Stone Exteriors Are All The Rage

Lueder's limestone leads the way ...

In North Texas, we've entered a new stone age, in which builders, architects and masons are using a host of natural and engineered materials to give an Old World look to new homes.

Whether it's Lueders limestone quarried in Texas or man-made blocks virtually indistinguishable from their natural counterparts, stone imparts an upscale aesthetic to almost any structure.

Of course, stone buildings are hardly a modern invention. "Just think about the Parthenon or Stonehenge, and you realize that natural stone is very long-lasting," says Melody Turner, sales and marketing coordinator of Custom Stone Supply in Dallas. "The natural stone you see on homes comes from all over the United States and from around the world, including Africa, China and Brazil."

As with any material used for residences, trends vary. A few years ago, superwhite Austin stone was all the rage. It's quarried in Texas; man-made Austin stone also exists in all manner of shapes and sizes, though a cobblestone look using varied sizes typically adorns exteriors.
Ms. Turner says that in the last couple of years, Austin stone's popularity has waned and the more colorful Lueders limestone is outpacing it.

"Lueders limestone comes in various colors like yellow, gold, gray and buff, and people either use one shade alone or they use a blend of all of the colors," she says. "It's a nice alternative to the washed-out look of the all white, yet it's not too dark." Drawbacks of natural stone are its weight and expense. As a result, a new generation of manufactured stone as pictured to the right and above has provided an appealing alternative. (thanks to the Dallas Morning News and Trae Williams)