Natural Thin Stone Veneer II

Continuing on our series on Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer, this post will incorporate some distinctions and comparisons of our natural thin stone veneer and a man made or concrete thin product.  

First let's view just a portion of the distinctions of Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer:

• Durable
• Easy to clean
• Low maintenance
• Consistent colors-natural stone will not deface colors
• Easily installed
• All colors are unique, no predetermined pattern
• Entirely natural
• Proven material used over many centuries
• Natural thin stone veneer allows for unique, creative patterning
• Abundantly available
• Looks just like a full thickness stone material

Now we can notate some of the disadvantages of a cultured, man made, or concrete thin product:

• Unnatural appearance
• Possibility of fading, cracking, staining
• Dyed concrete aggregates allow for possible chipping and fading to reveal interior aggregates
• Not easily manipulate for installation purposes
• Predictable colors 
• Composed of cement, aggregates, and chemicals
• Warranties are necessary to promote product
• Defined, predictable patterns produced from a set of molds
• Prone to fading

**Note:  There is a reason the concrete products are commonly referred to as "fake stone".  There is only one way to go if you truly want REAL STONE.**

While these are some distinct differences, there are some overwhelming similarities, which again make Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer even more appealing.

• Both products weigh less than traditional, full depth stone
• Both are installed using similar application strategies
• Both allow for precut corner pieces, creating the appearance of full depth material
• Price is very competitive
• Neither require a footing or brick ledge for installation

**Note:  For those who just thought natural thin stone veneer was not a cost effective measure, think again.  A natural stone is an absolutely efficient, effective and logical material to use on your next project.**

To summarize this post, Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer is an advantageous product.  This is an all natural material, with a tremendous wide range of possible color selections.  Our natural thin stone veneer allows for a unique possibility of blends and patterns to call your own.  Again, the most appealing reality is that Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer is natural, not made with cement products.

When analyzing and assessing the best scenario for your next project, the question shouldn't be whether to use a natural or manufactured product, the question should be whether to use Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer or Kirby Stone Company's full depth natural stone.  We can help establish the best option for your project and assure you are making the best decision by relying on the expertise from Kirby Stone Company, LLC.

Until next time, be sure to contact our Sales Team with any questions and we will be glad to do what it takes to help you along the way.

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The Phenomenon of Kirby Stone Company's Natural Thin Stone Veneer

This segment will be the first in a series on natural thin stone veneer products as supplied by Kirby Stone Company. This series on thin stone will begin with an introduction into the products and discuss some of the specifications. Through the next several posts, we will look at many different aspects of the Kirby Stone Company natural thin stone veneer and how it may just be the material you need for your project.

You may be asking "what exactly is natural thin stone veneer?" There are a multitude of features to consider when discussing Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer. First off, it is important to note that Kirby Stone Company is capable of supplying natural thin stone veneer in many different selections of material. The details of varying products will be covered in a later post once we have established the groundwork of natural thin stone veneer.

Also note, the information provided is for general guidelines only and may not be suitable in all specific scenarios or instances. Feel free to contact one of our sales staff members to discuss your specific project for a precise determination and assessment of product needed.

Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer product begins as a natural stone harvested from beneath the earth within one of our quarry locations. A full depth stone (3"-5") is formed which at this point is ready to go through a special thin veneer saw to create a natural thin stone veneer. This thin veneer piece is an exact match to the full depth stone only in a thin version. Having a thin material has advantages which will be examined in a later discussion in this same series. The natural thin stone veneer available from Kirby Stone Company is offered in the same blends, colors, and shapes as the full thickness stone products. Whether your selection is a quarry chopped material, sawn chopped material, or a flagstone/builders material, it can be cut into a thin stone to fit the needs of your specific project.

