Masonry Magazine December 2006 Page. 27
ADVANCED
Manufactured Stone
Unlike cast stone, manufactured stone is a lightweight product that is designed to be adhered to a structural wall. The simulated stone veneers are used for exterior and interior applications, and can also offer many advantages when compared with natural stone. For example, manufactured stone products can be less expensive than natural stone, it's generally considered easier to handle and install, there are no steel requirements for installation, no footings are required, and no structural changes are necessary for second-story applications.
All of these advantages combine to make manufactured stone one of the most rapidly growing building material products available. According to Bob Heath, marketing leader of Toldeo, Ohio-based Cultured Stone Corporation, "The use of stone has continued to expand, and we enjoy stone being used as a major design element in both residential and commercial, and remodel work. But we also are enjoying use as an accent material with other types of exterior cladding materials."
Through advances in manufacturing technologies, fabricated stone products have steadily improved in appearance to mimic natural stone. According to Glenda Starkweather at Boulder Creek Stone Products of Minneapolis, with the technology in the type of molds that Boulder Creek and other manufacturers use, "You're able to get the slightest little detail imprinted in the stone. In the beginning, you couldn't reproduce the hairline details that natural stone has, but technology has allowed us to incorporate that, as well as the colors and other details that people like."
The seemingly endless color possibilities and the level of detail that is achievable are two, main reasons for the material's popularity. This potential differentiation in curb appeal is what people are after. Starkweather said that today's customers don't want their homes or businesses to look just like their neighbors. "Basically, brick looks all the same; stone allows them to be an individual," she said.
Indeed, design variation is key to this material's success, and the market is driven by new product development.
CAST STONE, INC.
Advanced Cast Stone, premier manufacturer of cast stone, is centrally located in the Dallas/Fort Worth area with a 70,000 sq. ft. production facility. We provide masons with exacting products and an easy locator system for prompt, economical cast stone delivery to any jobsite.
Services available for the mason:
★Comprehensive Color Lab
★Quick response on shop drawings
★Creative architectural sample boxes available
★Capabilities brochure listing projects throughout the U.S.
★Toll free number to talk with our estimators and sales team to speed your project along
For Information Call:
Tim Michael
Vice President of Sales
800 687-4352
or e-mail me at
tim@advancedcaststone.com
Recent Projects
www.advancedcaststone.com