Stone Veneer Manufacturer Insights: Stone Making 101

The Good Lord knows how to make beautiful stones. And so do today’s highly skilled professionals in the stone manufacturing industry.

Have you ever wondered how stone veneer manufacturers actually make stone? If you’re curious about what they do, and how they do it, we’re about to take a closer look at the production process. Making quality stone that looks genuine and exceeds industry standards depends on efficient, reliable manufacturing.

To homeowners and non-industry people, the manufacturing process is either shrouded in mystery, or filled with misconceptions. This is why we want to briefly explain how manufactured stone is made. A lot of steps happen behind the scenes before a stone profile is shipped to a distributor, then to a customer.

When it comes to quality, stone product manufacturers like Casa di Sassi have high standards to maintain. We’re dedicated to giving our customers the best, which is why every step relies on trained production experts and a knowledgeable manufacturing team.

Let’s get started. Here’s a general overview of how to make manufactured stone.

WHAT IS MANUFACTURED STONE MADE OF?

Homeowners ask us this question quite frequently. If you’re in the building products industry, chances are a client has asked you this, too. To be fair, the term “manufactured stone” is a bit confusing.

Many people think manufactured stone is a piece of natural stone that’s been processed, or manufactured, into a ready-made building material. This is a big misconception. Manufactured stone is NOT chiseled or created from natural stone. It is simply inspired by beautiful and cast from natural stones.

Another common misconception is thinking that manufactured stone consists of foam, plastic, fiberglass, plexiglass, or similar synthetic materials. Certain products marketed as “faux stone” may contain these man-made components, but manufactured stone does not.

Manufactured stone is typically made from the following substances:

• • Cement
  • Lightweight aggregate materials
  • Mineral oxides for pigment

The cement base gives manufactured stone its durability, strength, and long-lasting structure. Aggregate materials ensure every stone veneer is lightweight for easy shipping and installation. Mineral oxides add pigmentation and color variations for a realistic appearance.

Casa di Sassi’s color experts always stay one step ahead of the trends. Niveo, a recent color addition, is a crisp shade of white.

HOW IS MANUFACTURED STONE FORMED?

This is the step where magic happens! The raw materials – cement, aggregates, mineral pigments – are carefully mixed, then poured into molds that form the finished stones. Molds to mimic a genuine stone’s appearance, and include many one-of-a-kind details, similar to rock samples found in nature. The best detailed molds produce man-made stones that look almost identical to natural stones sourced from a quarry.

Casa di Sassi takes pride in this part of the manufacturing process. To create the most genuine looking products, we search near and far for rock samples that are both striking and inspiring. Our design team is always on the search for new, natural stones that would look great replicated as a manufactured stone profile on someone’s home.

When we find a new inspiration stone, we meticulously handcraft a mold that recreates the original stone’s unique surface features and characteristics. The nation’s leading stone veneer manufacturers invest a significant amount of time in creating one-of-a-kind molds – and plenty of them.

In terms of appearance, stone profiles molded from numerous sources yield less repetition and more variety. This is what customers seek when they shop for manufactured stone. They want all the little nuances that define natural stone’s unmistakable look, not overly similar shapes, and cookie-cutter details that appear more fake than genuine.

After the molding process is complete, the finished veneer stones are checked for quality. Once a stone veneer profile passes appearance and durability tests, it’s ready to ship to a distributor.

Casa di Sassi manufactures old-world inspired stone and brick veneers. See how they bring new life to home remodeling.

WHAT’S NEXT? DISTRIBUTION AND INSTALLATION

Stone veneer manufacturing usually takes a few weeks – starting from the time raw materials arrive, to the moment a stone veneer profile is approved for distribution. Depending on how busy a stone product manufacturer is, timetables may fluctuate, and orders may take longer.

Today’s manufactured stone veneers are made for exterior and interior use. They’re designed to be significantly lighter in weight compared to natural stone veneers. This is a major advantage, and one of the reasons why more homeowners are choosing manufactured stone for their homes. Its lightweight composition makes it fairly easy to install, and it can be applied to surfaces that couldn’t withstand natural stone’s weight.

Manufactured stone can be applied to almost any load-bearing wall on the following surfaces:

• • Wood framing
  • Steel framing
  • Concrete
  • Masonry

Most masonry and stone experts should know how to properly install manufactured stone to exterior and interior wall surfaces. The National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA) has a helpful installation guide with detailed instructions.

CASA DI SASSI: YOUR TRUSTED STONE MANUFACTURER

The building products industry calls us many different names – cultured stone veneer manufacturers, man made stone suppliers, and similar variations. When you find a stone veneer manufacturer that you can count on, you can call them a friend, too.

Casa di Sassi is friends with a growing network of nationwide distributors. They put their trust in us and our products, which makes us committed to high standards of quality and service. Every stone we manufacture must meet the expectations of their customers, because we value their friendship as well.

Curious if there’s a Casa di Sassi distributor near you? See where you can buy our products.