Natural thin stone veneer is typically a nominal thickness of 1-1/4 inches. With the varying contours of the face of natural stone the depth could range from 3/4" to a thickness of 1-1/2". At Kirby Stone Company, we take great pride and go to great lengths in our quality control to see to it that there is a consistency in the variance of the range of the thickness of the stone within the standards and within the tolerance of the natural stone. This material is cut using a high quality, diamond blade saw set at a specific height in order to reach the thickness of 1-1/4". The thin stone used in the field of a vertical wall structure is considered a flat piece.

The weight of natural thin stone veneer is a great consideration to take into account. Kirby Stone Company's thin stone veneer weighs approximately 10-14 lbs/SF. This is a weight to remember when we detail the comparisons of the natural thin stone veneer to the natural full depth veneer. There are times when the weight of a product is a factor during the masonry phase of construction, which makes Kirby Stone Company the needed product.

Another aspect to the natural thin stone veneer is the ability to create a natural transition to the corner of a verical wall structure. Kirby Stone Company has the capability of creating a 90 degree corner piece with the use of a specially designed thin saw used for the purpose of cutting corner pieces. This piece of stone known as a corner piece is still the same thickness as a flat piece, but incorporates a 90 degree cut giving off the appearance of a full depth stone at the corner. There are returns coming off of each edge of the 90 degree, one being a short edge of approximately 3" and the other being a longer edge. This material gives the opportunity to keep with the aesthetics and appearance needed while creating the look of a full thickness stone on the corner of the structure or building.

This photo represents an example of a flat piece of Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer.

You can see in this photo the 90 degree angle created as a corner piece of Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer.

Now you should be able to begin to imagine the multitude of uses for the Kirby Stone Company natural thin stone veneer.

In the next edition we will evaluate some of the advantages of using Kirby Stone Company's natural thin stone veneer and conduct a comparison of the natural thin stone versus a man-made or concrete thin product.

Until next time, be sure to contact our sales team to help you with all of your natural stone selections in order to best maximize your design.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: America the Beautiful (and Natural!)

As we celebrate the Independence Day this July 4th, Kirby Stone Company, LLC wants to focus on the most renowned national landmarks and memorials that have had, and will always have, on the formation of the United States. The handful of landmarks and monuments discussed are only a few that use natural stone, and each possesses the same benefits characteristic of natural stone: unique, enduring, timeless and beautiful.

Arlington National Cemetery

Located in Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery was established during the American Civil War is a military cemetery. The land used for this reminder of all those who have served in the United States Armed Forces was originally the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna (Custis) Lee. The cemetery is situated directly across the Potomac River from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and also serves as the burial grounds for many other individuals and Presidents influential to what America is today. For more information on Arlington National Cemetery, please visit the official site HERE.

Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is a World Heritage Site located in northwestern Arizona, and it is renowned for its geological significance. The Colorado River snakes through the Grand Canyon, cutting the ravines to an average depth of 4,000 feet. These large incisions create a tremendous record of up to four geological periods, displaying a wide array of geological features, rock types and fossils…a geologist, paleontologist, archaeologist and biologist’s dream!! For more information on the Grand Canyon, please visit the official site HERE.

Lincoln Memorial

Sitting amidst the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Lincoln Memorial was built to honor Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States. Built in the design of a Greek Doric temple, the Lincoln Memorial utilizes Yule Marble, a sedimentary stone located in Colorado. The marble is known for the consistency of its pure white color. It does not possess the gray streaks typically found with quarried marble in Vermont and other areas of the country. The Lincoln Memorial has been the site of many famous momentous speeches, including Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. For more information on the Lincoln Memorial, please visit the official site HERE.

Mesa Verde

Similar to the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde is also designated as a World Heritage Site. Located in Colorado, Mesa Verde was the first national park set aside to preserve the works of man. The location includes some of the most well kept cliff dwellings in the world as well as many geological features. Most of the stone consists of sandstone and shale, and some rock formations date back 90 million years. Well known for the cliff dwellings, these structures, built within the cliffs, were occupied by the Anasazi people between 550 and 1300 AD. Cliff Palace is located within Mesa Verde and is considered the largest cliff dwelling found within North America. For more information on Mesa Verde National Park, please visit the official site HERE.

