Building a Natural Stone Fireplace Starts with High Quality Stone

Natural stone is trending this year, and while there are many areas and projects within your home where you can use full bed or thin stone veneer, none is as iconic as a fireplace. Read why you should build a stone fireplace below from our experts.

Building a New Stone Fireplace

If you don’t have a fireplace in your great room, then consider building one. Building an indoor stone fireplace isn’t a DIY job, though. For new gas or wood-burning fireplaces, you’ll need to have a professional involved from inception to execution.

However, if you have an existing fireplace that needs a facelift, then you can certainly embark on a DIY stone fireplace project, if you choose the right stone for the job. Whether you’re building new or refacing a brick fireplace, the quality of the stone is critical.

Choosing Your Fireplace Stone

When choosing your stone, consider going local. There are over 65 local quarries in Ontario[1] that quarry and cut ledgestone, fieldstone, limestone and granite. Not only will you reduce your environmental footprint by choosing a locally sourced stone, but you can be sure of the quality.

In addition to the quality of the stone, consider the texture and colour when you’re designing your fireplace. Choose a stone product that will complement existing features in your home and will highlight the unique elements of your fireplace like the mantle and chimney.

Look for a Lifetime Warranty

Many stone manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty on their products, so it’s worth asking about the warranty before choosing the stone you’ll work with. The heat rating on the stone product is also extremely important when choosing the right stone for your fireplace.

Other Timeless Projects With Natural Stone

Stone and stone veneer products are durable, local and affordable, which makes them a great material to use in a variety of other projects around your home, including:

• Curio shelves
• Living room walls
• Stone backsplashes
• Atriums
• Bar or wine cellars
• Doorways and passageways

One of the reasons that natural stone veneer is so popular is because of the rough, elegant, earthy beauty it brings to a project. Plus, thin stone veneer can add texture and colour to virtually any room without the worry about the weight demands that full bed stone or traditional stone may add to the structure you’re enhancing.

Adding stone to your home’s interior is a great winter endeavour and depending on the project might be one that you can tackle yourself. Talk to the experts at Grand River Natural Stone about the project you’re considering, and we’ll help you choose the stone that will best suit your design and build needs.