Is your hearth drab and dated? The problem with an out-of-date fireplace is that it can drag down the overall feel of your home! Fireplaces often serve as the focal point of your main living space. If you’re ready to liven up and modernize your fireplace, a cultured stone hearth offers the perfect solution.
What is cultured stone?
In short, cultured stone is manufactured stone used for a variety of home-decorating applications. These include fireplace faces, hearths, chimneys, patios, walkways, and stone accent walls. Cultured stone comprises cement, color pigments, and stone aggregate. The mixture is poured into rock molds to create a realistic stone texture. It’s applied to the desired surface using special mortar. When installed properly, cultured stone is nearly impossible to distinguish from natural stone.
What are the benefits of a cultured stone hearth?
The benefits of cultured stone are numerous, but perhaps the most noteworthy is the weight of cultured stone. A natural stone hearth requires a foundation footer. In addition, masons generally charge more for installation of natural stone because of its weight. Cultured stone solves this problem! It weighs of fraction of natural stone, and cultured stone can be installed without any additional foundation support. It can be also be installed in tall vertical applications, as long as it’s attached to a sturdy, well-built wall. The quality and look of cultured stone also is more uniform than that of natural stone.
Cultured stone also provides homeowners with a wider variety of options than natural stone. When using natural stone in hearths and other building applications, homeowners usually are limited to the natural stone available in their area.. The selection of cultured stone is usually wide and varied in any area. Also, different shapes of cultured stone are more widely available than shaped natural stone. This is because cultured stone can be cast in any shape, while natural stone must be cut to shape by an expert mason.
What looks can be achieved with cultured stone?
Cultured stone comes in a seemingly endless variety of textures, colors, and sizes. It can be cast to look like smooth river rocks or rustic cobblestones. Cultured stone can be entirely smooth for a sleek, modern look or rough and textured for a rustic or aged look. It also comes in nearly any color you would want. When it comes to creating a cultured stone hearth, you can achieve virtually any look in your home!
How do I begin to design my cultured stone hearth?
Are you ready to modernize the look of your fireplace with a cultured stone hearth? Call the experts at FireSide Hearth & Home! We can talk to you about your vision for your hearth and recommend product options to help you create that vision. We’ll help you install a modern cultured stone hearth that upgrades the look of your entire home.
