1. Similar in appearance to natural bricks

Years ago, the contrast between brick veneer and traditional concrete or clay bricks was jarring.  You could easily distinguish which was veneer and which was natural.

Not anymore.

Today’s modern brick veneers are made from clay and shale. This ensures that the look and feel/texture of veneer is virtually identical to regular bricks.

In fact, the only noticeable difference comes in thickness:

• Veneer brick panels are approximately 1” thick
• Natural bricks are around 3”- 4” thick

Which leads us to…

2. Veneer is very lightweight

Because veneer is lightweight compared to natural bricks:

• They’re much easier to handle and manipulate during installation
• The surface underneath brick veneer doesn’t need to have excessive weight-bearing element
• They can be installed on most residential walls

3. Lower monetary and time costs compared to natural bricks

Perhaps the most appealing advantage of brick veneer is that they’re much more affordable versus natural stone bricks – in all aspects:

• Unit costs
• Construction and/or installation costs (when measured by the square foot compared to conventional bricks)
• Time spent during installation and maintenance
• Cleaning and/or care costs

And because today’s brick veneer is just as strong as conventional bricks, they’ll last an exceptionally long time without requiring high maintenance costs.

4. Ease of installation for DIY’ers

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer, it’s much easier to install and keep brick veneer vs. full bed brick.

Here’s are a few reasons why

• Usually only one layer of masonry should do the trick
• Brick veneer requires a very simple support system, compared to solid brick which needs a heavier (and more expensive) foundation
• Veneer doesn’t require much maintenance once it’s installed
• It is very easy to paint or stain brick veneer in the colour of your choice

View our gallery to get some design inspiration for your next veneer project

5. Great insulation

Most brick veneer is graded and sold based upon their insulation capacity. This is known as R-Values.

When installed properly, homeowners can take advantage of the veneer’s high insulation capacity.

This also means they can use brick veneer just about anywhere in the home to create the perfect level of insulation, comfort and style

• • • Fireplaces
    • Walls
    • Siding
    • Kitchen backsplash

Want to know more about brick veneer? Just ask

Many people have already made it a priority to visit any of our 4 locations to learn more about brick veneer. And if you’re interesting in experiencing the benefits of brick veneer, you should too. Of course, you can always request more information or a FREE quote when it comes to our veneer products.

The post Five Key Advantages of Brick Veneer appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

A common question that we hear all the time is: “What is the difference between brick and brick veneer?” Brick (also known as full bed veneer) and thin brick veneer often look identical. However, there are key differences.

Mainly, thin veneer products are not real stone or brick. Instead, they are often cement-based and shaped in moulds made from real stone and brick. This makes them affordable, and just as beautiful as the real thing. However, this also makes them thinner, less durable, and more prone to moisture absorption.

Brick veneer is all about wedding aesthetic to functionality. Whether you want rustic stone, traditional red brick, or smooth modern brick, brick veneer is lighter, easier to install and more affordable than full bed veneer brick.

Styles of Thin Stone Veneer

You may be surprised at the style options available when you choose thin brick or stone veneer. Forget the thin plastic sheet you may have seen in the past. Grand River Natural Stone’s veneer is real stone, that looks and feels just as you’d expect.

Style options include:

• Fieldstone: Rounded, uniquely shaped fieldstones give outdoor monuments, landscaping, and home exteriors a rustic feel.
• Classic brick: The red, uniform brick look has been a staple for years for a reason. This veneer is especially popular in interior restoration projects because it doesn’t take up much space.
• Large strips: You can achieve a very modern, or even minimalist look with brick veneer. Our large strips come in neutral colours and create dramatic shadows.

The Advantages of Brick Veneer Over Brick

The style options aren’t the only reason to choose brick veneer over brick. Brick veneer is lighter, thinner and less time-consuming to install than real brick, (though it still requires expert installation), which means it has lower costs.

Once the brick veneer is installed, you may also notice that it takes up a lot less room in your space than full bed brick veneer would have.

Brick veneer is a great choice to keep your living space large, especially in older historic houses that are much smaller, to begin with. You can get the look of an original historic home but get a bit more space with brick veneer.

If you’re curious about the looks you can achieve with brick veneer, take a peek at our brick veneer catalogue. You’re sure to find a style that’s right for your home or project, and you’ll be saving money and space by choosing brick veneer over brick. Contact us today to get your project started.

The post What is the Difference Between Brick and Brick Veneer? appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

If there’s one type of project most do it yourself homeowners can’t take on, it’s brick. Bricklaying is a special skill and even if you completed multiple home renovations over the years, you probably never did it yourself.

No big deal. You can still get the brick look you want at home without hiring a contractor.

DIY junkies choose real or faux brick veneer because:

1. The look is indistinguishable from full depth brick when installed.
2. It’s lightweight, so projects rarely require any reinforcing.
3. It’s easy to install, with multiple installation options.

Find the right brick veneer product with the best installation option for your family today and give your home the look you want this weekend.

Installed brick veneer looks just like full depth brick

When the job is done, nobody will see the difference.

Natural brick veneer is natural brick.

Faux brick and faux stone veneers aren’t the flimsy, obvious reproductions they once were. If you walked by a faux installation in a friend’s house, you wouldn’t even know.

