Natural Stone Veneer & Manufactured Stone Veneer

There are three main types of stone veneer: full bed stone veneer, natural thin stone veneer and faux stone (or manufactured stone veneer). Stone veneer offers many advantages including superior value, ease of maintenance, adaptability to flexible or curved surfaces, and durability.

Full bed building stone veneer and natural thin stone veneer, also known as stone siding or stone cladding, is a thin layer of cut stone or stone-like material that’s attached to a structure for weather resistance, durability, and beauty. Non-load bearing, the pieces are cut thin from real stone. The materials provide a natural look without the full weight of thick stone, providing a luxurious, timeless appearance. Natural stone veneers are available in a wide range of colors and hues organically produced during 6000 years of geological processes.

Faux stone or manufactured stone veneer is a manufactured material used by Atlanta masonry contractors, that is designed to replicate the look of natural stone.

Building Stone / Full Bed Veneer

The building stone veneer is typically between three and five inches thick. It is the heaviest of all the stone options, requiring coordinated architectural details that include ledge footing and added reinforcement to support the material weight during and after construction. Our professional masons are skilled at hand-chipping each stone to install with optimal beauty and safety — producing a beautiful, resilient, and enduring structure.

Natural Thin Stone Veneer

Natural thin stone veneer ranges in thickness from a minimum of three quarter to one and a half inches. Thin stone veneer is thin cut stone designed to be affixed to surfaces by Atlanta masonry contractors to give the illusion of full bed stone construction. Thin stone veneer is a popular choice for adding stone to the exterior of residential or commercial buildings, on outdoor fireplaces and kitchens, or inside around fireplaces and accent walls.

Faux Stone or Manufactured Stone Veneer

Useful in a variety of exterior and interior architectural applications, manufactured stone veneer is designed to replicate the look of natural stone. It is composed of cement, natural minerals, and pigment. Similar in appearance to real stone, quality faux stone can be durable and attractive.

Flagstone Veneer: Thin Tennessee Stack is a veneer stone. This means that it is best used as a decorative covering over block masonry walls, fireplaces, chimneys, or columns.

Brick Veneer

Brick veneer (also known as thin brick or brick tile) is often selected by home builders, contractors, and building owners as the best material choice in a brick application where the weight of using full-size brick would inhibit its use. Used in non-load bearing applications, brick veneer is manufactured directly from full-size brick.

What are the advantages of brick veneer siding?

The choice of brick veneer is a smart investment as it requires minimal maintenance and resists harsh weather elements. If sustainability and energy efficiency are important to you, a brick veneer cavity wall assembly has excellent insulation capacity. Brick also withstands encroachment from natural environmental threats such as mold, insects, and decay.

Interior Residential & Commercial Design with Brick Veneer

Popularly used throughout residential and commercial buildings to add warmth, texture and character — it can be found on living area accent walls, fireplaces, and as backsplashes in kitchens and bathrooms. Man mad brick veneer is lighter and thinner than real brick veneer, making it a reasonable option for interior projects like a brick backsplash. Brick veneer installed by Atlanta masonry contractors affords home and business building owners the opportunity to match the beauty, warmth, and dimension of exterior brick to interior spaces.

Exterior Residential & Commercial Design with Brick Veneer

Brick veneer is an exterior siding material installed on a residential or commercial building over wood, metal, or masonry such as concrete block CMU or poured concrete. It is the most common way bricks are used these days.

Brick veneer is installed on a 5” extension (brick lug) of the foundation wall. It is critical to include a vapor barrier and a 1” air gap between the brick veneer and the structural wall. The wall assembly includes plastic or metal flashing, and weep holes spaced approximately 32 inches on center.

Manufactured Thin Brick Veneer – Pros and Cons

In contrast to modern brickmaking which involves firing a mix of clay and shale with colorants to achieve a durable product, manufactured faux brick veneer is a cement-based product. Composed of lightweight materials, manufactured brick veneer is thinner than real brick which makes it less durable. Cheaper than other brick veneer options, manufactured thin brick veneer is not as attractive, durable, or realistic in appearance as brick veneer.

