Category: Faux Stone Panels Advantages

The many advantages of cheap faux stone panels

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages

How To Install Faux Stone

How To Install Faux Stone

Faux stone in the form of paneling is engineered to interlock and fit like a jigsaw puzzle.

Laguna faux stone panel cappuccino

These products require very little tools to install. All you need are basic carpenter’s tools like circular saws, drill and construction adhesive. It’s quite simple to install them.

Take a look at the panels, if they have the protruding fingers on the right side then you will install the panels from right to left so that the next pane will just sit atop the previous one.

Before starting to install the panels it would good practice to make a chalk line at the base of the wall to make sure the starting row is straight and  horizontal.

The first panel should have the right edge cut straight and remove the “fingers”. This way the panel will butt tightly against the next wall.

Cutting one side of the faux stone panel to create a straight edge.

With a caulking gun and a tube of adhesive, apply a generous amount of adhesive in the back of the panels. Also apply it where the panels overlap.

Continue installing panels by interlocking them with each other. When you reach the end of the wall you should measure how many inches you have to cover and cut the last panel to fit that space.

When starting the next row, you do not need to use a new panel. We suggest using the leftover panel from the previous row. By doing this the joints in each row will not align with those in the row below.

If you have ordered outside corners, this is when you install them.

You may also miter-cut the panels at 45 degrees if you prefer not to use corners.

If your panels are not installed between to right-angle walls, so the edges of the panels are visible, you may use our Trim pieces to cap those edges. This is also useful if you install the panels half way on a wall.

Explore all the colors available in our catalog.

In most cases the caulking of the joints is not necessary. You may want to consider using it on the white panels, where the joints are more visible. The darker colors usually do not need caulking.

Faux stone installed in an interior fireplace application.
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Faux Stone Panels Advantages Installation

Introducing The Best Imitation Stone Wall Panels Yet

Some of the benefits of having years of manufacturing experience are:

-Create a better quality than new companies. We have making use of over 30 years of experience to bring you some great innovation in the faux sheets of stone, wood, brick.
-Being able to make the product more efficiently and at a better price.
-Create a product that customer want to use and love to recommend to others.

At Faux Stone Depot we are proud to say we manufacture our products and are constantly improving every aspect of it and can offer all of the above benefits, and more.

Panels Align With Framing
Panels Align With Existing 16″ Framing.

Now we have the new Laguna faux stone wall panel that is making the installation process even easier.
With old types of stone panels most of the joint between two panels would fall between two studs. The Laguna is actually designed with a length that lets every joint fall on a stud.

This, assuming that the row has been started properly and that the framing is the standard 16 inch.

Joints Between Panels Always Fall On A Stud
Joints Between Panels Always Fall On A Stud

Because of this new design the Laguna faux stone panels also offer some advantages to the customer:

Cheaper to ship – Because of the slightly smaller size the shipping boxes or pallets are smaller, therefore the shipping cost drops considerably.

With a new, modified, process these faux stone and brick are made in less time. Everybody knows that time is money so this saving is passed straight to the customer through a lower price per pane.

Maintenance.
As many technologies advance the paints field follows suites. The new acrylic paints applied to these faux sheets of stone are designed for outdoor. This means that they are impervious to water and resistant to UV degradation.

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages

Tips On How To Install Imitation Brick Paneling Like A Pro.

Making the choice of going with imitation brick instead of the traditional types is probably the biggest part of the planning of your project.

Whether you plan an indoor or outdoor face-lift these panels are a fantastic choice.

There are many ways to install the brick panels.
Make sure not to rush. Lay the pieces around your walls and corners and plan as many cuts as possible. This will reduce the material waste and make the whole wall look better.

One mistake many installers make is to apply the panels above the baseboards:

Brick Panel Above Baseboard

If you have ever noticed real brick walls, they always start from the ground up, not above a wooden board 😉

Real brick wall used to serve as a foundation to bear the weight of floors above or the roof.

We strongly suggest removing the baseboards and starting the project from the ground up:
Installed On The Ground

Notice how nice they look installed this way. They don’t seem suspended in mid-air 🙂

Now, many installers don’t plan the application of the adhesive and screws correctly. They Apply adhesive everywhere and drive screws or nails all around the panel.
You can save time and material by applying the adhesive only in the back of the panels and the “fingers”. The screws should be put only in the middle of the panels and on the right fingers.

We suggest applying the adhesive in the front area only when you’re ready to install the next panel. Apply the adhesive to the “flaps”, which are the flat areas around the panels. In this case on the right and the top lips.

