For home owners, designers, contractors and architects alike, hearing about a hot new trend in interior and exterior design is always exciting.

But learning that a new trend is also cost-effective is really music to everyone’s ears in the current economic landscape.

Exterior and Interior Stone veneers fit that exact bill. They’re an attractive and increasingly popular way to decorate a home, but they’re more than that. Stone veneers are also an extremely cost-effective alternative that saves builders and buyers crucial dollars in a time when every penny counts.

What are stone veneers?

If you’ve heard the term “veneer” before, you may associate it with the amazingly white teeth you see in so many celebrities’ mouths these days. So when you hear the term “stone veneer,” you may ask if the product is similar to dental veneers.

Believe it or not, you wouldn’t be far off. In our mouths, veneers coat our teeth to replicate the look of a healthy, beautiful and natural smile. Stone veneers operate on the same principle. They achieve the same look, texture, colour and shape as natural stone.

The key difference? Stone veneers give homes all the benefits of real stone – but at a fraction of the price.

Stone veneers are comprised of Portland cement, some lightweight real stone elements, iron oxide pigments, water repellents and various polymers. If that sounds like wall stone jargon to you, the simpler way to understand stone veneers is that they’re comprised of various components that achieve the look of natural stone and are designed to withstand the elements.

The benefits of stone veneers

Stone veneers replicate virtually any type of stone wall you can imagine, including ledge stone, castle stone, limestone and other types of wall stone. This popular new trend is also cost-effective both directly and indirectly. In the strictest sense, the thinner, lighter materials in stone veneers make the product less expensive than natural stone.

Indirectly, because of their lightweight composition, stone veneers don’t take the same toll on a household that real wall stone does. They are light enough that they can be easily installed in virtually any interior stone or exterior stone application. Moreover, they don’t require expensive extensions or reinforcements to a house’s foundation.

Because of their more convenient design, stone veneers are also significantly easier to transport than natural stone. It’s no wonder we’re seeing them pop up everywhere, including fashion-forward cities like Toronto, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Kingston, Niagara Falls and Ottawa.

Indoor and outdoor uses

Stone veneer users, whether they’re building a home, selling one or buying one, are usually ahead of the curve in terms of home design trends. It’s thus no wonder that they’ve found so many different uses for stone veneers already.

For example, interior stone veneers are used in fireplaces, stairways, wine cellars, bars and, of courses, kitchen islands, a key piece of any “dream home.”

Exterior stone veneers can accentuate gardens, sculpting a natural look at an affordable price. They can also jazz up patios and grill areas, giving home owners the “place to be” around the neighbourhood in the summertime.