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When it comes to elevating the aesthetic appeal and durability of your home’s exterior, few materials rival the timeless elegance and enduring strength of natural stone. Exterior house stone has been a favored choice for centuries, gracing the facades of architectural wonders, rustic cottages, and modern abodes alike.
Its ability to seamlessly blend with diverse architectural styles while offering unmatched resilience as a building material against the elements on home exteriors makes it a perennial favorite among homeowners and designers. Surface Shop has been making world class architectural grade natural stone cladding for the better part of two decades and with our extensive knowledge of the stone industry are committed to helping our clients design and create amazing indoor and outdoor environments using real stone.
There are lots of different types of natural stone and types of stone siding to consider when working on an residential exterior project. In this article, we embark on a journey through all different types of exterior house stone, exploring its rich history, the myriad of stone material types available, and the compelling reasons behind its continued popularity in contemporary construction and renovation projects.
Throughout the annals of history, stone has stood as an enduring symbol of strength and resilience when it comes to exterior stone veneer. Its timeless presence in architectural wonders, monuments, and everyday structures bears testament to its unwavering significance. From the towering pyramids of Egypt to the majestic castles of England and Continental Europe, stone has been the medium through which humanity has manifested its aspirations for permanence and security.
The enduring appeal of stone lies not only in its robust physical properties but also in the symbolism it carries. Ancient civilizations recognized the inherent strength of stone, attributing it to divine qualities and using it to construct sacred temples and tombs that have withstood the test of millennia. In more recent history, stone’s use in public buildings, bridges, and landmarks reflects a society’s desire to leave a lasting legacy, a testament to their strength, and an embodiment of their enduring values.
Today, as we continue to design and build with stone, it not only serves as a reminder of our connection to the past and a symbol of the strength and resilience but also through the rich diversity of stone types, colors, and finishes allows designers and homeowners alike the ability to express themselves in what the buildings, homes, and structures they create. Stone veneer panel systems and other types of natural stone siding make that look even more accessible as fabrication technology developed in the past 30 years have made using natural stone in a veneer format a less labor-intensive installation process for cladding walls.
When it comes to enhancing the exterior aesthetics and durability of your home, the selection of the right stone can make all the difference. Various types of stone siding options offer homeowners unique characteristics, textures, and colors to suit your design preferences and practical needs. Some popular stone veneer siding options which we’ll discuss in more detail include Limestone, Sandstone, Granite, Marble, and Slate among others.
There are so many different types of stone to consider that it really makes sense to do your homework. Selecting the right solid stone siding for your home’s exterior depends on your desired style, climate, and maintenance preferences. Each type brings its own unique character and durability, making it essential to consider these factors when making your choice.
Here’s a brief introduction to some popular stone options for your house’s exterior:
Limestone, a popular choice for exterior cladding, brings timeless elegance and durability to the façade of a house. One of the standout features of limestone is its natural beauty. With a broad spectrum of colors ranging from creamy whites and soft beiges to warm earthy tones, limestone complements various architectural styles, from modern to traditional. Its smooth texture finish exudes sophistication and can lend a sense of grandeur to a home’s exterior.
Beyond aesthetics, limestone offers exceptional durability making it a popular choice for home exteriors. It can withstand the test of time and the harshest weather conditions, making it a wise investment. Its low maintenance requirements further enhance its appeal. Surface Shop uses Israeli limestone in a few of its product offerings, most notably the traditional Sun Valley Ashlar Loose Cladding and the Sandblasted Finished Halo Strata Large Format Tile for projects seeking a more contemporary style.
When considering limestone for your home’s exterior, you’re not only choosing a material celebrated for its beauty but also one renowned for its practicality and endurance, ensuring your house stands as a testament to both style and strength.
Choosing sandstone for your home’s exterior cladding is a decision that marries natural beauty with practicality. Sandstone, a sedimentary rock, offers a captivating blend of earthy colors, unique textures, and durability creating a warm and inviting color palette to design with.
One of the most enticing aspects of sandstone is its aesthetic versatility. Available in shades of warm beige, golden yellow, red, and even cool grays, sandstone complements a wide range of architectural styles. Its natural grain and texture invokes a rustic vibe and creates an inviting, organic look that adds character and charm to any home.
