Manufactured Or Natural Stone Veneer? What Are The Differences?
Let's assume here that you are considering using natural stone on your next interior design project, but you've heard about manufactured stone veneer which looks and feels just like the "real thing".
Now you are in a dilemma.
Do you choose the natural product or do you go with the smart choice and go for the artificial stone veneer?
Read on and we can look at the pros and cons for the choices.
Choice of colours
Natural stone is limited in its choice of colours. What nature creates is the colour palate you are then limited to with this natural stone.
The colour consistency is also variable with natural stones. One batch can vary greatly with the desired colour.
Artificial stones can be made to take on any colour you desire, while still looking just like the natural stone product. You get the best of the colour choice and the natural stone appearance. No one will ever know.
Material weight
Natural stones are thicker and a heavier mass than manufactured ones. This means that when you import them you will be paying very high shipping costs.
Also they are harder to install on different surfaces and ensure that the surface can handle the dead load from the stone.
Manufactured stone is made from a veneer of 9 to 14mm thick so is much lighter than natural stone. This means that you can apply the veneer almost anywhere and not have to worry about adhering to surfaces or the walls taking the veneer load.
Durability
Manufactured stone is a controlled high quality cement based material which is made to take impact and knocks from day to day life.
It is also highly resistant to thermal extremes and UV light degradation of surface and colour.
Natural stone is fragile and prone to random cracking when impacted due to its random natural cracks.
Appearance
Fake stone veneer looks just like stacked stone or marble depending on your design choice. Installation is very easy to undertake and the controlled form of the veneer makes it easy to join panels and keep the appearance looking like the real thing.
Natural stone is harder to cut and control in shape from the quarry which then makes it harder for the installer to match up joint lines and produce a visually appealing finished wall.
This also means the work with them is more time consuming and will cost you 30%-70% more in labour costs.
Material Sourcing
Manufactured stone veneer is locally made and does not attract high overseas import costs like natural one does.
Natural stone also costs a great deal to import as you pay for weight not just space, therefore it is one of the most expensive products you can import.
The fake stone veneer also is great for the local Australian economy as it keeps locals employed, it keeps your valuable dollar in Australia and boosts the Australian economy.
Alternatively the majority of real stone veneer is imported from overseas and does nothing for Australian employment.
Eco Friendly
The manufactured stone veneer is eco-friendly. Why? Because it is produced from sustainable controlled materials from quarries and produced in manufacturing plants away from environmentally sensitive areas.
Real stone is mined from areas where the stone is naturally found. These areas tend to be stone out crops such as cliff faces and natural wild life environments. Therefore the damage to the natural environment is wide spread and sometimes unable to be regenerated after the stone has been removed.
So let's take summary look at the real differences between manufactured and natural stone veneer:
Colour Availability: NATURAL - LIMITED; ARTIFICIAL - ALL
Structural Engineering: NATURAL - YES; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Installation Costs: NATURAL - HIGH; ARTIFICIAL - LOW
Specialist Installers: NATURAL - YES; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Import Costs: NATURAL - HIGH; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Eco- Friendly: NATURAL - NO; ARTIFICIAL - YES
Product Guarantee: NATURAL -?; ARTIFICIAL - 100%
For more information and features on the benefits of manufactured stone veneer from Custom-Made Stones please refer to our Free Report.
Once you have received our complimentary free report, you will be eligible to receive a complimentary free sample of our manufactured stone veneer product. Normally valued at $55 including delivery...this is yours free of charge.
We believe that this free sample will inspire you to install our manufactured stone veneer on your next project.
Here's to your successful interior design project.
Best regards,
Now you are in a dilemma.
Do you choose the natural product or do you go with the smart choice and go for the artificial stone veneer?
Read on and we can look at the pros and cons for the choices.
Choice of colours
Natural stone is limited in its choice of colours. What nature creates is the colour palate you are then limited to with this natural stone.
The colour consistency is also variable with natural stones. One batch can vary greatly with the desired colour.
Artificial stones can be made to take on any colour you desire, while still looking just like the natural stone product. You get the best of the colour choice and the natural stone appearance. No one will ever know.
Material weight
Natural stones are thicker and a heavier mass than manufactured ones. This means that when you import them you will be paying very high shipping costs.
Also they are harder to install on different surfaces and ensure that the surface can handle the dead load from the stone.
Manufactured stone is made from a veneer of 9 to 14mm thick so is much lighter than natural stone. This means that you can apply the veneer almost anywhere and not have to worry about adhering to surfaces or the walls taking the veneer load.
Durability
Manufactured stone is a controlled high quality cement based material which is made to take impact and knocks from day to day life.
It is also highly resistant to thermal extremes and UV light degradation of surface and colour.
Natural stone is fragile and prone to random cracking when impacted due to its random natural cracks.
Appearance
Fake stone veneer looks just like stacked stone or marble depending on your design choice. Installation is very easy to undertake and the controlled form of the veneer makes it easy to join panels and keep the appearance looking like the real thing.
Natural stone is harder to cut and control in shape from the quarry which then makes it harder for the installer to match up joint lines and produce a visually appealing finished wall.
This also means the work with them is more time consuming and will cost you 30%-70% more in labour costs.
Material Sourcing
Manufactured stone veneer is locally made and does not attract high overseas import costs like natural one does.
Natural stone also costs a great deal to import as you pay for weight not just space, therefore it is one of the most expensive products you can import.
The fake stone veneer also is great for the local Australian economy as it keeps locals employed, it keeps your valuable dollar in Australia and boosts the Australian economy.
Alternatively the majority of real stone veneer is imported from overseas and does nothing for Australian employment.
Eco Friendly
The manufactured stone veneer is eco-friendly. Why? Because it is produced from sustainable controlled materials from quarries and produced in manufacturing plants away from environmentally sensitive areas.
Real stone is mined from areas where the stone is naturally found. These areas tend to be stone out crops such as cliff faces and natural wild life environments. Therefore the damage to the natural environment is wide spread and sometimes unable to be regenerated after the stone has been removed.
So let's take summary look at the real differences between manufactured and natural stone veneer:
Colour Availability: NATURAL - LIMITED; ARTIFICIAL - ALL
Structural Engineering: NATURAL - YES; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Installation Costs: NATURAL - HIGH; ARTIFICIAL - LOW
Specialist Installers: NATURAL - YES; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Import Costs: NATURAL - HIGH; ARTIFICIAL - NIL
Eco- Friendly: NATURAL - NO; ARTIFICIAL - YES
Product Guarantee: NATURAL -?; ARTIFICIAL - 100%
For more information and features on the benefits of manufactured stone veneer from Custom-Made Stones please refer to our Free Report.
Once you have received our complimentary free report, you will be eligible to receive a complimentary free sample of our manufactured stone veneer product. Normally valued at $55 including delivery...this is yours free of charge.
We believe that this free sample will inspire you to install our manufactured stone veneer on your next project.
Here's to your successful interior design project.
Best regards,
