When renovating your domestic abode, it's always exciting to incorporate lots of different design features and materials. Utilising cast stone can be a great way to do this, where this building material can be a durable and attractive option both inside and outside your home.
The exterior of your building can benefit from grand entrance ways, pillars and signage, whilst a cast stone hearth or fireplace creates a welcoming centrepiece for your interior. Your garden space can also benefit from cast stone accessorising in the form of water features and outdoor furniture.
Read on for a list of creative suggestions for how you can incorporate cast stone into your home and garden.
An Introduction To Cast Stone
Cast stone, or reconstituted stone is a type of refined building material manufactured to replicate natural stone bricks. It is usually made from varying combinations of cement, aggregates, crushed stone and water. This mixture can then be poured into a custom-built mould, where it will then dry and set into a solid brick. Cast stone is installed in the same way as natural stone, where it is secured with mortar or metal fastenings.
This innovative material can be used for practical construction work or for decorative purposes. Depending on its key ingredients, cast stone can range widely in colour, from Victorian red to Portland grey. Different casting and setting methods can also result in different cast stone products. Semi-dry casting uses low water quantities, where this technique produces lots of stone quickly. Wet-casting is a lengthier process, and produces a grain pattern on the stone blocks.
What Are The Benefits?
Cast stone brings with it a number of tangible benefits compared to natural stone or other building materials, where these include:
● Cast stone is much more lightweight than natural stone which makes it easier to transport and work with
● It is available in an impressive range of colours due to the different ingredient quantities and minerals that can be used to produce it
● Because it is an artificial stone, the manufacturing process eliminates irregularities and structural flaws
● Cast stone features are easy to duplicate as multiple identical moulds can be used, or the same mould can be reused
● Greater durability than some natural stone, especially in its ability to withstand freezing and thawing
● Requires minimal maintenance to keep it looking at its best
Using Cast Stone
Due to the various benefits that cast stone provides, it can be used throughout your home and garden for a wide range of building purposes. Peruse the list below to find out how it can be utilised.
Outdoor Uses
Using cast stone outside your home can improve the appearance and value of your property, whilst also helping to weather-proof your building. It can be used to build:
Porticos
A portico is a grand entryway built at the front of a building, which usually consists of an enclosed walkway and decorative pillars. Cast stone porticos are both practical and aesthetically pleasing, where precast pieces can be assembled on-site to form the Grecian-style structure. This can vary in size and grandeur, where porticos can adorn both suburban properties and large stately homes.
Signage
The sculptability and weather-resistant properties of cast stone mean that it is very useful as home signage. A house name or number can be carved into a cast stone slab, which can be framed with elaborate shaping and divots. This can then be attached to an exterior wall, driveway or fence using secure metal brackets. Individual numbers or letters can also be moulded out of cast stone, where these will last longer than natural stone or plastic alternatives.
Posts & Pillars
Further features that can make your exterior look stylish include posts and pillars. These can be simple, and serve a structural purpose, or be purely decorative and elaborate. Cast stone works well at adorning natural stone pillars with pier caps and plinths, which can weather-proof these structures whilst also improving their appearance. Cast stone materials can also be used to manufacture sturdy fence or gate posts, which are secured firmly into the ground.
Window Sills
Cast stone is very useful for fashioning exterior window sills, where it can be cast into a variety of different shapes and designs. This material is resistant to moisture, which can help to protect your exterior walls when used as a window adornment. Window surrounds made of cast stone can also be used to further decorate and weather-proof your property.
Walls
This kind of artificial stone can be used to construct exterior walls in the same way as natural stone, where these cast stone walls are even more durable and weather resistant. Cast stone also makes for effective copings atop of walls, where these can be flat or sloping, where it can further be utilised to build stone quoins and corbels.
Indoor Uses
Using cast stone inside your property can be just as effective as using it to build outside features. The wide array of colours and designs means that a number of interior spaces can benefit from cast stone furniture. It can be used for:
Fireplaces
A fireplace is often the focal point of a living area, where it provides warmth and comfort in large open spaces. A cast stone chimney, surround or hearth helps to accentuate the open fire space as well as serving as a practical support for the firebox. The uniform, flawless character of cast stone makes it a perfect building tool for precision building such as this.
Table Supports
This material can be utilised to provide supporting columns for tabletops, where it can deliver a rustic look, or a stylish stone and glass combination. These supports can be cast in simple or elaborate designs to suit your interior, where this kind of furniture is long-lasting as well as aesthetically pleasing. Cast stone supports can be in the form of individual legs or one minimalist block, where metal brackets can help to secure the table top piece.
Staircases
Cast stone can also be used to make impressive staircases and landing structures both inside and outside the home. Again, the stone and casting style can dictate whether this gives your home a traditional or modern look. In an open-plan home, a staircase such as this can be installed as a central architectural feature, where its colour can be chosen to compliment existing decor or structural supports.
Garden Uses
A more decorative side to cast stone can be seen when it is incorporated into your garden space, where it can be used to create a range of dramatic pieces. These can include:
Water Features
The durable and weather-resistant nature of cast stone means that it can survive outside and under continuous moisture exposure, making it the perfect material to build a water feature. These could be large fountains, as well as smaller springs or bird baths, where this stone’s versatility means that a wide array of designs are available.
Garden Furniture
As cast stone can be set in any shape or sized mould, it is the perfect material for constructing unusual and attractive garden furniture. This can include anything from tables and chair sets to benches and stools, where this rock type can survive any weathers and so won’t need to be stored away over the winter months.
Statues & Ornaments
Because cast stone is so much more lightweight than natural stone, it makes for easily transportable garden ornaments and statues. This material can be cast into moulds of all shapes and sizes, where statues can quickly be designed and duplicated according to bespoke specifications. They will then be easy to maintain, and will stay looking their best in your garden for years to come.
Shropshire Brick & Stone: Meeting All Your Bespoke Architectural Needs
At Shropshire Brick & Stone, we manufacture cast stone products according to your unique specifications, where we can then install our bespoke designs across the UK. We also provide an affordable stone delivery service, where your specially crafted stone can be sent directly to your door.
We can produce bespoke pier caps, stone porticos and signage, where our stone is available in a wide array of design and colour options. Contact us today for more information about our comprehensive services.
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