Many of us have the wish to build and design a stone fireplace. Unfortunately this can be expensive and beyond what we would like to spend. Rather than passing on your dream why not just make a few compromises? When you cannot afford the real thing you can use faux stone.
Faux stone is a type of manufactured, cultured, and man made stone. It first became popular during the 1960’s as a decorative element – but nothing more because of how tacky it was when used in bulk. Today the element has been refined and it can now be used as a natural and beautiful design that will simulate the look of real stone.
Price
Faux stone costs around 25% less than natural stone. This is because it does not require any type of cure time and it can be connected to your existing fireplace in one day. The stone is lightweight, easy enough to handle, and will not warp from the heat. The most popular designs include; manufactured stone, concrete, and gypsum.
Manufactured Stone
This can be used on both indoor and outdoor fireplaces. You can turn your boring fireplace into something that is sophisticated and beautiful. The manufactured stone looks like a combination of limestone, travertine, and marble. It was created by Italian monks during the 17th century.
Concrete
Although this is not the most popular it is considered to be the most versatile. It can be molded to imitate the shape, texture, size, and color of natural stone. It is made using glass fiber that has been reinforced. This makes it lightweight, durable, and quite strong. With this material you can have a rustic fireplace or something that looks like marble.
Gypsum
This is a natural mineral that has been combined with glass fiber and water. When it is finished it will look like a combination of marble, alabaster, and limestone. It is very flexible – which makes it easy for someone to carve it out and give you something that is elegant and formal. This is used for people who have a very specific design in mind.