Where To Apply Adhesive

The screws should be put on these flaps only after the second panel is applied. You do not need to install screws before then and waste time and money. After the next panel is applied you can drive the screws where these flaps are and push the two panels together nicely and create a tight fit.

More great tips coming soon.

Enjoy!

 

 

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages

Faux Stone, What Is It?

What is faux stone?

It’s a question many have asked us for a very long time.
Some believe it’s a great invention, some think it looks too fake and others do not know what to think.

We all want to create a stone wall or wainscoting look without spending a fortune.

Faux-Stone-Wainscoting

There are many forms of faux stone.
-It can be me made of a mix of cement and fillers like pebbles or crushed rocks and gypsum.

-Some homeowners spend a considerable time creating a faux stone look with faux paints.

-Others have had the fortune to try and love the one we recommend which is made of a resin composite and does not have many of the drawbacks of concrete or gypsum.

We often hear from people in the trade that they prefer “real stone”. What we usually do is make sure they understand that what they are looking at is not real stone but a form of faux stone. An easy way to find out if you’re looking at “real” stone is by grabbing a sample and either cutting it or breaking it. In most cases, inside you will see the shapes of the crushed stones and the concrete.

We also often bring up the cost of using ACTUAL real stone. Not many can afford the real thing.

We then ask “Did you know that concrete acts as a form of sponge in contact with rain water?”

Mold-over-faux-stone-blocks

Suddenly they realize that I can’t be real stone and that it’s not a very good option for outdoor.
When water gets absorbed it will stay embedded in the blocks and slowly create a nasty dark look and it also contributes to the discoloration of the paints.

We decided to support and promote faux stone in polyurethane panels to remove all the issues mentioned above. They look just as real as many other products, are designed to install very fast and requiring little maintenance and most of all to make the overall project affordable.

Faux-slate-stone
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Faux Stone Panels Advantages Innovative Faux Brick Panels Applications Makeover Ideas

Improving Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Most homeowners in the US and around the world spend a huge amount of time thinking and planning ways to improve the curb appeal of their hard-earned home.

Coral Stone Panels Outdoor
Coral Stone Panels Outdoor

Some start from the landscaping and move to the look of the façade and the replacement of cheap siding. This has to be a careful process because choosing cheap materials to replace an already low quality product can have adverse consequences.

Siding Made Easy
Siding Made Easy

The type of siding we often see is vinyl, wood or aluminum. We all know how much maintenance wood requires and what wood peckers and bugs can do to it. Aluminum and vinyl are not really a good representation of wood, stone or brick.

If these are the look you have in mind you may want to consider

A great use of panels of imitation stone
A great use of panels of imitation stone

stone wall paneling and faux brick wall panels that have been designed and created with the above limitation from other materials. These panels have been designed to look absolutely real and without the need to constantly maintain them. As mentioned, you may want to take your time to choose a product you won’t have to replace after a couple of years.

One other reason for using products that are fake, panels that are easy to install and a stone look that is very realistic is the fact that you will add an extra insulation layer to your walls. Vinyl and particularly aluminum don’t provide any insulation. With faux stone and brick paneling you actually add a R5 factor to your insulation.

Faux brick applied to and outdoor skirting
Faux brick applied to and outdoor skirting

When planning to spend your hard-earned dollars toward your home you also need to consider the cost of installation. These brick and stone panels can be installed quickly and easily, even by the homeowner. Even if they decide to hire someone, they won’t be stuck with an exorbitant bill. You can tell your contractor how easy they are to install so they can’t really make up numbers.

Panels can be installed over virtually any surface; things you can’t say about stone veneer.

Some of the “real” stone are actually blocks of molded concrete. Both materials are intrinsically going to absorb moisture, which will eventually freeze and crack. Even in areas where the climate doesn’t drop below 23 degrees F you will still see black lines, which are the result of mold growing on the wall.

So, in conclusion, take your time and order samples from various vendors to see all the various options out there.

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages Makeover Ideas

How To Make Your Life Easier When Remodeling A Fireplace

Even with the many innovative products sold on the construction and DIY market we still see a lot of people using the so-called real stone. Although appealing, the real stone they refer to is not on the market. What we see is almost always concrete, a mix of cement, pebbles, gypsum and painted over.
The only things they have in common with real stone is the fact that they absorb water and stains and, are hard to cut and install and create a lot of dust in a home when they are cut.

Fireplace Created With Synthetic Stone Parts
Fireplace Created With Synthetic Stone Parts

As you can imagine by the above statement we prefer to talk about other products, those that don’t take shortcuts when created in the factory. The products that are designed to last and that are geared toward the “weekend warrior” rather than the expensive installer.

