Exterior stone siding is a trend that has caught on in recent years, offering homeowners a beautiful and affordable way to improve the curb appeal of their homes without substantially renovating. But many folks these days are concerned with making sure that not only do their homes look nice, they also don’t impact the environment.
If this describes you, we’ve got good news: Stone siding is not only lovely, it’s a great way to update your house without contributing nearly as much toxic byproduct to our ecosystem. Plus, it brings plenty of other benefits as well. Let’s talk about five of the best.
1. Stone Is Insulating
Insulation is a big deal. If your home is properly insulated, you’ll expend less energy (and spend less money!) keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Stone, which is naturally resistant to shifts in temperature and doesn’t respond to changes in weather as quickly as other types of siding, is a great choice for natural climate control.
2. Manufactured Stone Reduces Quarrying of Scarce Natural Resources
Many types of “real” stone are quarried, which leads to chemical runoff, leaching of toxins into groundwater and ecosystem disruption. Our stone, made from concrete, requires much fewer quarried inputs than other types, and is therefore much better for the environment as a whole.
3. Stone is Fire Retardant
One of the biggest dangers with chemical-heavy siding such as plastic and treated wood is that they will release toxins into the air in case of fire. Stone, however, is fire retardant, decreasing the chances that a fire will release those unhealthy toxins into the air. Even if your house never catches fire – which is unlikely, of course – treated lumber or plastic used as siding can still release chemicals, which we will discuss in a moment.
As an additional benefit, there’s often no need to remove many materials in order to install stone siding. Unlike with some other renovation projects, where you might have to remove many parts of the home (potentially exposing harmful minerals such as asbestos), we can often install stone right on top of preexisting facades. The two main instances where the siding would need to be removed are if it is lapped or if the siding is Dryvit- however, the stone veneer can be applied directly over brick or non-lapped siding.
4. Stone Siding Uses No Unnatural Pigments
We use no unnatural pigments in our stone siding, instead taking our color from natural stones. You may see major color variation in quarried stones in showrooms, our stones are consistently colored and molded using a reliable process that produces beautiful results every time. This leads to a very natural-looking material, with some eye-pleasing variation, and it also makes for a streamlined look and overall appeal.
5. Great Replacement for Chemical-Heavy Wood or Plastic Siding
Many types of siding have to use a great deal of chemicals to make them resistant to weather or to reduce the chances of warping and fire danger. Stone doesn’t require treatment to protect it from weather, to reduce shrinking or expansion or to protect from fire. Plus, far fewer chemicals are used in the manufacture of stone than in plastic or treated wood.
Take the Eco-Friendly Approach
If you’ve been thinking about updating your home, stone veneer may be just the ticket. They’re not only beautiful, they’re incredibly eco-friendly and easy to install. Here at NorthStar, we love helping customers improve the look and value of their homes through the application of stone veneers. Although a popular use of stone is for the exterior of houses, we also offer veneers for fireplaces and mailboxes in many different styles. Call or visit to learn more about us and our stone veneer today.