Which to Buy and Use: Veneer Stone vs Natural Stone?

You might have noticed a stunning display of natural or veneer stones on the walls of homes and businesses. If you’re having a difficult discernment veneer stone from the natural stone it is completely in line with the manufacturer’s style.

Veneer stone is trying its best to defeat stones that are natural in their use as the stone covering preferred for home exterior covers, fireplace surrounds, and all kinds of interior decor. What can you tell between the two? What stone material should you buy and set up to cover your home’s cladding such as a fireplace, wainscot, and other architectural elements? Using an area calculator you can easily measure circles, squares, rectangles areas, and surfaces.

What is Veneer Stone?

Veneer Stone, Architectural stone manufactured stone Veneer stone, architectural stone, manufactured stone Cultured Stone (a Boral company trademark used to denote the manufactured stone) are all different names for the exact identical product engineered stone designed to resemble natural stone. Try a land area calculator and make your area measurement easy. So, give it a try and make your calculation easy in just a few seconds.

The product is a mixture composed of Portland cement, aggregates, and iron oxides that are baked into textured molds so that it appears like stone. Cement gives durability to the product, and iron oxides give pigments. Veneer stone shouldn’t be confused with fake stone, which is a high-density polymer product that has the feel of Styrofoam rather than stone.

Pros

• Lightweight
• Easy to cut
• Simple to get

Cons

• Homogeneous appearance
• Colors may fade
• Brittle

What Is Natural Stone?

Natural stone, the type employed in the construction of homes is made up of 100 percent stone quarried directly from the earth. There is nothing added or removed, and without color additives. Natural stones are real in form like rounded river stones. Or, natural stones can be shaped into any shape you want in blocks, for example, blocks for construction walls, sheets to build walls, or flooring tiles.

Pros

• Popularity
• Durable
• Colorfast

Cons

• Dense and heavy
• Hard to cut
• It is difficult to identify

• Structural Use

Manufactured veneer stone is far too fragile to be used structurally to build structures. Veneer stone can withstand the weight on its own, however, it is not able to support the additional weight. Veneer stone is not employed as flooring. It is not possible to find real stacked stone seen with veneer stone as veneer stone is simply an example of an appearance. However, veneer stone is able to successfully replicate the appearance of stacking stone.

Natural stone can be utilized for structural purposes, but this is a scarce usage in modern-day buildings. If you are looking for authentic stacking stones, it is best to utilize natural stones. Certain natural stones like slate are too soft to be used for structural purposes. Natural stone, for instance, the travertine stone, is typically used as flooring, walkways, and even walls.

• Size, Weight, and Thickness

Full-dimension veneer stone begins at about two inches and grows to 6-8 inches in thickness. The sub-category of thin stone veneer is 1-inch to 2 inches thick. The face size of the veneer stone could be as big as 14 inches wide. Veneer stone weighs about 50% lighter than stones of the natural dimension.

Natural stone that is available on the market for consumers typically comes in 2 sizes. Blocks that are full-size, roughly the size of a couple of wall blocks for retaining can offer an entire-dimension cover and the look of stacked blocks that many homeowners want. For a cover that resembles a veneer natural stone is mined and cut into pieces in a size that is industrial, similar to a tile saw.

Although veneer is used, it is 100% natural stone that has a thickness of about 3/4-inch or 1 3/4-inch thick. The dimensions of natural stone’s faces differ based on the kind of stone but generally end at 18 inches in size. Natural stone is significantly more heavy than veneer stones. For instance, natural fieldstone weighs about 13 pounds for each square foot. This is more than double the weight of the veneer stone that is manufactured.

• Appearance and Color Fastness

Veneer stone’s color can change as time passes. Cheap, subpar manufactured stone may be an attractive option but, in most cases, its appearance is not as appealing. It could have extremely repeated patterns (or monochromatic shades) and can be as small as a tenth of an inch thick. Make sure you read the specifications of the manufacturer before buying or placing an order for samples. When it comes to veneer stone, it is more likely to be of the same quality.

Natural stone isn’t monotonous and, generally, appears attractive. Its quality can vary dramatically, however. Natural stone’s colors fade in the light, but at such a slow rate that they won’t be observed for a long time.

• Installation Procedures

Manufactured stone veneers are installed with lath as well as a scratch coat grout, mortar, or with no grout to create a dry-stack look. For installation, the primary difference between manufactured stones and natural stones is the weight and the density. Manufactured stones are much simpler to cut and handle than natural stones since it’s porous, and light. Manufactured veneer stone is suited to DIY installation more than natural stone.

Stone can be placed directly onto a porous concrete block, or stone. In the event that the block’s surface is smooth, you may join metal laths and a scratch masonry coating to create the surface for thin pieces of stone to hold. Grout is then incorporated into the stone. The stones may also be grout-free to create a dry-stack look. Natural stone is not able to be positioned on the drywall or on other materials that are thin. Because of its dense nature, it is very hard to cut.

What Is Metal Lath?

Metal lath is a mesh constructed from a metal sheet. It is a firm and irregular surface, which is perfect for adhering to stucco or plaster stone, and various other materials.