A fireplace is an essential part of your home which tends to be the center of attraction, provided it is designed properly. Having said that, what really brings out the true beauty of your home and of your fireplace is the fireplace mantel. Similar to how a family portrait is incomplete without the complimenting frame, in the same manner a fireplace is simply naked without the perfect mantel.
When thinking about fireplace mantels, it is important to stress the word perfect. A fireplace with a hideous mantel is better off without one at all. Therefore, it is imperative that you choose the right mantel to match your fireplace. Remember, a great mantel will not only enhance your decor but also increase the market value of your home.
Stone fireplace mantels add extreme elegance to any house and hence it is the preferred choice of many. Aside from stone mantels being able to blend in with most décor, they also provided several other key benefits. For starters, natural stone is non-combustible and therefore safer than wood. Second, natural stone is extremely durable and lasts much longer than wood, cast stone, and other materials used in today’s mantels. And third, unlike wood, natural stone requires very little maintenance.
Marble, limestone, and granite are the most common types of stones used in stone fireplace mantels, but most people tend to think that the price is way out of their budget. Keep in mind that these stones not only improve the look of your home by adding true elegance, but most importantly they increase its market value! So even though you might spend a little more money, in the long run you are simply making an investment that will truly pay off when it comes time to sale your home. BUT, the great news is that there are sites like http://www.wholesalemantels.com that offer prime grade “A” stone fireplace mantels at wholesale prices directly to the public. So in other words, you can actually have your dream mantel, increase the value of your property, and not spend an arm and a leg. You can now make your dream a true reality.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Cultured Stone Fireplaces versus Natural Stone Fireplaces
If you are considering a stone fireplace mantel in your new home construction project there are two basic routes to take when it comes to stone selection. You can choose either natural stone or cultured stone.
Though natural stone has been around since the beginning of time, it is typically more expensive, heavier, and harder to work with than cultured stone. Natural stone choices are also somewhat limited. Granite, Marble, Limestone, Slate and Travertine are the typical natural stone options. Cultured stone products, on the other hand, can be constructed to emulate many types of stone surfaces, and are typically much more vibrant looking and durable than natural stone products for fireplace projects.
Cultured stone is constructed using stone aggregates, dyes and lightweight cement. Cultured stones are available in many shapes, textures and colors and are designed to emulate many natural stones, including granite, river rock, limestone, etc. Most cultured stone manufacturers offer 50 year guarantees against cracking and fading.
With natural stone, a fireplace is masonry block built and the natural stone is then attached to it. Building a masonry block fireplace structure is necessary to support the weight of the natural stone. This translates into significantly higher construction costs for a stone fireplace.
With cultured stone veneers, the mortar and cultured stone can also be attached directly to the masonry block walls of a fireplace, but in many cases a masonry block wall fireplace is not required. Cultured stone veneers can also be attached directly to lower cost, zero-clearance fireplace surfaces.
Zero-clearance fireplaces are much less expensive to build than traditional masonry block built fireplaces. Typically zero-clearance fireplaces are constructed by framing in a steel chimney flue with standard wood studding material, e.g. 2x4s. The fireplace frame is then sheathed with plywood.
Because of its light weight, cultured stone veneers can directly attach to these wood surfaces associated with zero-clearance fireplaces. All that is required is a metal lath to first be attached to the wood surface and a thin scratch coat of mortar applied. Once the mortar is dried, the cultured stone veneers can be attached.
Also due to its light weight and standard shapes, the cost of applying thin cultured stone veneers is much lower than natural stone. With natural stone, each stone has to be hand worked and fitted into place. This takes significant time and craftsmanship, which translates into much higher construction costs.
Another cost saving advantage of cultured stones is their shipping costs. Again, due to their light weight the costs associated with shipping them from the manufacturer to the job site are much lower than shipping natural stone.
Yet another advantage of cultured stone is that due to its availability in regular shapes and sizes more intricate stone fireplace designs can be implemented. As a matter of fact, part of the process when selecting cultured stone is designing the fireplace.
On the downside, cultured stone veneers are more moisture absorbent and when chipped leave a surface that is non-similar to the outside surface. Consequently they can require slightly more care and maintenance. Also, care has to be given to avoid repeating patterns when installing the product.
This said, cultured stone is a great alternative to natural stone. It looks and feels virtually the same as natural stone, and enables stunning stone fireplaces to be built at a fraction of the cost of natural stone.
Though natural stone has been around since the beginning of time, it is typically more expensive, heavier, and harder to work with than cultured stone. Natural stone choices are also somewhat limited. Granite, Marble, Limestone, Slate and Travertine are the typical natural stone options. Cultured stone products, on the other hand, can be constructed to emulate many types of stone surfaces, and are typically much more vibrant looking and durable than natural stone products for fireplace projects.
Cultured stone is constructed using stone aggregates, dyes and lightweight cement. Cultured stones are available in many shapes, textures and colors and are designed to emulate many natural stones, including granite, river rock, limestone, etc. Most cultured stone manufacturers offer 50 year guarantees against cracking and fading.
With natural stone, a fireplace is masonry block built and the natural stone is then attached to it. Building a masonry block fireplace structure is necessary to support the weight of the natural stone. This translates into significantly higher construction costs for a stone fireplace.
With cultured stone veneers, the mortar and cultured stone can also be attached directly to the masonry block walls of a fireplace, but in many cases a masonry block wall fireplace is not required. Cultured stone veneers can also be attached directly to lower cost, zero-clearance fireplace surfaces.
Zero-clearance fireplaces are much less expensive to build than traditional masonry block built fireplaces. Typically zero-clearance fireplaces are constructed by framing in a steel chimney flue with standard wood studding material, e.g. 2x4s. The fireplace frame is then sheathed with plywood.
Because of its light weight, cultured stone veneers can directly attach to these wood surfaces associated with zero-clearance fireplaces. All that is required is a metal lath to first be attached to the wood surface and a thin scratch coat of mortar applied. Once the mortar is dried, the cultured stone veneers can be attached.
Also due to its light weight and standard shapes, the cost of applying thin cultured stone veneers is much lower than natural stone. With natural stone, each stone has to be hand worked and fitted into place. This takes significant time and craftsmanship, which translates into much higher construction costs.
Another cost saving advantage of cultured stones is their shipping costs. Again, due to their light weight the costs associated with shipping them from the manufacturer to the job site are much lower than shipping natural stone.
Yet another advantage of cultured stone is that due to its availability in regular shapes and sizes more intricate stone fireplace designs can be implemented. As a matter of fact, part of the process when selecting cultured stone is designing the fireplace.
On the downside, cultured stone veneers are more moisture absorbent and when chipped leave a surface that is non-similar to the outside surface. Consequently they can require slightly more care and maintenance. Also, care has to be given to avoid repeating patterns when installing the product.
This said, cultured stone is a great alternative to natural stone. It looks and feels virtually the same as natural stone, and enables stunning stone fireplaces to be built at a fraction of the cost of natural stone.
DIY Home Improvement and Home Additions
DIY Home Additions and Home Improvement Tips and Advice
By Mark Donovan
DIY Home Additions and Home Improvement Tips and Advice
By Mark Donovan
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