There are many choices on the market for cultured stone fireplaces. Cultured stone is much less expensive than natural stone and has many other advantages, including more options to use in creating a magnificent fireplace and hearth. By doing your homework on the choices available, you can duplicate an idea or come up with your own creation for the fireplace of your dreams.

Ideas
Culturedstone.com has an interactive program that allows you to design your own cultured fireplace and even estimate the necessary materials for the project. You can choose a fieldstone design in five different colors for a grand look, or blended textures for a rugged finish and a casual looking fireplace. Choose something like coral stone with a pitted fossil appearance for an elegant façade. Drystack ledgestone gives a rustic appeal, while river rock looks like real large rocks and gives a very warm and inviting appearance. There are several choices suitable for a fireplace, like aged, tumbled, weather edge ledgestone, dressed fieldstone and more. Go to a masonry warehouse and look at all your options, choose the cultured stone patterns that appeal to you and design your fireplace.

There are endless ways to design the fireplace. You can have the stone only around a small area of the fireplace or have it cover the entire wall. Your fireplace can be in the middle of a room or against the wall or in a corner. You can use a variety of cultured stone patterns to give a unique look. Work with a fireplace design center to come up with an idea you like before you purchase the stone. If you are not experienced in cultured stone placement techniques, it may be best to hire a professional for this project.

Advantages
Cultured stone costs less than natural stone such as marble, granite, limestone, slate and travertine, and the construction costs to install cultured stone is much less since the project can be done quicker. Cultured stone can be made to look like the natural stones but be more durable and look more vibrant than the real thing. Many of the cultured stone manufacturers offer a 50-year guarantee on their product against fading and deterioration.

Another advantage to using cultured stone is the cost to ship them is cheaper than natural stone because it weighs much less and the available choices in colors and styles are not as limited for cultured stone since it is man-made and not restricted to what is found in nature.

Disadvantages
Cultured stone can require more care and maintenance than natural stone since it can absorb moisture and can also chip, leaving a surface that is difficult to fix.