The Evolution of Brick Masonry Products

Through the centuries the methods for producing brick have continued to evolve. Originally sunbaked and irregularly shaped, brick manufacturing moved to the firing process to produce more durable, uniformly shaped bricks. Today, bricks are sized standard in the U.S. at 2 1/2 x 3 3/4 x 8 inches and composed of shale and clay. The firing process in the 2,000-degree F. kiln causes the clay particles to bond chemically. According to the Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA), “As brick construction became more elaborate, the use of brick became more sophisticated. The evolution of brick construction design led, in part, to the development of concrete block.”

The use of clay brick materials ensures that your commercial or residential building will remain safe and sound for years to come.

Flagstone & Fieldstone Patios & Walkways

Do you know the difference between the terms flagstone and fieldstone? Flagstone is the generic term used in the masonry hardscaping industry to identify rocks that are cut and used as pavers. The most common types of flag stones are slate, limestone, sandstone, travertine, and blue stone. They are all cut directly from a quarry and transported to the construction site to be used as pavers. The stones should be at least one and a half to two inches thick for strength.

Fieldstone is any architectural stone used in its natural shape referring to stones recovered from the topsoil or subsoil. Stone flooring has a natural beauty that gives outdoor kitchen floors and landscaped patios a timeless, elegant look. Stone is available in regular shapes or in random more natural shapes.

Popular Tennessee Ashlar Fieldstone is used in home exteriors, veneers, chimneys, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, retaining walls, and columns, and can be installed with or without a visible mortar joint.

Cut & Cast Stone

Used to simulate natural-cut building stones such as granite, limestone, sandstone, travertine and slate, cast stone or reconstructed stone is a form of precast concrete used as masonry. It is most frequently used by Atlanta masonry contractors for architectural trim features and for facing buildings or other structures.

Cast stone differs from architectural precast concrete. It typically has a fine-grained texture normally achieved by acid-etching, without bug holes or air voids.

Cast stone can be made from white and/or grey cements, manufactured or natural sands, carefully selected crushed stone or well graded natural gravels, and mineral coloring pigments to achieve the desired color and appearance while maintaining durable physical properties which exceed most natural cut building stones, according to the Masonry Advisory Council.

Depending on the size and scope of your plans, cast stone may be the perfect material for your commercial or residential building project.

Schedule an on-site appointment with Atlanta Masonry Contractor Greenlawn Georgia

Greenlawn Georgia Masonry Hardscaping & Landscaping is a full-service masonry contractor serving Hall, Gwinnett, North Fulton and Forsyth Counties. You can achieve dramatic results in your front or backyard outdoor living areas with Atlanta masonry contractors Greenlawn Georgia.

We stand ready to serve you, please contact us today through our contact form or at (770) 375-9640.

The Greenlawn Georgia team is committed to excellence from the start to the finish of every project. Depending on the size of the project Atlanta masonry contractors work closely with architects, engineers, business owners and homeowners, to maintain clear communication leading to a satisfactory experience for everyone involved.

Atlanta masonry contractor Greenlawn Georgia provides quality masonry hardscape and landscape installation services to clients in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Braselton, Buford, Cobb County, Cumming, Dacula, Duluth, East Cobb, Flowery Branch, Forsyth County, Gainesville, Gwinnett County, Hall County, Hoschton, Jefferson, Johns Creek, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Marietta, Milton, Norcross, north Fulton County, north Georgia, Peachtree Corners, Powder Springs, Roswell, Smyrna, Snellville, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Tucker, Vinings, Woodstock and surrounding areas.

Are you planning to enhance your Atlanta, GA residential or commercial property by adding a masonry outdoor kitchen or fireplace to your outdoor living area? Or are you building a new home with a brick or stone exterior, or interior masonry walls or fireplace?

Contact Greenlawn Georgia Masonry Hardscaping & Landscaping for a site visit and quote, today, by calling (770) 375-9640 or by visiting our contact page.

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