, such as those at Bedrock Orlando, to help.
Bedrock Orlando provides a wide variety of natural stone veneer to satisfy your building needs. Give us a call at (407) 859-1300 or fill our simple online quote form to reach out to one of our natural stone veneer experts to answer any questions you might have today.
info@bedrockorlando.com
Phone: 407.859.1300
10500 Rocket Court - Orlando, FL 32824