Cast Stone for House Builders

How cast stone adds value to housing

Cast stone architectural detailing fits in with any style of housing, whether it’s finished in stone, brickwork or render. This hugely popular material is used for newbuild, extension and refurbishment projects, including areas of sensitive planning constraints, or where quarried natural stone is a predominant material.

Cast stone is finding a growing market with house builders and self-builders who want their properties to stand out. There’s a simple reason why. Cast stone offers class at an affordable price. The material adds kerb appeal, saleability and provides a close match to quarried natural stone at a fraction of the cost.

Where house builders can use cast stone

Cast stone architectural details turn even the plainest house facade into something special. Simple and economical to use, there are numerous ways to add interest from ground level to gable:

Openings: cast stone window surrounds, heads, cills (or sills) and keystones

Entrances: cast stone porticos, columns, pilasters and entablatures, architraves, cornices, steps

Walling: cast stone architraves, cornices, quoins, string courses, plinths

Gables and balconies: cast stone balustrading, parapet screening, plaques, brackets and corbels

Solid masonry: cast stone ashlar blocks, also known as reconstructed stone

Around the house: cast stone copings, piers and pier caps, spheres, finials, treads and risers

In the garden: cast stone balustrading, pool surrounds, fountains, seats, urns, planters and garden ornaments

People prefer cast stone on their houses – and a MORI poll proves it.

A national opinion poll commissioned by the UK Cast Stone Association from Ipsos MORI has shown that the vast majority of the British public prefer properties detailed in cast stone when given the choice between a property with this option (see top image of houses with cast stone) and one without (see lower image of the same houses without cast stone).

The survey also reveals people are prepared to pay nearly 5% extra for a property detailed in cast stone.

The survey showed that 79% of the British public prefer properties detailed in cast stone and are willing to pay an average 4.9% extra for the stylish look it adds to their property. That’s more than £12,000 extra per property based on the UK average house price (based on figures from the Government’s Office for National Statistics, published for July 2013). What would that be worth on an entire development?

UKCSA chairman Andy Cotton says: “The survey is a first but it backs up what many house builders already know – cast stone adds kerb appeal and that’s worth thousands. The Mori poll has shown an overwhelming public preference for cast stone and people are willing to pay extra for the classy look it adds to their property.”

Choosing the right cast stone supplier

Not all cast stone manufacturers are the same. Most operate without adequate quality assurance or testing regimes and may not be working to the proper standards. House builders should specify cast stone from cast stone manufacturing UKCSA Full Members to guarantee you are getting the best.

The National House Building Council (NHBC) recognises cast stone in its Standards and states: ‘The use of features made from cast stone should comply with the latest version of BS1217. Better still, use the higher standards adopted by UKCSA Members.’

The UK Cast Stone Association has its own Quality Mark Scheme for cast stone, which all UKCSA cast stone manufacturing Full Members are required to comply with. The UKCSA Quality Mark for Cast Stone gives further reassurance to users and specifiers of cast stone, that the cast stone they are using which has been purchased from an UKCSA Full Member is durable, and produced to the highest standards.

Technical aspects of cast stone

Some of the key technical aspects of cast stone standards, manufacture, design and use are considered within the updated and extended UKCSA Technical Manual for Cast Stone. The full UKCSA Technical Manual for Cast Stone is available to view online, or is available to downloaded and print on the UKCSA Downloads page.

Get a quality cast stone quote

How cast stone adds value to housing

Where house builders can use cast stone

People prefer cast stone on their houses – and a MORI poll proves it.

Choosing the right cast stone supplier

Technical aspects of cast stone

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