Natural stone in full bed depth has always been regarded as a premium choice for both high-end and commercial construction. However, the thin cut counterpart yields cost advantages that make it the right choice for several types of applications, especially those with tight budget restrictions.
One of the biggest advantages is thin veneer does not require a structural support such as a stone footer which is very costly to pour and finish. There is the element of time. Thin veneer application takes one half the time to complete the installation and there is less clean up and waste. On a conventional full bed depth application, the masons have to allow a set up time after completing just a few rows of the stone for as much as 24 hours. Since the most costly part of installing stone is the labor, this saved time means savings to the customer. With the thin veneer, you can continue to install it with no time for set up. Masons find the thin veneer easier to handle and shop drawings are not necessary, eliminating another costly step. Shipping cost for the thin veneer is reduced. The size and weight of the pallets are used to determine the cost to ship and having this reduced by more than half cuts that expense as well.
Please see below a comparison of the full bed depth stone versus the thin veneer stone application.
Compare the Dollar Difference
The project is 4,000 SF of Gray Strip Rubble full stone with a complimentary stone in thin cut veneer. Strip rubble average coverage per ton of full stone is 30-40 SF. Freight cost for this example is from Whitwell, TN to Murfreesboro, TN.
114 tons x $200 per ton $22,800
Corners (time to produce)
Number of loads (5 trips) $2,500
Install labor 4,000 x $10.00 $40,000
Total Job $65,300
4,000 SF x $8 flats $32,000
100 LF x $10.50 corners $1,050
Number of loads (2 trip) $1,000
Install labor 4,000 x $6.50 $26,000
Total Job $60,050
Total savings on this job of $5,250
Additional cost savings and items to consider:
- Veneer stone requires no stone support ledge or extra foundation support. Concrete savings alone can add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars on extra wide footers. Stone support ledges on poured walls average about $6.25 per lineal foot. With hundreds of feet in the footprint of the house, this savings alone can be in the thousands of dollars.
- Veneer stone application takes less time to install than full dimension stone about 1/3 less time. Masons can install more stone per day and do not have to allow for 3-4 feet areas for curing time. This means the masons stay on the job longer and completes the entire project faster.
- Veneer stone does not have to be shaped at job site. Chipping and shaping full stones is very time and labor intensive. Using the veneer stone saves time.
- Veneer stone creates less waste to clean up on the job site. The full dimension stone can create as much as 15% – 30% waste and stone debris that has to be removed from the jobsite. This extra waste on the full dimension stone cost more labor, time, and money to dispose.
- Mason can complete more jobs in a year with the thin veneer therefore increasing their overall gross income. Full stone jobs can take months and in some cases up to a year. Veneer applications of the same square footage of coverage takes weeks to apply. This means you move on to another part of the project quicker and complete the entire project faster.
- Veneer stone requires less mortar and sand that results in less cost on the overall project.
- All these additional savings add up to THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS on the completed job.
Stone is a product of nature and the color of the stone can vary according to areas harvested or mined. We make every effort so represent the color of the product accurately on our website and in our marketing materials. However, photos can be affected by lighting, photography, editing, reproduction or printing. It is important to view the actual product when deciding on a particular product.