As you look around, you will notice that stone has become a popular choice for builders and remodelers alike. It is a beautiful siding option and aesthetically works with many different materials such as brick and wood. With a combination of natural and faux stone panels in the market, it leads to the question: Which stone product is best for your project?

What is Natural Stone?

Natural Stone is just as it sounds. It is real stone that is acquired from a quarry and used in various different construction projects for its aesthetic design. In order to handle this material, you need to have some masonry skills to properly make the end result look good. It is also a very heavy material and difficult to cut making it naturally hard to work with.

NATURAL STONE

Pros

• Real Appearance
• Durable
• Real Stone Color & Texture

Cons

• Heavy Material
• Difficult to Cut
• Difficult to Install
• Specialized Mason Needed
• Hard to Source Desired Appearance
• Expensive Material
• Poor Insulation

What are Faux Stone Panels?

URESTONE Faux Stone Panels are based on an innovative Dual Layer Composite system with an impact resistant plastic layer and low-density foam system. The panel mimics the appearance and feel of real stone without all the downside of real stone. These panels are mainly used for siding material in various different projects such as exterior buildings or interior design. Since it is not natural stone, no masonry is required and can be easily installed with simple screws and/or adhesives. 

URESTONE FAUX STONE PANELS

Pros

• Lightweight
• Durable
• Easy Installation
• Realistic Stone Appearance
• Cost Effective
• Great Insulation Value
• Interlocking Panels

Cons

• Less Durable than Actual Stone
• Cannot be used Structurally

Appearance: Faux Stone vs Natural Stone

With Urestone, the realism in the faux stone panels is achieved by casting molds from natural quarried stones. This recreates the high quality appearance and dramatic depth of the stone pattern. Also with a multiple-step coloring process, Urestone provides long term performance that replicates the realism of stone. Of course, it is best to order a sample to make sure that your stone of choice is right for your project.

Ease of Installation

Faux stone panels have the luxury of being easier to install than natural stone. It is lightweight and easily attachable by adhesives and screws. You can also cut and tailor them to fit whatever design you need. Since no masonry is needed, you save money by not having to hire a mason to achieve the vision you want. 

Conclusion: Faux Stone over Natural Stone

With new innovations, it is increasingly difficult to tell apart real stones over faux stones. This closes the features gap that you’d expect from real natural stone over faux stone panels. It also makes it harder to justify the use of natural stone over faux when the benefits outweigh the negatives. With the minimal downsides, we highly recommend faux stone over the use of natural stone. 

If you are looking for faux stone panels, consider URESTONE’s Faux Stone Series. If you have any questions about any of URESTONES’s products or want more information about our faux stone panels, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 314-524-2040 or contact us via our website!