United States Capitol Building

The United States Capitol is one of the most recognized structures in the landscape of United States history. Located in Washington D.C., on top of Capitol Hill amidst the National Mall, the building is used as the workplace for Congress, and the name “Capitol” is latin for “city on a hill”. Freemason and the first President of the United States, George Washington laid the cornerstone of the structure, and while the original structure consisted sandstone, quarried in Virginia and ferried to Washington D.C., additions to the United States Capitol Building were built using marble. For more information on the United States Capitol Building, please visit the official site HERE.

Mount Rushmore

Situated within the Black Hills of South Dakota, Mount Rushmore is one of the most visited national landmarks, hosting over three million visitors annually. The name derives from New York City attorney, Charles E. Rushmore, who, in 1855, was appointed to find the title of ownership to the property on which the monument was carved. Sculpted by Gutzon Borglum and later by his son Lincoln Borglum, the sculptures include 60-foot heads of the former Presidents of the United States in granite. The project’s construction began in 1927 and continued until funding expired in 1941. For more information on Mount Rushmore, please visit the official site HERE.

Washington Monument

The Washington Monument is an obelisk, a tall four-sided tapering monument, located near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and due east of the Lincoln Memorial in the National Mall. Built to commemorate George Washington, the monument is constructed of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, much of which was donated from states throughout the Union and foreign dignitaries. The Washington monument is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 51⁄8 inches, and until the Eiffel Tower was completed in 1889, the monument was the tallest structure in the world. Construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884. The monument was finally dedicated in 1885. For more information on the Washington Monument, please visit the official site HERE.

Rainbow Bridge

Located within the feet of Navajo Mountain in southern Utah, Rainbow Bridge is considered to be one of the world’s highest natural bridges at 290 feet. Consisting of sandstone formed during the Triassic and Jurassic periods, Rainbow Bridge was known for centuries by Native Americans as sacred. They referred to the structure as Nonnezoshe or "rainbow turned to stone”. It was not until 1910 when the structure became known to the public, as President William Howard Taft deemed it a national landmark to preserve this "extraordinary natural bridge, having an arch which is in form and appearance much like a rainbow, and which is of great scientific interest as an example of eccentric stream erosion." For more information on Rainbow Bridge, please visit the official site HERE.

From all of us at Kirby Stone Company, LLC, we wish you a safe and memorable Independence Day. Remember all those who have come before and blazed a trail to what the United States is today. God Bless America!

For more information regarding Kirby Stone Company, LLC or our quarry-direct
natural stone products, please feel to visit our website at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

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NATURAL STONE FUNDAMENTALS: Benefits of Natural Stone

When beginning a new project, whether the project entails new construction of a residential or commercial development or the renovation of a pre-existing project, perhaps a patio or fireplace, the use of natural stone grants the user the benefit of several characteristics and qualities that will distinguish the project and provide you with the satisfaction of a high-quality finished product. The benefits of using natural stone in your next project include all of the following:

Unique

Limestone with Fossils - Approx. 20 million years old

Natural stone is manufactured by the earth itself, and the aesthetics of the stone are often affected by the weather and other environmental conditions, making most stone unique to the region in which it is quarried. Every slab of natural stone has characteristics distinctive to that particular stone. The benefit of such a characteristic ensures an appearance within a landscaping or construction project that is truly one of a kind.

Enduring

The Alamo - San Antonio, Texas

The earth produces natural stone over a period of millions of years, and stone is featured in some of the largest architectural feats in history. Many of these historic landmarks utilizing the benefits of natural limestone or sandstone include the Alamo, the pyramids of Egypt (limestone), the City of Pompeii and many other projects from the beginning of civilization to modern times. When using natural stone, you can be assured your project will endure several lifetimes!

