Stone and fireplaces go together like bread and butter. Since fire was discovered, stone has been used to contain it (think circle of stones around a campfire) and to decorate it (think fieldstone fireplaces). Using stone around a fireplace is always going to be popular and can be considered a classic design decision. However, what that stone might look like can go through trends as home design tastes evolve. Thanks to powerful equipment and creative artisans, we can now manipulate stone into many forms, to suit a myriad of design styles. While talented stone masons still work with full pieces of stone, there is a growing demand for lighter, easier-to-handle stone veneer. Unfortunately, ‘veneer’ is a term that may be misunderstood, so we’re here to provide a guide to working with stone veneers in fireplace design.
What is stone veneer?
When humans first started gathering stones for fireplaces or homes, those stones would have come straight from the ground, in their whole form. It would have been up to the craftsman to find stones of the size or shape to suit their needs. If they wanted stones to be consistent in either size or shape, it was up to them to look for those stones. Fast forward to today, when we can mine stone from the ground in large quantities, then mechanically alter that stone to suit our needs. Along the way, someone figured out that it would be easier to build with stone that wasn’t as heavy as whole pieces of rock. Smaller pieces of stone would also be easier to transport. By cutting the stone into thinner pieces, we create stone veneer.
A veneer is simply a thin layer of material. It may be wood or stone, or the porcelain that dentists laminate to imperfect teeth. A stone veneer can literally be the top layer of a larger stone, left in its naturally irregular shape, or it can be further manipulated to change the surface appearance. Sometimes, stone veneers are cut into more regular shapes, to make it easier to install them. Some stone veneers are polished; others are left with their natural roughness intact. A stone veneer panel is created when we glue together small pieces of stone veneer to create panels of a consistent size and shape, to speed up installation. Today, many stone fireplaces are designed with stone veneers.
Natural Stone vs. Manmade Stone
Stone veneers may be natural stone, quarried from nature, or they may be manmade in a factory. Technology now exists to create manmade stone that mimics the real thing. The advantages of manmade stone veneers may be lower cost, lighter weight, or more consistency in colouring and design. Obviously, it’s easier to control these elements in a factory than in a quarry. When it comes to fireplace design, both natural and manmade stone will work, as long as the manmade stone is non-flammable and resistant to high heat.
Designing Fireplaces with stone veneer panels
Stone veneers and veneer panels make fireplace design easier than ever. Better-quality stone veneers have corner pieces, which are necessary for creating the fireplace surround and chimney. While a skilled stonemason can build without corner pieces, the work will go more quickly (and cost less) if corners are available already made. When selecting a stone veneer for your fireplace, be sure to check that there are matching corners. If you are talented DIY installer, corner pieces will be a lifesaver.
In order to create a timeless fireplace design that won’t date itself, look for stone veneers and veneer panels in which the stone is as close to its natural state as possible. There has been a trend for many years to piece together little strips of stone into 6”x24” panels, or similar sizes, to make for easy installation. However, this is a look that’s starting to get dated. We are now seeing a move to the opposite end of the design spectrum, to larger stone pieces, often applied individually rather than in pre-glued panels. These larger stone veneer pieces may be naturally irregular, like fieldstone, or they may be cut into more linear shapes, but with chiselled surfaces.
When it comes to colour, you will likely update your wall colour or furnishings long before you change the stone fireplace. Be sure to select a stone veneer that can work with the other permanent elements in your home. You will be redecorating around your stone fireplace design for many years to come, so be sure you can live with the colour range in your stone veneer or veneer panels. There are many neutral stone colours, but even these have undertones. Conversely, a more variegated stone may offer more options down the road, as you will be able to highlight different tones when you’re ready for a change.
Installation Tips for Stone Veneer and Veneer Panels
A recent installation trend, tied to the larger pieces of stone veneer, is over-grouting. Rather than having nice neat mortar lines between the stones, excess mortar is smeared over the stones, adding instant ‘age’ to the fireplace wall. Time will tell if we will tire of this look. However, it’s one of those installation methods that lends itself to DIY fireplace designers, because it’s meant to look a little messy, and they don’t need to have the ability of creating neat mortar joints. If you prefer perfect mortar joints, consider using a skilled stone mason for your fireplace installation.
Do-it-yourself stone installers are also embracing dry-stack installations, and stone veneer producers are creating stones that lend themselves to this approach. A dry-stack installation has no mortar between the stones. This means that the stone must be shaped to fit together tightly, usually in a more linear or square format. Note that stone veneer panels automatically fall into this dry-stack category, as the pieces are very close together and the panels should also align closely with each other. Avoid stone veneer panels that have obvious gaps between the stone pieces.
Nothing adds authenticity to a stunning fireplace better than stone veneer. The NFI Certified Hearth Design Specialists at Stylish Fireplaces are well-versed in all types of fireplaces and can help you with your fireplace project.