Manufactured stone fireplaces have come a long way in recent years . . . . .
. . . . Though man-made
cast stone
mantels with smooth finishes have been produced for centuries and perfected to the point
where they are barely discernable from their finely finished
natural stone
counterparts, the more rugged, roughly textured stone fireplace surrounds have not been so lucky.
Fortunately, manufacturers of roughly tex- tured stone found a way to significantly
im- prove their product since the 1970s, when artificial stone looked every bit as
fake as it truly was. Today's man-made stone prod- ucts are a far cry from their
predecessors. Many are so realistic in appearance that only the trained eye of a
skilled stone ma- son can tell the difference!
Manufactured stone
is made by blending lightweight concrete with colored iron
oxide pigments. To give it a realistic look, the mixture is poured into molds made
from natural stones and then vibrated to integrate surface col- oration and texture.
After the mix sets, the stone is removed from the mold and cured.
One of the major benefits of man-made stone is that it is significantly lower in cost than natural stone. In addition, due to its much lighter weight, it doesn't re- quire a foundation or footings for support. The sub- stantial cost savings, in conjunction with its very re- alistic look, has made it a very viable alternative to natural stone for fireplace surrounds!
For more information about any of the fireplace designs pictured here, please
let us know
and we we'll be happy to provide it for you.
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as we continually add new images of manufactured or cultured stone hearth designs.
