Is Mountain View Stone Natural Stone?
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If you’re researching stone options for your home exterior, fireplace, or interior feature wall, you may be wondering: is Mountain View Stone real or natural stone? The answer is no, Mountain View Stone is not natural stone. It is high-quality manufactured stone veneer, engineered to look and feel like real stone while offering better consistency, easier installation, and long-term durability. In this guide, we’ll explain what manufactured stone veneer is, how Mountain View Stone is made, why many homeowners prefer it over natural stone, the difference between individual stones and panels, and what makes our product truly premium.
Who is Mountain View Stone?
Mountain View Stone is a family-owned and operated company where customer service is our top priority. Guided by biblical principles and our faith in Jesus Christ, we are committed to producing high-quality stone veneer, brick veneer, and fire pits, all proudly made in the USA, at fair prices. To ensure exceptional quality, every step of our production process is carefully monitored. We offer a wide variety of styles and colors suitable for interior, exterior, residential, or commercial projects. Quick to install and DIY-friendly, Mountain View Stone provides a practical, attractive solution for any project. With over 25 years of experience in the concrete industry, our stone and brick veneers are designed to look great and stand the test of time, backed by our 50-year limited manufacturer’s warranty. Our team is also a trusted resource for expert tips and inspiration, offering guidance on everything from installation and design ideas to cost comparisons and care & maintenance. Whether you’re a homeowner, designer, architect, or contractor, we are here to help bring your vision to life and ensure your project is a success.
What is manufactured stone veneer?
Manufactured stone veneer (MSV) is an architectural stone product crafted from lightweight aggregates, Portland cement, and mineral oxide pigments. Each piece is cast using molds taken from real quarried stone, capturing deep textures, natural contours, and authentic surface detail to create a finish that closely resembles natural stone. Mountain View Stone enhances this process with premium molds, advanced coloring techniques, and high-quality materials, ensuring that every stone looks and feels remarkably realistic.
Mountain View Stone vs. natural stone
Although Mountain View Stone is not real stone, it offers several advantages that make it an excellent choice for both interior and exterior applications:
1. Lighter weight & easier installation: manufactured stone veneer is significantly lighter than natural stone, allowing for faster installation, lower labor costs, no need for structural footings, compatibility with more surfaces, and unmatched flexibility for applications ranging from fireplaces to foundations and full siding installations.
2. Realistic texture with consistent thickness & quality: our stone is molded from hand-selected stones to ensure superior realism. Unlike natural stone, which can vary in thickness, weight, and shape, manufactured stone provides more consistent dimensions, reducing installation time and waste.
3. Expanded color options & customization: while natural stone is limited to what is available at the quarry, Mountain View Stone offers unique color palettes, consistent color blends, and custom color matching, giving homeowners and builders the flexibility to achieve their exact desired aesthetic.
4. Built for durability: Mountain View Stone is engineered to withstand UV exposure, freeze/thaw cycles, rain, moisture, and harsh temperature swings. It is backed by a 50-year warranty for long-lasting peace of mind, and can even be safely pressure washed, unlike most natural stone or lower-quality veneers (for more information on care & maintenance, please see our full care & maintenance guide).
5. More cost-effective than natural stone: manufactured stone typically costs less than natural stone because it ships more easily, installs faster and more simply, requires no additional structural support, and delivers premium quality and visual impact without the high price of real stone.
Mountain View Stone vs. faux stone panels
Faux stone panels are typically lightweight, thin, and molded as full sheets of resin, polyurethane, or composite materials. While they install quickly and can cover large areas rapidly, they often lack the three-dimensional texture, natural variation, and durability of true manufactured stone veneer, and typically cost significantly more per square foot than manufactured stone veneer. Choosing between the two depends on whether the priority is realism and long-term performance (manufactured stone veneer) or speed and ease of installation (faux stone panels).
Why Mountain View Stone is a premium stone veneer
Mountain View Stone isn’t just another stone veneer, it’s a premium product designed to outperform cheaper alternatives. Here’s what sets our stone apart:
1. High-grade raw materials: we use only top-tier aggregates, cement, and mineral pigments to ensure each stone is strong, durable, and visually realistic.
