Stone Range Hoods. The Three Most Common Materials.Stone range hoods can and will add a fabulous architectural detail to most kitchens. Stone hoods are most commonly made from cast concrete. If you desire a true stone hood the price will be quite steep. You may also want to consider a cultured stone hood made from individual cast concrete stones. I will provide more information on all of these below. The first hood mentioned above is the cast concrete style. These hoods are constructed from lightweight concrete and look as close to the real thing as you can get. Molds are taken from real stone hoods with all of the detail and characteristics of the natural stones transferred to the cast material. Colorant is added to the concrete mix as well as the molds themselves to give not only the texture of the real stones but the colors as well. Trust me you will not be able to tell the difference between the real and cast hoods. The only way to tell them apart is to knock on them, there will be a thud with the cast stone and a very solid sound with the real stone. The lightweight nature of the cast stone also lends itself to easily being installed to the wall. Real stone takes a long time to complete and the price is extraordinary. Natural stone is the next on the list. Natural stone hoods are time consuming and very complex. A stone mason is needed to fit the stones and mortar them into place. Depending on the look you're after the time can be considerable. A design that requires no mortar joints will take weeks to complete. The reason for this is the time needed to chip, cut, fit, nip, chip some more, and so on until the pieces fit together perfectly. Stone masons are a very specialized group and their expertise and artistry is highly prized. That is if you can even find a stone mason because they are a dieing breed. Cultured stone is next on the list. Cultured stone is a poured concrete product that also utilizes stone molds taken from real stones. The benefit of these stones is of course the price compared to natural stone, but also the ease of installation. Believe me when I say anyone can put these stones up. The directions for installation are very clear and most manufacturers have videos on their websites to help you out. One thing I do have to say about these stones is that some styles do not look as authentic as their natural counterpart. Be sure to take a sample home and see how it looks before purchasing all of the stone you need. The boxes are very heavy and moving them inside your home only to find out they're not what you want will be hard on your back. Return From Stone Range Hoods To Range Hoods
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