Cast stone, also known as reconstituted stone, is a highly versatile and impressively durable material that replicates the appearance and properties of natural cut stone using precast methods. But why might you use this over natural stone?
We’ll discuss just that in this blog, looking at the various factors where cast stone out performs natural stone.
Affordability
One of the key differences between cast and natural stone is their affordability. Natural stone is renowned for being an expensive material - partly because of its desirability due to its durable properties and aesthetic value, but also because of the time, costs and skill involved with extracting, cutting and finishing it.
Cast stone, on the other hand, is much more affordable, whilst boasting many of the similar qualities. This is because it’s manufactured in precast moulds, which means multiple cast stone units can be made in one day.
Sustainability
Cast stone is considered to be a more sustainable material choice than natural stone. Whilst natural stone is, well - natural, it’s a finite resource, not a renewable one. In order to extract it for commercial use, it’s mined from quarries - a process that uses lots of energy and produces significant emissions as a result, making it a less sustainable material than people may first think.
Whilst cast stone is manmade, its manufacturing process is much more energy efficient. Not only that, but it can be made locally in the UK, which also reduces its transport costs. Overall, the carbon footprint of cast stone is much lower than that of natural stone.
Versatility
Being cast in pre-made moulds, cast stone is an incredibly versatile material. One of the great advantages this offers is that bespoke products can be made according to customers’ personal requirements in almost any shape or style.
Furthermore, there are various additives that can be added to the initial mixture before it’s cast in order to achieve desired characteristics, such as waterproof properties or to achieve a desired colour.
Aesthetic Appeal
Whilst natural stone does have a high aesthetic appeal, it can come with its inconsistencies and imperfections.
This isn’t necessarily a concern for bespoke or singular pieces, but if you’re looking for consistency, then cast stone is the answer. Specialised mixing methods are used to achieve a consistent colour each time, free of any imperfections or variation.
Cast Stone Suppliers
If cast stone sounds like a material you’re interested in, then we’ve got the products for you here at Shropshire Brick & Stone (UK) Ltd - your local cast stone specialists.
From pier caps to wall copings and porticos to decorative items, we manufacture an eclectic range of architectural cast stone items. We also produce bespoke items, so whatever you require, just let us know and we’ll do our best to make it for you!
Get in touch with us today to discuss your requirements.
Comments