Benefits of Choosing Stone for Your Fireplace Surround

With modern construction practices, you have many options for the surround of your fireplace. You can even choose ultra-modern materials such as glass or metal. Yet many homeowners return to traditional materials such as brick and, especially, wood. Keep reading for the benefits of choosing stone for your fireplace surround.

Stone Adds Architectural Interest

Stone is obviously a weighty material. Well, besides literal weight, natural stone carries a lot of visual weight. A stone fireplace, therefore, serves as a statement piece in any room. Indeed, as Better Homes and Gardens points out, a stonework fireplace adds architectural beauty to your room. So, such a fireplace is ideal for rooms that don't already feature much architectural interest.

Stone Comes in Many Colors

Fireplace companies offer many different stones to use as the surround for your fireplace. So, you can easily choose stone colors that match the rest of your décor. What's more, natural stone often features variegation of colors. So, you can also add visual interest with a fireplace that seems to offer natural patterning with its striations of color.

Stone Is Easy to Maintain

A stonework fireplace is built to last. So, you don't have any special maintenance tasks to keep the surround looking beautiful. What's more, cleaning the surround is easy. You really only need to wipe the surface down periodically to prevent dust buildup. If you spill something on the surface, do wipe it up quickly to avoid the liquid's penetration of the grout.

Stone Is Naturally Resistant to Fire

Fireplaces get hot. So, one of the reasons stone is so prized for the surround is because the material is naturally resistant to heat and fire. The material is so dense that only fire directly burning on it affects stone in any way — and that occurrence only creates a dark smudge. What's more, stone remains relatively cool even when the fire inside the firebox is roasting hot.

Stone Creates a Cozy Appeal

Stone was the original material for fireplaces. Old-time stonemasons would actually stack full stones to make fireplaces. Modern surrounds consist of thin slices of stone that make a veneer for the surround. Nonetheless, a stonework fireplace recreates that cozy scene of families gathering around the hearth for warmth.

Stone Masonry Is Customizable

Because masons no longer stack full stones to make the fireplace, you have a wide array of style options. For instance, contractors can recreate the rustic appeal of ruggedly stacked stones, or they can create a neat veneer with regularly cut stones. They can even use high-end materials such as marble or granite.

Reap the rewards of stone's natural qualities for your fireplace surround. Discover what a fireplace for sale can do for your home.

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