STONE FIREPLACE DESIGNS DIRECTORY The Faux Stone Fireplace!
Cast or faux stone fireplace designs offer a very realistic, cost effective and convenient alternative to natural stone.
Cast stone
has been used to craft fireplace mantels for centuries and, due to the rising cost of
natural stone,
has never been more popular than it is today. Advances in mixing formulas, as well as in casting and finishing
tech- niques, have made it virtually impossible to distin- guish high quality cast stone from its natural stone
counterparts.
Though mixtures and casting techniques vary be- tween manufacturers, cast stone is generally made
from a mixture of finely graded aggregates such as limestone, marble, granite and quartz, silica sand, and a bonding agent. Extremely durable and versa- tile, it is available in almost any color, texture and finish . . . and can closely replicate a wide range of natural stones including limestone, bluestone, slate, granite, travertine and marble.
One cast stone type enjoying a resurgence in popularity is
Scagliola,
a mix- ture of crushed marble, limestone and travertine. Principally developed by Italian monks in the 17th
century, it is virtually indistinguishable from hand carved quarry stone.
From a design standpoint, cast stone mantels are available in nearly every traditional style . . . . . as
well as most contemporary styles. Much of the intricate detailing typically found in hand carved period styles
can be dupli- cated in cast stone . . . . . . . as can the elaborate overmantels frequently found in Old World
designs.
Lighter in weight and easier to install then natural stone, the realistic look and lower cost of a cast or
faux stone fireplace mantel makes it a viable al- ternative to a natural stone surround. It's a great way to get
a real stone look without the cost!
Regardless of the overall look and feel you're aiming for, you'll find a wide range of quality products
that will give you a very realistic natural stone appearance at a fraction of the cost. Not only will you save
on the cost of the fireplace mantel, itself, but due to the lighter weight of cast stone, la- bor costs will be
considerably lower because you won't need any additional footings or structural reinforcement to support your
new fireplace surround!