Beyond its visual appeal, sandstone is renowned for its durability. Its ability to withstand the elements and resist wear over time makes it an excellent choice for exterior applications. It weathers gracefully, developing a patina that enhances its visual appeal with age.
Incorporating sandstone into your home’s exterior not only bestows it with timeless beauty but also ensures long-lasting protection and a connection to the natural world, making it a wise investment in both aesthetics and functionality.
Granite, an igneous rock formed deep within the Earth’s crust, offers a striking blend of natural beauty and robust resilience. Most people think Granite and think countertops, but don’t sell this stone short as some of the most beautiful wall veneer and paving products are made from Granite as well.
One of granite’s key attractions is its aesthetic versatility. Available in an array of colors and patterns, including classic blacks, grays, pinks, and whites, granite can seamlessly enhance the look of both modern and traditional architectural designs. You’ll find loose split face Granite products like Surface Shop’s Kalahari TerraForm as well as polished surface products for use on the exterior of a home, which both lend an air of sophistication and grandeur to any project.
Beyond its visual charm, granite is renowned for its strength and durability. It boasts exceptional resistance to the elements, making it a formidable choice for withstanding harsh weather conditions, UV exposure, and temperature fluctuations. This inherent strength ensures that granite-clad exteriors retain their stunning appearance for generations.
Choosing granite for your home’s exterior not only imparts it with enduring beauty but also endows it with a formidable shield against the forces of nature, making it a wise investment in both aesthetics and longevity.
Marble is yet another stone veneer cladding option prized for its exquisite beauty. Marble’s most striking feature is its aesthetic allure. Known for its stunning array of colors and intricate veining patterns, marble elevates the visual appeal of any architectural style to that of luxury. Whether you prefer the classic purity of white Carrara marble or the dramatic richness of the colored varieties, marble exudes opulence and refinement.
While marble is traditionally associated with interior applications, its use on the exterior is gaining popularity. Properly sealed and maintained, marble can withstand the elements and age gracefully, developing a charming patina over time. Its smooth, polished surface and distinctive veining patterns add a touch of grandeur and sophistication to the façade of your home.
Using marble for your home’s exterior is a statement of luxury and enduring beauty, transforming your residence into an architectural masterpiece that stands the test of time.
Opting for slate as the exterior cladding for your house is a choice that blends rustic charm with exceptional durability. Slate is probably most often thought of as a roofing product but lots of great slate products exist for cladding applications as well.
One of the most appealing features of slate is its unique and organic appearance. Its textured surface and irregular edges create a rugged yet refined aesthetic, making it a favorite among modern architecture enthusiasts. With a wide range of colors, including classic grays, deep blues, and earthy greens, the subtle texture of slate adds a touch of drama and character to your home’s façade.
Beyond its visual appeal, many types of slate are also renowned for their durability. Some Slates can withstand harsh weather conditions, making it a great product for exteriors.
Some Slates are non-porous and resist water absorption, reducing the risk of staining or damage from freeze-thaw cycles and have low maintenance requirements further enhancing its practicality, ensuring that your home’s exterior retains its beauty with minimal effort. Other slates are less weather-resistant, especially certain foreign sourced products, so whenever working with Slate always make sure the product is suited for the needs of your application.
Choosing quartzite for your home’s exterior cladding is a decision that harmonizes modern aesthetics with exceptional durability. Quartzite, a metamorphic rock derived from sandstone, combines the beauty of marble with the durability of granite for a luxurious and sophisticated look.
With a wide range of colors, from pristine whites and soft grays to bold blues and vibrant oranges, it provides a versatile palette for modern architectural designs. Its smooth, glossy surface and subtle sparkle add an element of elegance and refinement to your home’s façade. A lot of Surface Shop’s early success can be attributed to our Stacked Stone Rock Panel Product which are primarily quartzite based and still to this day a beautiful set of products in our line up.
Beyond its visual allure, quartzite is celebrated for its durability. It boasts outstanding resistance to weathering, making it an excellent choice for exterior applications. Quartzite’s innate hardness and resistance to abrasion ensure that it remains unscathed by the elements, maintaining its polished appearance for years to come.
