Innovations Encourage Green Renovations
MANUFACTURED STONE PRODUCTS
Engineered Fireplace Surrounds
The fireplace is often the most coveted space in the home with a lot of attention put on its look and feel. It can add to the sales value of any home or condominium project as a premium. Historically, people had to ship stone mantels from Europe to achieve the look of hand-carved limestone but some manufacturers now engineer this product to provide it locally. Partnered with modern environmentally friendly fireplaces like these, designers can expand their offerings for new green construction and renovation.
Engineered limestone fireplace surrounds are lightweight, more affordable and still hand-carved. To create this handcrafted look, a blend of natural limestone and other minerals and materials are used.
An authentic limestone appearance is developed through a multi-step hand-finished process. After being placed in the mold, the cementitious product containing a stone aggregate is hand-packed allowing undulations to be exposed on the surface of the fireplace surround. In the factory, the surround is sanded and ground to expose the aggregate. Each surround is unique and typically come in various color options and finishes. Bonded with glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC), these fireplace surrounds provide a lighter alternative to the traditional stone fireplace surround.
Installation of the surround around a fireplace requires the use of standard hand tools, not special equipment. They can be installed on top of standard wood framing. The items included in an installation kit are a mantel and legs, trim kit, ledger board, screws, color-matched caulk, shims and polyurethane adhesive. The installer will carefully measure the area, cut hearthstones and riser blocks with wet tile saws, attach the surround to a ledger board, drill and caulk. The weight of the surround will vary depending upon the profile chosen and the mortar, grout technique, lath and lath accessories used.
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Engineered fireplace surrounds, along with manufactured stone veneer chimneys and accent walls, can be used in either a modern or traditional interior. Photos courtesy of T.C. Studios |
Outdoor Cabinets
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GFRC cabinet before the manufactured stone veneer is adhered to the surface Photo courtesy of Eldorado Stone |
Manufactured stone veneer clad cabinets can be specified to transform and create new outdoor living spaces. A GFRC cabinet is specified from the manufacturer and shipped complete with factory scratch coat, floated smooth top and pre-drilled bolt holes. Cabinets and outdoor seating can have rounded edges, cantilevers and be selected in multiple configurations and sizes. Cabinets are delivered to the site and put in place with loose bolts. They are also conveniently open to the flooring surfaces for easy gas, electrical and water connections.
Cabinets are then leveled and openings for sinks, vents, barbecue grills can be made with diamond blade grinders. When the cabinets are set in place, the manufactured stone veneer is applied with low-VOC construction adhesive. These finished cabinets do not require footings and can be placed on top of any 4-inch slab or paver. Some manufacturers provide website design tools that allow the architect and/or client to design their patio spaces online and to view the final product in alternative colors and finishes. The following chart shows the comparisons between materials, labor and time for concrete vs. stone veneer GFRC cabinets.
CMU Concrete Block: |
Stone Veneer with GFRC Cabinets |
| 160 Qty. Concrete Blocks | 6 Outdoor Cabinets |
| 200 Ft. Rebar | 4 Raised Backsplashes |
| 45 Qty. Bags of Cement | 2 End Caps |
| Heavy Equipment | Hand Tools |
| 4 People | 2 People |
| 7 Days | 1 Day |
A comparison between building a 12-ft x 9-ft L-shaped island kitchen with CMU vs. stone veneer GFRC cabinets illustrates labor and schedule savings. Data provided by Eldorado Stone |
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Additional Environmental Benefits
Manufactured stone veneer outdoor furniture has many environmental advantages over the alternative use of concrete masonry units (CMUs). Manufacturers can provide testing results for stone veneers to show that they are low-emitting and help with good indoor air quality. These products should meet or exceed GREENGUARD's Test Method P066 and ASTM D 5116, ASTM D 6670, and the EPA's Environmental Technology Verification protocol. Installation is a quarter of the time and half the cost. It is a greener option than quarrying natural stone, shipped across half the world. A lighter product, locally produced, uses less energy to transport. Because of the manufacturing and assembly process, this product also has far less waste than that produced by traditional stone or CMU construction.
Manufactured stone products including engineered fireplace surrounds reduce the amount of natural stone excavated around the United States and the world. Moreover, at half the weight, it considerably reduces installation time and costs, as well as shipping weights. Installed, manufactured stone is approximately one-third to one-half the cost of natural stone. Its lightweight properties eliminate the need for wall ties or footings. Manufactured stone has a 2 percent (approximately) waste factor versus 10 percent or more for natural stone.
Many manufactured stone veneer companies add fly ash, a byproduct of coal burning, to their mixes. Some also use reclaimed water as part of the manufacturing process. Professionals can also specify custom mixes using aggregates made of recycled materials to meet green building credits for use of recycled content.
Another advantage of manufactured stone veneer products is that they require little to no maintenance for the life of the product—saving time, energy and expense when compared to painted drywall, wallpaper, wood, stucco and other less durable finish materials.
Notice
www.bradleycorp.com/diplomat/
www.cetco.com/bmg
www.eldoradostone.com
www.pellacommercial.com
www.slidingdoorco.com
