Important Details About Stacked Stone

Stacked stone is one of the various ways to incorporate the beauty of natural stone into your home. This natural-stone application has a timeless look that evokes a time when masonry creations strictly involved the careful laying of bricks, blocks, or fieldstone. Stacked stone used to be a structural aspect of residential construction. These days, it’s mostly ornamental because of advances in building technology. If you’re considering stacked stone installations in your house, here are a few things to consider. Stacked Stone Is Actually Veneer Unless you’re exploring ancient ruins, it’s very rare to find a wall completely made with natural-stone blocks. Stacked stone may look like an intricate masonry project, but it’s not really a construction technique. It’s an interior decoration veneer application, which means it can be applied to existing walls without replacing them. In most cases, stacked stone panels are used to make the installation process easier. Stacked Stone Is Meant to Be Vertical Since stacked stone is a veneer application, don’t install it as a horizontal surface. The idea of stacked stone is to add texture and visual appeal that wouldn’t be appreciated on flooring or counter surfaces. With this in mind, you have many application options ranging from columns and wall sections to fireplace surrounds and backsplash accents. You Should Design Around Stacked Stone The best way to approach stacked stone is to decide on the color and texture first. Let's say you don’t have natural stone in your kitchen and would like to add stacked stone as a backsplash above the sink. A good way to start this project is to shop around for the veneer before settling on the countertop and flooring materials. You don’t necessarily have to match colors, but a light-colored veneer may not provide a good contrast if the counter surfaces are dark. Your Choice of Stacked Stone Finish Is Important The most popular stacked stone finish is natural, but this doesn’t mean you should be limited to this look. Some homeowners choose polished stacked stone for their bathrooms. In this case, piano tiles of different colors can be very attractive, but this may not be the best choice for a kitchen or fireplace surround. If you already have floors or countertops with a brushed finish, your best bet would be to choose stacked stone that looks natural. Stacked Stone Requires Surface Maintenance Unless you’re installing fake stacked stone panels, you shouldn’t forget these applications are made of natural stone, which means they may be prone to staining and other types of damage if not properly maintained. Don’t use common household cleaning products. Instead, use a granite cleaner such as Granite Gold Daily Cleaner® on a regular basis. If you have stacked stone outside your home, make sure to clean it with a specially formulated outdoor stone cleaner. Granite Gold Outdoor Stone Cleaner® is safe to use on all types of natural stone, including granite, slate, and limestone. To learn more about caring for natural stone, call the Stone Care Experts today at 1-800-475-STONE (7866).