Stone veneer can be almost any material. Cast stone is also referred to as stone veneer but it’s really just a cast material that is thinner than other products. It is not necessarily cut down to a smaller thickness, in most cases it is cast in those dimensions.

So, the reason why products like these should be friendly to installers is that many homeowners who want to create or remodel a stone wall or a fireplace do not want to learn to be a mason, nor want to create a lot of dust in their house in the process.

Another reason why they don’t want to use materials that absorb water is that they will create outdoor facades so the material has to be resistant to stains, water and freezing temperatures. These qualities are simply not available to “concrete blocks” therefore they look into synthetic materials.

accessories
Accessories

Using stone and brick made of dense resins allows you to have a variety of accessories to make the projects easy to complete. You can find things like:

Inside or Outside corners

Ledge trim

Outlet trim

And more.

Imitation stone veneer
Imitation stone veneer

When creating your own walls a homeowner doesn’t want to buy a wet saw and learn to be cut dusty materials to create corners. Polyurethane accessories are ready to install and if you had to cut them to size you could do so by simply using a jig saw.

Making the shift from heavy products to light ones is actually risk proof. You can order a panel or two or a small sample to see what you will be dealing with. Most companies will take that product back if you are not satisfied.

The remodeling projects are becoming easier and easier to complete. Stay up-to-date with the available options!

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages

Easy Imitation Brick Panels, Aid To Installers.

Starting a restaurant or remodeling a basement man cave has plenty of possible obstacle and possible sources of frustration.
From the planning to the design, from foreseeing the total cost to dividing the budget properly.

brick sheet in a restaurant
Faux Brick Sheets In A restaurant

The last thing an installer or owner needs is adding the headache of a difficult brick wall accent installation. Companies that make fake brick panels know this issue firsthand. The reason why they are in business is because they are aware of what an installer needs therefore they go straight to delivering that aid.

Regular brick, whether it’s full or veneer, it is quite messy. Let’s face it, mixing mortar, building a wall behind it that will hold the weight of the finish product, cleaning the grout lines and sealing everything is not exactly the most exciting job.

Manufacturers of faux brick panels have done most of the work in-house. The panels come in 12-14 square feet sections that are basically ready to go. The grout lines are already there (and they look absolutely real) and painted. The bricks are already sealed so there is no need to do it on site to avoid dirt, grease and food from staining them.

Installed brick panels in a man cave
Installed brick panels in a man cave

The phrase we hear so often is “it was easy and effortless to install these brick panels”. Or, “we’ll never go back to regular brick”.

Homeowners and business owners also love the fact that these imitation brick sheets create such little dirt while they are being installed.

It’s almost as if to make a faux brick wall they used wallpaper.

Today the “dumping regular brick on the installer” is quite over. Yes, there are still companies who are so used to install brick-by-brick that they fear change but the truth is that once they try brick sheets they can’t get enough of them.
The job goes from messy to fun.

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages Makeover Ideas

Another Great Installation Of Faux Stone Columns On Porch Pillars

There is nothing better that the satisfying feeling of accomplishing a perfect renovation. What if you completed your DIY project in just a couple of hour? You can’t beat that.

Let’s take this porch as an example.
It is in a nice pool area with a great looking stone pavement. It also has a covered porch that creates a sheltered area for cooking and eating at a table.

before image of porch pillars
Before Installing Faux Stone Pillars

The things that do not belong there are those skinny metal porch pillars. They are too small and provide a visual feel of under-sized and flimsy.

One way to ‘beef it up” is to make it look like a real stone pillar.
It could have been accomplished by using a mason or brick layer which would not have been the most economical solution.
One thing many customers don’t realize is that the “real stone” the see in most stores is not real at all. What they’re buying is a mix of cement, rocks and other aggregates. This produces a stone that is porous and that create a dark molds and discolors.
The other drawback is the fact that these “real” stones come in small, heavy, blocks that need to be installed one-by-one, therefore increasing the overall labor.

Why spend money on a mason, money on creating a substrate in a heavy-duty material on which to install the cast stone?

Installation Of Faux Stone Posts
Installation Of Faux Stone Posts

Today this can be easily done with four light-weight polyurethane panels that easily glue and screw on a quickly made frame and screwed around the metal posts.
Yes it’s as easy as it sounds.

The four panels interlock seamlessly at the corners, providing a very realistic and rich look. For those who want to completely hide the tiny line at the joints they can apply some caulking and paint it over with our paint kit.
Here is the wonderful finished look.

