ARRIS-cast Cast Stone: the perfect finishing touch!
Cast stone: a practical start to endless possibilities
Precious few things remain unchanged over generations, let alone centuries. In the building materials sector, continuous advancements deliver better windows, insulation, cladding systems – just to name a few evolving product categories. But, like brick, one building material remains as relevant and valuable in 2021 as it was a thousand years ago. In this post, we’re looking at the remarkable qualities of cast stone and how our sister company, Arriscraft, has modernized this timeless product. We’re proud to manufacturer ARRIS-cast stone in Fort Valley, Georgia!
So, while living in pyramids didn’t catch on, the practice of fabricating stone most certainly did. Some researchers* speculate that pyramid builders used blocks cast from ‘synthetic material’. We do know that the first recorded cast stone was in the 12th century in France and by 1900, was used extensively in London, England. In the 1920s, cast stone was commonly being used in American cities and the Cast Stone Institute was formed in 1927.
After nearly 100 years of regulation, cast stone’s technical and performance standards assure long-term performance and provide a product of ‘infinite life’ (which means exceeding 100 years).
The difference between Cast Stone and architectural precast stone
Cast Stone is used in place of natural stone and is specified under the masonry division 0470 00-04. Unlike architectural precast concrete, Cast Stone looks like natural, dimensional, cut building stone. The finish of Cast Stone looks like limestone (or, a sugar cube finish) which distinguishes it from the ‘pebbly with voids’ appearance which is normally associated with concrete. This dense finish is more resistant to water and dirt and the fine aggregates retain the granular texture through decades of exposure.
The raw material mixtures for Cast Stone are proportioned for maximum density to produce the fine-grained texture similar to natural stone. Suitable aggregates include limestone, marble, calcite, granite, quartz, natural sands, Portland cement, mineral oxide colouring pigments, chemical admixtures, and water. This range of options means Cast Stone is available in any colour and can replicate the look of limestone, brownstone, bluestone, granite, slate, travertine or marble.**
ARRIS-cast: modern Cast Stone for any project
As a leading manufactured stone supplier in North America, Arriscraft offers its own product line – ARRIS-cast, which gives customers a high-performance product with amazing finishing flexibility (including our exclusive rocked finish), unique colours and a broad range of shapes and sizes. With its natural fine grain finish, ARRIS-cast products are the perfect complement to Arriscraft’s premium calcium silicate Building Stone and our beautiful General Shale brick.
Explore the ARRIS-cast finishing touch!
From functional pieces, like steps, wall caps and sills to ornamental arches, to decorative pillars, keystones, quoins and even custom etchings, ARRIS-cast gives you endless possibilities to design with durability and beauty!
For more information, please visit our Accessories page where you’ll find all of accent products, including ARRIS-cast. You can also download the brochure for inspiration and contact your local dealer, distributor or representative. And, whenever you are planning to build a home, it’s a great idea to collect digital samples of accents and features you’d love to incorporate – we love Pinterest for this!
FOOTNOTES:
* http://archive.boston.com/news/science/articles/2008/04/22/a_new_angle_on_pyramids/
** Cast Stone Institute Technical Manual Copyright 2012