Quartzite’s low maintenance requirements and resistance to staining make it a practical choice for homeowners looking to achieve a contemporary, upscale exterior finish that combines aesthetics with long-lasting performance. By selecting quartzite for your home’s exterior, you ensure that it stands as a striking testament to both modern design and enduring strength.
Opting for fieldstone as the exterior cladding for your house imparts a sense of rustic charm and time-honored authenticity. Fieldstone, a type of natural stone often gathered from fields or quarried from local sources, offers a genuine and weathered aesthetic that blends seamlessly with various architectural styles.
Fieldstone’s most captivating feature is its natural, irregular shape and texture. Each stone carries a unique character, creating an authentic, organic look that infuses warmth and character into your home’s façade.
Fieldstone can be installed in a tight drystack where a mason will saw and chip the edges to fit nice and tight into an irregular pattern or in a spaced out style with grout / mortar joints. Whether used in a traditional farmhouse and cottage-syle homes or as accents in a contemporary setting, fieldstone adds a touch of history and authenticity to your exterior.
Beyond its visual appeal, fieldstone is celebrated for its accessibility and durability. It can withstand the elements and age gracefully, developing a charming patina over time. Its rustic, unrefined appearance complements natural landscapes, making it an excellent choice for homes nestled in scenic settings.
Using fieldstone for your home’s exterior evokes a sense of timeless beauty and a connection to the land, transforming your residence into a cozy, inviting retreat that exudes character and authenticity. It’s a choice that harmonizes aesthetics with a rustic and enduring appeal.
Choosing cobblestone for your home’s exterior is a decision that invokes the charm of centuries past while adding enduring character and durability to your property. Cobblestone, traditionally rounded or hand cut in appearance, has been a favored choice for Old World streets and timeless architecture for generations.
One of the most captivating aspects of cobblestone is its historic and timeless appeal. Its unique, rustic appearance lends a sense of nostalgia and Old World charm to any home exterior. Whether used for driveways, pathways, or even entire facades, cobblestone exudes a classic, inviting ambiance.
Beyond its visual allure, cobblestone is celebrated for its durability. These natural stones can withstand heavy use and weather exposure, ensuring a long-lasting and resilient exterior. Their rough texture provides excellent traction and adds an element of safety to driveways and walkways.
Choosing cobblestone for your home’s exterior is an invitation to transport your property back in time, creating an atmosphere of enduring charm and authenticity. It’s a choice that combines aesthetics with practicality, ensuring your house stands as a testament to both classic beauty and enduring strength.
Combining bricks and stones on the exterior of a house is an architectural strategy that marries the warmth of brick with the elegance of stone.
Bricks, with their earthy tones and uniform shapes, provide a warm and inviting backdrop. They create a sense of tradition and coziness while offering excellent insulation and low maintenance. Stone, on the other hand, introduces natural textures and irregularities that infuse character and depth into the design. Whether used as accents or in larger sections, stones provide a rugged, timeless quality.
Together, bricks and stones create a balanced visual contrast that can suit various architectural styles, from rustic cottages to modern residences. This dynamic combination not only enhances curb appeal but also reinforces the structure’s resilience against the elements. This harmonious blend of materials offers a versatile canvas for design, allowing homeowners to craft distinctive facades that add depth and character to the exterior of a home.
Opting for travertine on the exterior of a house is a choice that infuses a sense of casual elegance into your home’s façade. Travertine, a type of sedimentary rock, stands out for its distinctive porous texture and light color palette, making it an exceptional choice for those seeking both sophistication and a relaxed, natural ambiance.
Travertine’s most captivating feature lies in its porous surface, which gives it a unique, textured appearance. The natural pits and troughs that adorn each stone add depth and individuality to the exterior, making it an artistic statement of nature’s craftsmanship. Its soft, earthy hues of beige, cream, and ivory harmonize effortlessly with various architectural styles, from Mediterranean villas to contemporary designs.
Beyond its visual appeal, travertine is celebrated for its durability and ability to withstand the elements. Its elegant, aged appearance only grows more beautiful with time, ensuring that your home’s exterior maintains its charm for years to come. Choosing travertine transforms your house into a haven of casual elegance, a place where timeless beauty and a relaxed atmosphere coexist in perfect harmony.
