The popularity of stone facing for fireplace surrounds is as popular as ever. Where once stone was a practical and non-flammable choice that was readily available, now it’s more of a design preference. What has changed over time is the type of stone that homeowners want to see on their fireplaces. We carry 3 major brands of stone facing for fireplace projects – Erthcoverings, Impex, and Stonerox — and what they have in common is the popularity of neutral colours that create a classic backdrop for the design of the space. No one wants a stone that looks dated or locks them into an old colour scheme in 10 years.
Stone Veneers – Fake or Fabulous?
At one time, you would need a stone mason to build you a stone fireplace, and that’s still an option, especially if your fireplace design calls for whole stone or for naturally-shaped stones that require the installer to fit them together. However, there are now more options to add a stone facing to a fireplace, either with a professional installer or as a DIY project, with the advent of stone veneers. If the words ‘stone veneer’ conjure images of cheap-looking fake stone, think again. A veneer is simply a cutting of stone that’s been made thin enough to apply to walls more easily than full stone. Stone veneer may be natural or man-made. It will be flat on one side, to simplify application to the wall. Having said that, there’s a huge range of styles, shapes and sizes of stone veneers. Some of these make a better stone facing for your fireplace than others.
For the DIY homeowner, and many tile installers, stone veneer panels have been hugely popular for many years. A stone panel is comprised of a bunch of smaller pieces of stone glued together to form a panel that’s approximately 24-inches by 6-inches. These panels go up much more quickly than individual pieces of stone and they butt together without grout or mortar in between. You might have seen these around; the stone pieces are usually quite small, and set up in rows. We are actually seeing these decline in popularity. However, they will always be a popular choice for installers who want an easy stone facing for fireplace projects.
Stone Facing Trend – Chunky is in
What has been increasing in popularity is chunkier, larger-scale stone veneer that more closely replicates a full stone facing. These stones may be uniformly shaped to be laid in rows or irregular, like fieldstone. They are generally more chiselled on the face, although the linear ones may be chiselled in a uniform manner to make them look more modern. Often, there are corner pieces available, to make it simpler to create neat L-shaped turns. This type of stone facing will be applied to the fireplace as individual pieces, which makes for a more challenging DIY project. If you are new to stone installation, we recommend that you stick with uniform-shaped stone pieces, as you can lay these in rows. With irregular pieces, a seasoned stone mason will be needed in order to fit everything together without excessive or obvious cuts to the stone facing.
Stone Facing to Suit Your Fireplace Installation
The best stone facing for fireplace projects will depend not only on your personal design preferences, but also on your fireplace installation. Some fireplaces slide into the wall after the stone is installed, with a flange that overlaps the wall around the opening. If the stone is very rough, then there may be gaps behind some parts of the flange. In this case, a smoother, less chiselled stone may be preferred. Other fireplaces are built into the wall, with the stone overlapping part of the firebox. In this case, there is usually a flange that surrounds the glass, and the edges of the stone will butt up to this flange. Again, a thicker stone may stick out past the flange, in which case you want to be sure that the stone meets the flange with a dressed edge rather than a cut edge. A ‘dressed’ edge is the edge that’s part of the stone, before it’s cut, and it looks more finished than a cut edge. This is tricky to do with irregular stones, for example, so a more linear style may be preferred.
Stone Facing to Fit Your Wall Size
The size of your fireplace wall can also influence your choice of stone facing. A large wall can handle larger stone as well as irregular shapes where a lot of fitting is needed. A smaller wall may look best with smaller stone pieces. Regardless of the size of your wall, be sure that the construction materials are strong enough to support the weight of your stone facing. Thinner stone veneers are lighter in weight and may be applied to drywall, whereas thicker, heavier stones will require plywood or cement board for support. Of course, your choice of backing materials must also reflect the flammability risks of the fireplace you’ve chosen. Electric fireplaces may be built with any wall materials, while gas or wood-burning fireplaces require non-combustible wall materials.
Floating Mantel Ledges & Stone Facing
Pro Tip: If you’re applying stone facing for fireplace projects that are going to include a floating mantel, be sure to install the mantel ledge first. It needs to be set against a flat surface, and anchored well to the supporting beams behind the wall. This is easier to do before stone is installed.
Stone Facing Summary
We’ve provided stone veneers for 20 years, and there’s no sign that the popularity of stone fireplaces is decreasing. However, the products have evolved to suit today’s homes.