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I usually have a negative reaction when someone mentions the word artificial and perhaps you do too. Here, however, is an example of a manufactured stone veneer product that not only looks “darn real,” but enables a look that otherwise would not have been possible. I’m talking about Cultured Stone manufactured by Owens Corning.

In the picture above, the mason is applying the manufactured stone veneer to a wall that is plywood sheathing covered with a weather resistant barrier, wire mesh and a scratch coat of cement.

What makes this the perfect solution is the homeowners had decided they wanted a stone veneer after the foundation & porch were built. As a result, there were no provisions made to accommodate the space and load demands of real stone. The manufactured stone veneer provided the look they wanted without the structural requirements for real stone.

Being a proponent of authenticity I’ll always try to use real stone on my projects, but when issues such as construction limitations or budget restraints prevent using “the real thing,” I welcome the almost life-like products such as Cultured Stone.

Thin Stone Veneer

I’m actually adding this information to this post because a new product has emerged. If you are considering a manufactured stone veneer because of limited space or lack of a foundation/”brick-ledge,” here’s an alternative.

They are now able to cut a thin stone veneer out of real stone. The result is an authentic stone veneer that’s only 1 to 1.5″ thick.

In this post you’ll see LandscapeAdvisor contributor, Lester Szajna, installing thin stone veneer on a raised terrace.

One amazing feat of this technology is that they are able to cut corner pieces out of the stone. This makes it virtually impossible to tell the difference between full size stone veneer and thin stone veneer.

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