Selecting the right exterior house stone is a decision that significantly impacts your home’s aesthetics, durability, and maintenance. Several crucial factors should guide the choice for your home’s exterior stone selection including:
Aesthetic Compatibility: How well does the type of stone being selected complement the architectural style and other materials used on your home.
Climate Sustainability: Is the stone you are selecting suitable for the climate conditions it will be installed in, including such considerations as freeze / thaw cycling, extremely hot climates and different facing exposures.
Maintenance Requirements: While relatively low maintenance, especially over a longer scale, stone exteriors do require some maintenance. Understand and plan for that when selecting the stone for your project.
Budget Considerations: There is a stone for every budget and the cost can vary widely based on factors like stone type, rarity, and where it’s sourced from. Strike the right balance between cost per square foot and aesthetics.
Not all stones are going to be a good fit for every exterior project. Some stones like onyx or gneiss based products might be better suited for interior installations only. By carefully weighing these factors, you can make an informed choice when selecting the exterior house stone that best complements your home’s style, location, exterior design, landscaping and your long-term satisfaction.
Exterior stone cladding not only elevates the aesthetic appeal of your home design but also serves as a smart investment, which is important for any home improvement project. It enhances value, ensures long-term durability, and contributes to improved energy efficiency, making it a practical and aesthetically pleasing choice for homeowners. Let’s take a closer look at some of those benefits in detail.
Using stone on the exterior of a home is a surefire way to elevate its curb appeal and create a lasting first impression. The timeless elegance and unique character of natural stone ensures that your homes becomes a stand out to visitors and passersby.
Utilizing stone for the exterior of a home is a steadfast commitment to durability and longevity. Natural stone has exceptional resilience to weather conditions and temperature fluctuations ensuring the ageless beauty of your home’s exterior for years to come. Don’t be fooled by polyurethane or cement based faux stone products which only imitate stone but lack the long term durability of a natural stone product.
Opting for stone on the exterior of a home is a practical choice celebrated for its low maintenance requirements. Stone cladding is renowned for its durability and ages gracefully and while a stone exterior will require more maintenance than stucco or vinyl siding it is still considered a low maintenance material.
Incorporating stone into your home’s exterior not only adds elegance and endurance but also reduces the time and effort needed to keep your property looking its best, allowing homeowners to enjoy their homes with ease.
Employing stone on the exterior of a home is a strategic investment that can significantly boost property value. The timeless elegance of stone adds to the curb appeal and can even boost the energy efficiency of a home making it a more valuable and sought after property with higher resale value.
The world of exterior stone options is as diverse as the architectural designs it adorns. From the enduring elegance of granite to the rustic charm of fieldstone, each stone type brings its own unique character and practical advantages to the table. Which one you choose for your project is the starting point to achieve your vision, whether that’s a modern, timeless, or rustic look.
The benefits of using exterior stone extend far beyond aesthetics. These materials offer durability that stands up to the test of time and the elements, reducing maintenance needs and ensuring a long-lasting investment. Their natural insulation properties contribute to energy efficiency, lowering utility costs and environmental impact.
The exterior walls can also serve as a bridge to connect to the interior design of the home including fireplaces, backsplashes and other common applications where stone can be used to create a cohesive design scheme from the outside in.
Surface Shop is an industry leader in the stone world, creating finely crafted natural stone veneers – each one sourced and crafted with pride to enhance and enrich your space. At Surface Shop we aim to not only design and manufacture the most beautiful products from stone sourced around the world, but also support our clients with exceptional customer service and leadership in the space.
We invite you to view our natural stone veneer products and engage with us to learn more about how natural stone can fit into your next exterior home project.
Create stunning Natural Stone Accents or Facades for your Next Home Stone Project with this award winning pallet of products. Contact a Surface Shop Pro today to get your samples and pricing.
At Surface Shop, we believe there is a story behind every surface. That’s why we created Surface Culture, an industry leading digital publication that covers a range of topics from How To Guides to Architectural Trends in the world of luxury architectural finishes Browse our articles to dial in your knowledge of how surfaces impact architectural design, or simply use them to get inspired. Either way, we hope you enjoy, and wish you well on your journey toward appreciating materiality in architecture.