Timeless

Empire State Building - New York, New York

Utilizing natural limestone and sandstone promotes a distinct sustained resource that provides depth and contrast to the design aspects of a project. The durability and strength of natural stone and the variations of colors and textures contribute to a wealth of design ideas that will outlast any construction fad and withstand the test of time.

Beautiful

Prince Edward Islands - Sandstone Arch

When thinking about natural stone’s qualities, no one characteristic is more vital than the stone’s beauty. This trait is the sum total of natural stone’s unique, enduring and timeless qualities. The variation in texture and color from one stone to the next, the stone’s innate ability to endure and the intrinsic value of a design that promotes aesthetics from era to era all prove natural stone to be an asset to any project.

For more information regarding Kirby Stone Company, LLC or our quarry-direct
natural stone products, please feel to visit our website at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

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KIRBY STONE PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Cascada at Canyon Lake

Cascada at Canyon Lake – Exterior Signage

The Team

Design Firm: A-Design by Gustavo Arredondo, San Antonio, Texas
Landscape Design: TBG Partners, San Antonio, Texas
Developer: Stadler & Leatham Development, Bulverde, Texas
Masonry Contractor: JM Castillo Masonry, San Antonio, Texas

The Project

With the entrance completed in 2009, Cascada at Canyon Lake is one the Spring Branch, Texas’ newest master planned communities. Situated north of San Antonio, the project is located near Canyon Lake and the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country. Amidst these natural attractions, Cascada at Canyon Lake is a luxurious hill country playground with large lots for new custom homes. Home builders within the community currently include Stadler Custom Homes and VERITAS Custom Home Builders.

For more information regarding Cascada at Canyon Lake, including local amenities, available lots and more, please visit them online HERE.

Cascada at Canyon Lake – Guard House & Gated Entrance

The Stone

The stone selection for the Cascada at Canyon Lake project is Kirby Premium Cave natural limestone, originating from Kirby Stone Company’s limestone quarry located in Salado, Texas. Our first Kirby Premium Cave project, we were oringinally skeptical of the stone’s ability to stand on its own, due to the dark colors and hard textures associated with this natural limestone product. However, as Kirby Stone Company, LLC has always done, we accommodated Bron Leatham’s vision for the development, and Kirby Stone Company, LCC was excited to be part of such a unique, beautiful project.

As one reviews these photos of the project in the blog, you will notice the predominance of an extremely rough texture and rustic color throughout the project’s community walls and entrance design. The color and texture of the natural limestone is complimented well by the rust-colored wrought iron, and the total package blends well with the natural landscape of the Texas Hill Country.

Laid in an ashlar pattern, the Kirby Premium Cave natural limestone has been prepared into a sawn, chopped form. Ranging from four inches to ten inches in face height, the Kirby Premium Cave limestone is sawn on the top and bottom with rough, split faces on the remaining sides.

Cascada at Canyon Lake – Community Walls

For more information regarding Kirby Stone Company, LLC or our quarry-direct
natural stone products, please feel to visit our website at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

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STONE SHOWCASE: Hill Country Blend

Product Description

Kirby Stone Company, LLC’s Hill Country Blend consists of a unique blend of natural limestone colors. Predominantly Kirby Cream, additional limestone colors include Salado Gold and Kirby White. Upon request, the ratio of cream, gold and white natural limestone may be altered to accommodate your project.


Hill Country Blend natural limestone is most often paired with a white mortar, which helps each individual stone unit stand out effectively.

Kirby Stone Company’s Hill Country Blend limestone is quarried in Salado, Texas. For more information or photographs pertaining to Kirby Stone Company’s natural limestone products, please visit our website.

Product Availability

Kirby Stone Company’s Kirby Cream natural limestone products are available in a variety of different styles and product types. A full list of available products is listed below. Should you have any questions regarding terminology, you may access Kirby Stone Company’s Stone 101 Lessons by clicking HERE.

