Stone and Brick Veneer

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There’s something soothing and timeless about natural stone. It’s both elegant Oklahoma City-based kitchen designer Karen Black-Sigler appreciates the texture that stone and brick veneer can bring to a room. She’s incorporated both into her own kitchen. Photo courtesy of A Karen Black Company. and rustic, making a room feel comfortable and grand at the same time. Plus, it’s a perfect fit with today’s homeowner who wants to connect his indoor and outdoor living spaces. And it resonates with the popular French country architectural style. “If you look at any shelter magazine, you’ll see a lot of this specific design trend,” says Mark Fernandes, chairman of the Hollis, N.H.-based Natural Stone Council. “That architectural vernacular has a heavy use of stone in it.” It’s also a commonly used material at spas, which possess a look and feel many people want to replicate at home. For all these reasons, stone—whether it’s granite, flagstone, stacked stone, slate or sandstone—is high on many homeowners’ list of desired features. But full-sized stone has some drawbacks that make it unrealistic for many homeowners. Not only is the material expensive because of the labor involved to quarry it and the cost of shipping, the weight has to be supported structurally, which means added expense to shore up the house’s foundation and walls and the need to hire skilled stone masons for installation. A More Affordable Alternative That’s why stone veneers are such an attractive option. Stone veneers are thin slices of stone that can be applied over other materials, such as concrete block, brick, plywood or drywall. This contemporary fireplace incorporates a stone veneer with wood benches and shelves. Photo courtesy of Johnson Stone (www.johnsonstone.com). The technique has been available for years, and also is available for brick. What kept many people from using veneer was how to finish the end of the walls where it was applied. “When you went to do corners, you could see it was very thin,” Fernandes says. “People didn’t like that.” Recent technological advances, though, have provided the tools to saw veneer corners. With all those factors, it’s hardly surprising that stone and brick veneer has gained in popularity in recent years. It’s a fraction of the thickness, the weight and cost. Yet they have the same look and feel as their full-sized counterparts. And in the case of stone veneer, it duplicates the uniqueness of full stone. “One of the beauty marks of natural stone is the natural cleft face,” Fernandes explains. “That’s one of the things that can’t be mimicked by man-made products. With the thin stone [veneer], the stone will go from being four to eight-inches thick to one inch, and it still has that natural face.” Great for Interior and Exterior Russ Hemmis, host of HGTV’s 24 Hour Design, can attest to all those benefits. “Stone and brick veneers are a great way to give a fireplace, porch or fence columns a facelift,” he says. “I've used several different types and patterns and the results are always spectacular. Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, veneers can be installed right on top of the existing brick or stone work with minimal prep. These lightweight alternatives to traditional materials can also be installed over drywall as a kitchen backsplash or behind a wood-burning stove.”

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