After Installing Faux Stone Columns
After Installing Faux Stone Columns

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages

Tips To Make Brick And Stone Installation Easier.

Aside from supplying what we consider the most cost efficient and easy to install faux stone we also want our customers to be completely happy with their purchase and the installation process.

We’ll show you some tips and tricks to make your house renovation a much more enjoyable process.

Substrate
One question we get often concerns the substrate for creating a faux stone wall on a house façade.

Many modern constructions use a house wraps that helps keep moisture out and insulate the home from heat and cold. Although this wrap is a great advantage in many aspects, it can also create a challenge to those who try to install faux stone, vinyl siding or gluing any kind of material.

Substrate Used To Install Stone And Brick.
Substrate Used To Install Stone & Brick.

In most cases the adhesive that you use in the back of stone panels will not really do much to hold the panel in place. This is not a problem since you can use a few more screws to secure the panels.

One of the great features of faux brick and stone panels is the texture. Using the crevices of the stone and the grout lines you may easily drive screw through the panel without have to predrill the product. Once the screws are in place you may easily cover the head with a color-matching caulking or use our touch-up kit to paint over it.

Because of the fact that you cannot use the adhesive in the back we suggest to glue the panels well where they interlock and overlap with each other.

Outlet And Switches
When covering your walls with some materials like stone, that have an uneven texture and surface, you will be faced with a specific challenge. When you install the face plate over these products you may end up with noticeable gaps behind them.

Some customers have attempted to cut into the stones that stick out the most in order to create a more flat surface. This may seem a good choice at first but once the job is completed you will be left with and unnatural look.

Stone Outlet And Switch Box
Summary Of A Stone Outlet Trim Box Installation

What we have designed is a box that can be installed in the panels and that have a flat front on which you may install light switches, receptacles, light fixtures or water bibs.

All you need to do is follow the detailed instruction that will show you how to install them in a few easy steps.

  • Cut a hole in the panels that corresponds to the electrical box on the wall
  • Remove the receptacle / light switch from the electrical box
  • Install the panel
  • Cut a hole in the Switch Box small enough to let the receptacle go through it
  • Install the Switch Box with some adhesive and staples / screws
  • Feed the wires and switches from the wall outlet through the small hole created
  • Screw the receptacle over the Switch Box and re-install the face plate.

Completed Installation Of The Switch Box
Completed Installation Of The Switch Box

Make sure to remember that customer service is a click or a phone call away. We hope you’ll find our tips useful!

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Faux Stone Panels Advantages Makeover Ideas

What House Flippers Need To know

Flipping houses has proven to be a very lucrative smart practice.

Usually he investors will take it upon themselves to renovate the house, doing as much work as they can in order to save on labor cost and to have control over the whole process. Renovating the house is just the first step of turning it into a unique and beautiful home. The second step is putting it on the market and get that big sale that enables the business to flourish.

Home Remodeled With Stone
Home Remodeled With Stone

A vast number of businesses that flip houses now utilize the faux stone panels and columns or faux brick panels that accentuate everything from the backyard to the kitchen. The return on the investment is beyond what many people may expect.

Creating a unique style and great atmosphere sells the house faster and at a better price then regular boring houses that just look like they fixed the essentials. Creating that exposed brick look at a fraction of the price and time can rapidly increase the speed of which they finish the house and turn it into am appealing masterpiece.

This is thanks, in part, to faux stone panels because they are easy to install and do not require any extensive training. They give the house a great facelift and can easily turn the house into the envy of the neighborhood. By adding the panels the house flippers are giving them a great selling point because not only does the incredibly realistic look of stone entice people but it also adds some functional characteristics and can help offer the home at a more affordable price.

The Material That Provides Insulation
MItered Faux Stone Panels

The panels provide an additional insulation at a rating of approximately R-5. So, not only do they add a great quality to the house, but they add a functional piece to it. The panels do not require expensive installation equipment like wet saws. In addition, the businesses that flip houses can avoid using an expensive contractor which usually inflates the price. Who wouldn’t consider a house over another is the energy cost is reduced?

Altogether, faux stone and brick panels have come a long way since the original imitation stone panels. Our panels and accessories utilize the most advanced painting procedure possible. The realistic quality draws in people’s eyes and steals their hearts by turning a plain house into a beautiful one. People who flip houses are always looking for cost effective ways to make their next investment a success. Our faux stone or veneer is the best way to help you achieve this goal.

Stone Post Accents
Stone Post Accents

By customizing the home after a much needed renovation this will not only look great but have a special feature that separate from the rest of the houses home buyers are checking out. This will give that added incentive to buyers and that’s why it helps make house flippers a lot of money.