• Sawn Chopped Stone
  

• Thin Veneer Chopped Stone
  

• Sawn Patio Stone
  

• Sawn Hearths and Lintels

For more information regarding Kirby Stone Company, LLC or our quarry-direct
natural stone products, please feel to visit our website at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

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KIRBY STONE PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Baytown Fire Station No. 6

The Team

Architectural Firm: BRW Architects, College Station, Texas

General Contractor: R. Hassell Builders, Houston, Texas
Masonry Contractor: Acme Constructors Inc., Houston, Texas

The Project

Completed within the first quarter of 2011, Baytown Fire Station No. 6 is the first new fire station in Baytown, Texas in approximately thirty-five years. The new fire station consists of approximately 10,000 square feet and is now functional and occupied by the Baytown Fire Department.

The Stone

The natural stone selection for this project originates from Kirby Stone Company’s limestone quarry located in Salado, Texas. One will notice the predominance of rustic color within a majority of the project’s walls. This natural limestone, consisting of approximately 95% of the project masonry façade, is most commonly referred to as “Nicotine” limestone among the natural stone community. The remaining 5% of masonry uses a bold, rust-colored stone most commonly named “Cave Stone”.

Laid in an ashlar pattern, the predominant natural limestone observed is Nicotine in a sawn, chopped form. Ranging from four inches to eight inches in face height, the Nicotine limestone is sawn on the top and bottom with rough, split faces on the remaining sides. In addition to the primary natural stone, the Cave limestone is utilized as an accent throughout the facility as well as other natural stone components of the property, including the refuse and fence columns. The Cave limestone provides a subtle, yet noticeable, complement to the Nicotine. Similar to the Nicotine limestone, the Cave limestone is also sawn on the top and bottom while the remaining sides maintain a rough, split-faced finish.

Complemented by the thick, dark cedar-esque siding, the Kirby Stone Company Nicotine and Cave natural limestone products offer a rustic, natural aesthetic consistent with a majority of BRW-College Station’s previous projects, many of which have gone on to win design awards. Headquartered in Baytown, Texas, Kirby Stone Company is proud to be a part of such a tremendous project adding to and upgrading our very own local heroes, the Baytown Fire Department.

For more information regarding Kirby Stone Company, LLC or our quarry-direct
natural stone products, please feel to visit our website at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

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HISTORIC PROJECT SPOTLIGHT: Great Pyramid of Giza

One of the world’s most recognizable structures and the only standing of the Eight Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza is a historical natural limestone project of massive proportions and monumental insight into the design and engineering feats of Ancient Egypt. Today, we will discuss the facts and opinions surrounding how the Great Pyramid of Giza was created.

The Great Pyramid

The biggest of three large pyramids on the Giza Plateau along the west bank of the Nile River just outside of Cairo, the Great Pyramid of Giza has commanded a large portion of the attention of archaeologists and engineers alike.


Consisting of an estimated 2.3 million natural limestone blocks, the Great Pyramid of Giza covers over thirteen acres of land, with each side measuring 760 feet and rising to a peak of 460 feet tall. It is estimated that this massive project was built ranging anywhere from ten to twenty years, and as many as 50,000 people could have worked on the project.

While the pyramid rose at an angle of nearly 52 degrees, the means and methods behind this monolithic undertaking have been argued since it was first discovered.

The Stone

There has been much debate concerning the techniques used by ancient Egyptians to quarry, cut and dress rough-quarried natural stone for use in masonry. There have been no remnants of the drilling equipment or saws recovered, leaving all of us to only guess about the ancients’ drilling and sawing techniques.

However, we do know natural limestone quarried from the immediate area was the building material of choice for the Great Pyramid’s exterior façade. The builders designed the pyramid to have 210 horizontal layers of limestone. The underlying natural limestone blocks of the pyramid, what is primarily in visible decay today, averaged 2.5 tons per block. While the limestone blocks at the bottom of the pyramid were larger (approximately 6.5 to 10 tons), the size of the limestone blocks got smaller as the pyramid rose taller.


