Cast Stone vs Manufactured Stone Veneer: Which Should You Use?

You may think the architectural elements you see on commercial and residential buildings are made of real stone, but it is becoming more common for them to be made of concrete. It is hard to tell if an accent wall in a lobby or the columns on a front porch are made of natural stone because man-made products are so realistic.

For years, natural stone was upheld as a premier building material for its beauty and stability. The reason why people are turning to other building materials is due to cost, weight, and sourcing difficulties. Manufactured stone and cast stone were created as solutions to these problems.

What is Natural Stone?

Natural stone is a durable material that is obtained from the earth. It has been used for centuries due to its strength and longevity. To make it an effective building or decorative material, it is cut down, shaped, and finished for an assortment of projects. Though, it is much more difficult to cut than man-made products.

A desirable feature of natural stones is their uniqueness. As a product of nature, no stone will have the exact same pattern, look, texture, or coloring. There is an abundance of natural stone types, including limestone, granite, marble, slate, etc. While each natural stone’s distinct graining and coloring give it character, it prevents uniformity and consistency throughout a project.

What Is Natural Stone Used for?

• Natural stone was once used to create some of the most famous historic structures, monuments, and sculptures around the world, and still is.
• It can be used as decorative architecture on interior or exterior floors and walls. An example could be an accent wall or a fireplace.
• For larger outdoor projects, it can be added to your landscape when designing fishponds, patios, outdoor kitchens, or boundary walls, among other things.
• Natural stone can even be used for furniture like countertops or showers to give your home a makeover. Granite and marble are most favored for these projects as they create elaborate displays that are easy to clean and maintain.

What Is Cast Stone?

Cast stone is a man-made concrete building material whose main purpose is to replicate natural stone at a lower cost. It is used to create complete architectural elements. Cast stone is often mass-produced, meaning you’ll likely find identical pieces across one project, which creates a uniform appearance with consistent quality. Its availability is also not limited by geographical factors, which means it is accessible wherever you are.

It has unmatched design flexibility as it can be molded into various shapes and sizes to achieve your desired aesthetic. It can also be pigmented to match and blend with other building elements. Cast stone can have intricate details, replicating diverse textures, shapes, and patterns without the need of skilled labor carving the shape each time.

Because it’s made of a synthetic material, it often costs less and is lighter than natural stone. As a lighter-weight material, transporting and maneuvering concrete pieces on a site is much easier, especially for larger projects. The manufacturing and installation processes are easier, with less time and labor needed. And even though it is lighter, it is still durable and has high strength as a concrete product.

How Is Cast Stone Made?

Cast stone can either be wet-cast or dry-cast concrete. The wet cast method is commonly used for casting large, structural, and complex elements. A mixture of Portland cement, aggregate, and pigments is combined and poured into molds. The texture of the material will be similar to natural stone and produce finishes that are difficult to distinguish from the original material.

Cast stone can be molded using various materials, including wood, fiberglass, plastic, or rubber. The material you should use depends on the architectural element being replicated and the amount of detail required.

One of the best mold materials is liquid urethane rubber due to its abrasion resistance and tear strength. It handles concrete well without breaking the cast piece and can produce as many as 100 pieces in a single mold with the same consistent detail.

By first casting over an original model, these molds will easily replicate the original piece’s features into the concrete. Due to their flexibility, they are also great for elements with deep undercuts. For most cast stone projects, a 20-30 A material is recommended to obtain desired shapes and details.

What Is Cast Stone Used for?

• It is often used in architectural restoration projects because it is able to replicate and replace the old and deteriorated stone on historical buildings.
• It is popular for decorative elements, trim, ornaments, or facings for buildings and other structures, such as columns, porticos, balusters, pier caps, copings, watertables, window surrounds, door entries, and more.
• It makes great concrete furniture and décor, including tables, benches, plant pots, etc.
• It is found on and in homes, condos, churches, banks, courthouses, and more.

What Is Manufactured Stone?

Manufactured stone veneer is often called a handful of other names, including faux stone, artificial stone, or cultured stone. Like cast stone, it is a man-made material designed to replicate the look of natural stone at a lower price and weight. It differs from cast stone because it is veneer, a thin layer of molded concrete applied to another surface, like wood or flat concrete. It is often used for non-load-bearing decorative detailing, as it does not provide any structural support.

Stone veneer products offer an array of shapes, sizes, and color options that are indistinguishable from natural stone unless closely inspected. As a concrete material, they are strong and durable to be used in indoor and outdoor spaces.

They are not the same thickness and weight that a natural stone would be, making them easier to install in hard-to-reach places. A faux stone can be 15 pounds or less with no support needed when applied to various surfaces.

How Is Manufactured Stone Made?

Manufactured stones are typically pre-cast using wet-pour concrete. Like cast stone, they are made of water, cement, superplasticizers and lightweight aggregate materials. This mixture makes them durable and able to withstand the elements. It is the coloring and molding of the concrete that makes them look like natural stones. When poured into molds with pigment, the concrete mixture is able to resemble marble, granite, limestone, and other desirable stones.

The actual process begins by making a mold. The mold is typically created as the negative of a real stone, so the concrete can mimic the look and texture accurately. When urethane molds are used, the veneer stone will pick up all the details of the stone it is replicating. When making the molds, a 30-50 A urethane material is recommended, as it provides more strength than a lower durometer rubber would.

A small mold of one stone can be made, as well as a large mold with multiple stones that vary in size, which are then packaged together. As a veneer, it is typically cast at about 1 inch thick. Some of the stones will have repeated textures and designs, but that ensures your project will be consistent in quality and appearance.

Manufactured stone veneer will have a flat back for easy installation over a variety of surfaces. While cast stone is typically custom-made, manufactured stones can be laid out and cut to suit the project.

What Is Manufactured Stone Used for?

• The main use of manufactured stone veneer is to create exterior facades and unique statement walls.
• They can be used both indoors and outdoors to elevate the architecture and appearance of office buildings, restaurants, roadways, hotels, medical facilities, etc.
• Due to their flat-back nature, they can be installed over metal, wood, masonry, brick, or poured concrete to add a decorative element to various spaces.
• They are used to elevate the architecture and appearance of various buildings. They can be placed around fireplaces, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, water features, walkways, patios, and more.

If you’re interested in cast stone or manufactured stone, VFI makes a variety of 2 part urethane rubbers that make perfect molds for these projects. Contact us today for assistance in finding the best material.