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Most of the time many of us would argue that natural is always better than artificial, however, when we are talking about natural stone and artificial stone this is not necessarily what you will find. At Al Manaratain, our cast concrete artificial stone products are accepted as the economic and environmental alternative to natural stone, of which we have two different types readily available, artificial stone edging and artificial stone walling.

Artificial Stone Edging Vs Natural Stone Edging

Artificial stone edging, also referred to as artificial stone siding, has the appearance of natural stones set on edge and mortared into place, but as each straight section contains nine ‘stones’ and the corner piece is ready-made, it’s by no means as tricky as it looks. Sunk into a shallow trough in the soil or laid directly on any good level surface it makes a charming rustic border to pathways, gravel drives or flower beds. Used as a coping to finish the walls of Hadrian or Cotswold, it recreates perfectly the traditional look of a craftsman-built dry stone wall.

You may be wondering how this compares to natural stone. A limitation of natural stone is that it is heavier and therefore using it is more difficult and time-consuming. Opting for artificial stone is the best solution if you are hoping to quickly turn around a project, and it will save you a lot of money in the long run as time is money within construction.

Another downfall of using natural stone is that it can be temperamental to work with, whereas artificial stone edging can be created to the same weight so that the application process runs smoothly. There are also a number of techniques that can be used to streamline the fitting process. This process is called Madoc walling. Madoc walling is a single block of slate profile walling that gives the effect of separate slate pieces laid together. Unique Z-shaped blocks make it easy to build walls and edging as the pieces slot together easily, whilst giving off the same effect as if the stone were laid separately.

Artificial Stone Walling Vs Natural Stone Walling

Stone walling is a brilliant addition to any home but when it comes to the decision of choosing artificial stone walling or natural stone walling, we would always recommend opting for artificial This is because artificial stone is created from cast concrete, which has a number of very helpful benefits, including:

  • Aesthetically Versatile – Precast concrete can take nearly any shape or size, be manufactured in virtually any colour and comes in a wide variety of finishes. With precast, you are limited only by your imagination.
  • Reduced Costs – Cast concrete products are manufactured off-site, under roof and are delivered ready to install when needed. This innovative process compresses project schedules, reduces safety concerns, reduces site disruption and reduces overall project costs by requiring fewer trades for construction and fewer people on site.
  • Environment Resistant- Cast concrete structures provide superior resistance to fires, natural disasters, insects and mold. Like no other building material, its resistance to rain, wind damage, earthquakes, termites and decay provides lower maintenance and costs. It can also withstand many winters of freeze-thaw cycles better than other building materials.
  • Low Maintenance – The exterior of a cast concrete structure can be left unpainted without damage from the elements. If painting is desired, repainting is needed only every five to ten years.