Manufactured Stone Fireplaces...
Fabulous Faux!
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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
fin-
ished 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 on-
ly the trained eye of a
skilled stone mason 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 ad-
dition, due to its much lighter weight, it doesn't require a foundation or footings for support. The substantial cost savings, in conjunction with its very realistic look, has made it a viable alternative to natural stone for fireplace surrounds.
For more information about any of the manufactured stone fireplace designs pictured here, please
let
us know
and 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.
More Manufactured Stone Fireplaces
Cultured Stone Fireplaces - How Do They Stack Up To Natural Stone?
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