Up
until the early 20th Century, stone was the structural component
of every large building. The walls were 12" to 24" thick
of solid stone, which made the building strong, held up the
floors above it as well as the roof, and had the
side benefit of being beautiful
When wood and steel frame
structures came on the scene, buildings no longer
needed to be as massive or have the foundations required
for solid stone. The downside was that the aesthetic value
of stone was lost, as well as the benefit of low maintenance.
Later, architects designed STONE VENEERED walls, where the load bearing structure was wood, steel or concrete block. The face of the wall, instead of being shingles or clapboards, was stone. These "veneer stones" in either 4" maximum or a 6" maximum thicknesses, can be set on a standard, poured concrete foundation.
A more recent development in natural stone is "thin veneer" or "thin adhered stone", which is only 3/4" to 1-1/2" thick. It can be adhered to a conventionally framed structure with standard masonry cement, eliminating the need for additional foundations.
Now, with thin stone, you can
cover a concrete foundation, a false chimney, a section of the front of a home, or the face of a factory-built fireplace, as easily as wallpapering! |
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