Cultured Stone & Custom Fireplaces
Manufactured stone veneer and custom indoor or outdoor fireplaces.
Manufactured stone veneer gives you the look and texture of natural stone at a weight and price that works on a normal house. We install it on exterior elevations, entry columns, accent walls, outdoor kitchens, and as the face of custom fireplaces inside and out.
Where stone veneer works
Wainscot along the base of a front elevation. Full columns or pier wraps at an entry. A feature wall behind an outdoor kitchen or seating area. Chimney chases. Interior accent walls and fireplace surrounds.
It works best as a contrast against stucco rather than as a wholesale replacement for it — a stone base against a rendered upper wall gives an elevation weight and grounding that neither material does alone.
Custom fireplaces
Outdoor fireplaces are the anchor of a usable back yard, and in this climate they get used most of the year. We build the structure and finish it in stone, stucco or a combination, sized to the space rather than to a kit.
Interior fireplaces are as much a carpentry and finish problem as a masonry one — the surround has to relate to the room. We will work to a design you already have or help shape one.
Installation is the whole story
Veneer failures are almost always installation failures rather than product failures. The assembly behind the stone matters: a proper weather-resistive barrier, lath, and a scratch coat that gives the mortar something to key into.
Beyond that it is the details — a weep screed at the base, correct mortar coverage on the back of every piece, and joints tooled consistently. Stone set on an inadequate substrate looks fine on day one and comes off the wall in sheets later.
Common questions
What is the difference between cultured stone and natural stone?
Cultured or manufactured stone is a cast concrete product moulded and coloured to look like natural stone. It is significantly lighter, which makes it viable on walls that could not carry full stone, and it is more consistent to work with and generally less expensive.
Can stone veneer go on an existing stucco wall?
Often yes, but it depends on what the existing wall is and what condition it is in. The veneer needs a sound substrate and the right build-up behind it, so this is something we assess on site rather than over the phone.
Do you build outdoor fireplaces from scratch?
Yes, including the structure, not just the finish. We size and build to the space and then finish in stone, stucco or a combination.