Finally, the Great Pyramid of Giza (as well as the surrounding pyramids on the Giza Plateau) was originally finished with Casing Blocks. These blocks were quarried from another region on the other side of the Nile. The limestone was notable finer, and the fifty-two degree angle was carved into these blocks, offering a highly-polished, white limestone pyramid that would stand as the largest man made structure for over 3,800 years.

Nearly all of the casing blocks have been stripped away over time, quarried from the pyramid to be used in construction projects in nearby towns. The Great Pyramid’s core masonry is now exposed to the elements and littered with huge divots and gashes, and the top is also missing, leaving a small platform about thirty feet square at the summit.

Nevertheless, the Great Pyramid of Giza remains the only Wonder of the World still standing and a constant basis of controversy when debating ancient design and engineering. More over, the Great Pyramid should remind us of the sustainability and versatility of natural stone usage in construction today. A product made of the earth will help maintain your project for the long haul!

For more information, please visit Kirby Stone Company, LLC online at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

STONE SHOWCASE: Kirby Cream

Product Description

Kirby Cream natural limestone, quarried in Salado, Texas, offers a rustic aesthetic with a variation of light colors and tints. Kirby Cream limestone includes a spectrum of cream and beige hues, creating more depth and texture within the appearance of a project.

Kirby Cream natural limestone is most often paired with a white mortar, which assists in providing the uniform color scheme our clients often desire when utilizing this natural stone product.

Kirby Cream limestone is quarried in Salado, Texas. For more information or photographs pertaining to Kirby Stone Company’s natural limestone products, please visit the Kirby Cream portion of our website. You may get there immediately by clicking HERE.

Product Availability

Kirby Stone Company’s Kirby Cream natural limestone products are available in a variety of different styles and product types. A full list of available products is listed below. Should you have any questions regarding terminology, you may access Kirby Stone Company’s Stone 101 Lessons by clicking HERE.

• Sawn Chopped Stone
• Thin Veneer Chopped Stone
• Sawn Patio Stone
• Sawn Hearths and Lintels
• Sawn Blocks
• Mill Blocks

For more information, please visit Kirby Stone Company, LLC online at:

www.KIRBYSTONE.com

STONE SHOWCASE: Kirby White

Product Description

Chalky in nature, Kirby White natural limestone, quarried in Salado, Texas, is a bright white limestone with a relatively uniform color scheme. Occasionally, due to the inherent variances in natural stone, a handful of Kirby White natural limestone also has additional color (typically cream). Nevertheless, with Kirby White natural limestone, you can be certain you will receive the very best in natural stone quality, coverage and customer service.

Kirby White natural limestone is typically used with a white mortar, which assists in providing the uniform color scheme our clients often desire when utilizing this natural stone product.

Kirby White limestone is quarried in Salado, Texas. For more information or photographs pertaining to Kirby Stone Company’s Kirby White natural limestone products, please visit the Autumn Blend portion of our website. You may get there immediately by clicking HERE.

Product Availability

Kirby Stone Company’s Kirby White natural limestone products are available in a variety of different styles and product types. A full list of available products is listed below. Should you have any questions regarding terminology, you may access Kirby Stone Company’s Stone 101 Lessons by clicking HERE.

• Sawn Chopped Stone

• Thin Veneer Chopped Stone

• 3” to 5” Flagstone

• Thin Veneer Flagstone

• 1" to 3" Split Patio Stone

• Sawn Patio Stone

• Sawn Hearths and Lintels

• Sawn Blocks

• Mill Blocks
  

For more information regarding all of our stone products, please visit Kirby Stone Company, LLC online at www.KIRBYSTONE.com.

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“NATURAL STONE FUNDAMENTALS SERIES: Quarrying Natural Stone”