2. Meticulous production & superior detail: our stones are cast using highly detailed molds taken from natural stones. This results in crisp edges, deep textures, and true-to-life surfaces.
3. Color Lock technology: each stone is produced using Color Lock technology, ensuring long-lasting color vibrancy even in harsh climates and direct sunlight.
4. 50-year warranty: we back our products with a 50-year warranty, reflecting our confidence in their durability and long-term performance.
5. Pressure-wash safe: Mountain View Stone is one of the only stone veneer products we know of that can be safely pressure washed, offering unmatched convenience and durability (for more information on care & maintenance, please see our full care & maintenance guide).
6. Made in America: all Mountain View Stone products are manufactured in the USA with strict quality control standards.
7. Samples available: we offer samples for all stone and brick veneer profiles and colors, so you can evaluate texture, color accuracy, and quality firsthand before placing a full order.
8. Accessories & finishing pieces: to complete your project seamlessly, we offer capstones, hearthstones, trim pieces, outlet and light trim rings, window sills, and more, all designed to work with our stone and brick veneer lines for a cohesive, polished finish.
Individual stones vs. stone panels
Another common question is whether Mountain View Stone is available as individual stones or in panel systems. The answer: most of our profiles are individual stones, but we also offer a mini panel option:
1. Indivdual stones: most Mountain View Stone profiles consist of individual stones made from premium Portland cement that naturally vary in size, shape, and thickness like real stone, and to achieve the finished look shown in our product images, installers must arrange the stones in a balanced, natural pattern and install them one piece at a time. Because manufactured stone is made of Portland cement, full-size panels would be extremely heavy and difficult to handle. That’s why nearly all high-quality stone veneer on the market uses individual stones.
2. Ready stack mini stone panel system: for customers seeking the speed of a panel-style installation, we offer our ready stack, a mini panel stone system. Each panel is 4 inches high, varies in length (5.5”, 8.25”, 11”, and 16.5”) and thickness (1.5”-2.5”), and contains multiple stones cast together on a single surface. Installed in sections, ready stack provides a faster installation process while still requiring careful placement to achieve the natural stacked-stone appearance shown in our product images.
Frequently asked questions
1. Is Mountain View Stone real stone? No. It is a manufactured stone veneer made from cement, aggregates, and pigments.
2. Does manufactured stone look real? Yes. Our products are molded from natural stone, giving them authentic texture and character.
3. How durable is Mountain View Stone? Very durable. They withstand harsh weather, moisture, UV exposure, and freeze/thaw cycles, and are backed by our 50-year warranty.
4. Can Mountain View Stone be used indoors and outdoors? Yes, our stone is designed for both interior and exterior applications.
5. Is Mountain View Stone lighter than natural stone? Yes. This makes installation easier and more cost-effective.
6. Can I pressure wash Mountain View Stone? Yes. Our stone veneer is pressure-wash safe (for more information on care & maintenance, please see our full care & maintenance guide).
7. Does Mountain View Stone come in panels? Yes, our ready stack line is a mini panel system. All of our other profiles are individual stones.
8. Is manufactured stone cheaper than natural stone? Typically, yes. It reduces material, shipping, and installation costs.
Is Mountain View Stone natural stone?
While Mountain View Stone is not real stone, it delivers the authentic look of natural stone with added benefits: lighter weight, easier installation, more color options, long-term durability, and a 50-year warranty. With individual stone options, a mini panel system, and premium manufacturing quality, Mountain View Stone remains a top choice for homeowners and professionals who want a stone finish that’s beautiful, durable, and built to last.
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What's next?
Enhance your home with premium manufactured stone veneer featuring realistic textures and natural color variations. Order a sample to experience the authentic look and feel up close or shop now to begin your project and achieve a timeless, durable finish that transforms any space.
Have a question?
Please see our full terms of service.
Check out our frequently asked questions.
For general information and questions please call: (864) 882-8960 Mon. - Fri. 8am - 5pm (EST) or email: info@mountainviewstone.net we are more than happy to help you.
Or you can submit your questions via our contact us page.
We look forward to working with you on your upcoming project.
The Mountain View Stone Team
Pictured is ready stack black forest.
