Man-Made Thin Veneer versus Natural Thin Veneer

What’s the difference between Man-Made Veneer Stone and Natural Thin Veneer?

Man-Made Veneer Stone (also known as cast stone, faux stone, manufactured stone) is a man-made product using cement, aggregates and pigmented dyes.  These materials are mixed together and poured into molds to mimic the shape and colors of natural stone.

Common Misconceptions and Questions

“Man-Made Stone is cheaper than Natural Stone.” – FALSE

Man-Made Stone manufacturers invest a great deal of money into convincing the average consumer that their product is less expensive than real stone.  Most every Natural Stone veneer product is comparable in pricing to the fake, or manufactured stone.  Man-Made stone uses vast amounts of environmentally damaging additives and fillers, not to mention the cost of processing molds and manufacturing costs.  Natural stone is an extremely green building product and requires nothing more than processing the material on a saw to reduce the weight of the stone - while still maintaining its natural beauty and unique attributes.

“Man-made Stone looks just like Natural Stone.” - FALSE

While there have been great advances in the manufacturing of Man-Made Stone, Natural Stone Veneer is still visibly superior.  From a distance, many people may not be able to distinguish between fake stone and real stone; however, if you take a closer look, MOST people will notice the difference.  Natural stone will ALWAYS have variations in shape, color and texture – creating a truly unique appearance.  Man-made stone will have identical shaped “stones” and colors because the product is manufactured in molds using artificial colors and dyes.  Additionally, man-made stone generally does not exhibit the beautiful variation in textures that Natural stone will display.

“Man-Made Stone is just as durable as Natural Stone.” – FALSE

Natural stone has been used for building structures from the beginning of recorded civilization.  Castles built of stone are still standing CENTURIES later and display an aged patina on the surface.  While Natural stone does fade some over time, generally you will not notice the fading in your lifetime.  Because man-made stone achieves its color from artificial dyes, regular sunlight and UV exposure will fade the pigments in this man-made material.  In addition, Man-Made Stone has a concrete-aggregate inside – this is important to note because any chipping or nicks of the material will reveal the concrete on the inside of the “stone”.  In comparison, Natural stone is often chipped and tooled on the jobsite during installation for a more custom-look.  You cannot process Man-Made Stone in this manner due to its artificial composition.

To recap, the chart below will demonstrate why Natural Stone remains the preferred material over Man-Made Stone.