If you enjoy the beauty of limestone fireplace mantels but not necessarily the price, a cast stone mantel may be a suitable alternative.
What Is Cast Stone
Cast stone is a fine concrete like material that is commonly used for coating the outer surfaces of buildings to give them the appearance of more expensive cultured stone. It is created by mixing crushed bits of limestone, sand or other aggregate, and a bonding agent until a thick liquid paste is formed. The mixture is then applied to the surface of another material, if it is being used for construction purposes, or poured into pre-formed mold, if it is being used to form a cast stone mantel.
Benefits of a Cast-Stone Mantel
Because the mantel does not have to be cut from a solid piece of limestone, the cost is significantly lower. With true limestone mantels, the larger the mantel is, the more significant the cost becomes due to the need for a solid piece of limestone to be cut down. Cast stone can be used in molds of any size or shape. Since the casting process is much quicker and more efficient than carving limestone, mantels can be produced on a much larger and faster scale, reducing costs even further.
Custom Fireplace Mantels
If you are looking for a compromise between the cost of a limestone fireplace mantel and the lack of a specific style of pre-made cast mantels to suit your taste, consider a custom stone piece. The price for a custom piece is somewhat higher than an off the shelf cast stone mantel, but you will be able to have it designed to your exact specifications. Also, if you agree to let the mold maker continue to use the mold for other pieces, he may offer you a slight discount. If you would prefer your piece to be a true one-of-a-kind creation, the mold maker will break the mold once your piece has been cast, ensuring its uniqueness.
Regardless of your preference, a cast stone fireplace mantel can give you the look and feel of limestone at a fraction of the cost.
Check out the Heating and Air Guide for more information on fireplace mantels.
There are many products today that are marketed as Cast Stone however some of them are not Cast Stone at all.
The description you’ve been given for Cast Stone is actually the description for Synthetic Limestone Plaster. Below is the description for Cast Stone by The Cast Stone Institute and the International Code Council.
The only thing left out of this description that should be noted is by ASTM Standard 1364, Cast Stone must have a minimum strength of 6500 PSI and a water absorption of less than 6%.
For a point of reference, this is stronger than the concrete in many driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and some highways which may range between 5000-6000 PSI.
I hope this is helpfull.
Best Regards,
A. Rhoden
Cast Stone – a refined architectural concrete building unit manufactured to simulate natural cut stone, used in unit masonry applications.
Dry Cast Concrete Products – manufactured from zero slump concrete.
Vibrant Dry Tamp (VDT) casting method: Vibratory ramming of earth moist, zero- slump concrete against a rigid mold until it is densely compacted.
Machine casting method: manufactured from earth moist, zero-slump concrete compacted by machinery using vibration and pressure against a mold until it becomes densely consolidated.
Wet Cast Concrete Products – manufactured from measurable slump concrete.
Wet casting method: manufactured from measurable slump concrete and vibrated into a mold until it becomes densely consolidate.
* Find more information at the Cast Stone Institute’s website: caststone.org