Even when you put your hands on a real or faux veneer, you probably won’t be able to tell the difference.

Lightweight veneer doesn’t need any sort of structural reinforcement

Brick or stone veneer is a lightweight product (relatively speaking). Lifting and installing generally isn’t a problem, unless you want your infant children in on the job.

The craftsmanship and longevity of traditional brick masonry construction will always have an appeal, but there are lots of times when full depth just isn’t an option. If you want to get the look and charm of interior brick walls without the hassle of reinforcing the floors, rebuilding the walls, and losing space, brick veneer is the solution. If you want to remove that vinyl siding, brick veneer is the solution.

Brick veneer is easy to install, with multiple options

Brick veneer comes in a range of installation options, including:

• Panels.
• Screw-on.
• Individual stones.

Brick veneer panels are pretty self-explanatory. Brick or faux brick sections of wall come preassembled, and the homeowner sticks them to the wall in interlocking poster-paper sized sections.

Some stone veneer comes in screw-on pieces, where individual stones are attached to brackets, which you screw directly to the wall. No mortar required.

Of course, you can also get individual veneer stones to attach with mortar, one at a time. This is the most work-heavy installation method.

Review the main benefits

Brick veneer looks and performs like the real thing.

It’s lightweight and doesn’t require any special reinforcing or substantial muscles to install.

It’s easy to install and you can choose the best option for your skills.

Value you can’t ignore

Brick veneer is a superb choice for a rich appearance and some easy DIY installation.

Get the same products the pros use, but install it yourself over the weekend.

Contact us for pricing on a few brick veneer products today.

The post Do It Yourself! Why Most DIY Homeowners Choose Brick Veneer appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.

Firstly, everyone at the four Grand River Natural Stone locations (Kitchener, Stoney Creek, London & Fergus) would like to wish you all the best for the New Year.

Speaking of the New Year, January has always been a popular time to install brick veneer.

That’s because of its five key advantages which homeowners and contractors alike find very appealing:

1. 1. Similar in appearance to natural bricks
2. 2. Veneer is very lightweight
3. 3. Easy to install for do-it-yourselfers
4. 4. Provides great insulation (especially those made from waterproof composite material)
5. 5. Cost savings compared to natural bricks

Our first blog of 2017 takes a closer look at the benefits of brick veneer products vs. siding, concrete bricks or clay bricks.

Veneer delivers the benefits of full-size brick…

Incredibly versatile and durable, brick veneer can be used to replace a variety of outdoor siding materials for your home:

• Wood
• Metal
• Vinyl siding

Not to mention that brick veneer is perfect for your indoor or outdoor fireplace too.

And if you’re a do-it-yourselfer, you can smartly install them yourself without having to pull out your calculator and figure out the costs of using skilled bricklayers.

And that’s not to mention the additional price of having a foundation to support heavy, full-sized bricks as well.

…With the same ease of installation as siding

In 2017, there are modern, mechanically fastened brick veneer installation options.

And these are great for DIY’ers.

Here (in a nutshell) is how they work.

(Keep in mind that not all modern brick veneer panels are designed in this particular manner):

Front side of the panel

• Has the brick veneer stone on it
• That’s the side that will be outward facing from your home

Back side of the panel

• Has metal fasteners built into them
• Like a puzzle, these fasteners lock into each other
• When they’re in place, you simply bolt or screw them into the frame of your home.

Assuming your home already has framed walls, then brick veneer supplies all the advantages of real brick or siding when properly installed.

Additionally, your home’s resale value immediately rises and will continue to do so especially when compared to less expensive siding options.

More brick veneer benefits

Brick veneer is designed to look and act like the real thing.

And they’re designed to be incredibly easy to install too.

That said, there are other additional benefits to using brick veneer in and around your home:

• Lightweight, yet strong: Most veneer bricks are approximately 1” thick (compared to 3”-4” for conventional bricks). This lighter weight makes them easy to handle and install upon a majority of residential walls.

• Superior insulation & customization choices: Brick veneer panels are graded on their insulation levels (otherwise known as R-value).This give you the ability to customize the degree of insulation in different parts of the house where you choose to install it.

• Affordability: The costs of brick veneer construction and installation projects tend to be lower than those of traditional brick walls. Additionally, brick veneer tends to be easier to take care of, which means lower maintenance costs over many years.

Value that pays for itself

Considering the many advantages that brick veneer holds over other siding choices, such as:

• Ease of installation
• Accommodation of additional insulation
• Fireproofing
• Easy maintenance

Brick veneer wins easily.

Lastly, when it comes to appearance and aesthetics, it would take an expert to know that your veneer wall or fireplace is not actually made from brick.

We have the brick veneer you want at a cost you’ll love

Brick veneer is a superb choice for a rich appearance at a reasonable cost.

And as a homeowner – that’s all you can really ask for.

As we said off the top, January is a very popular time for brick veneer installation projects.  So we’re ready to help you with yours.

All you have to do is contact us with your questions or ask for a FREE quote on the brick veneer you’re interested in.

The post Benefits of Stone Veneer Installation Brick & Siding appeared first on Grand River Natural Stone.