Natural Thin-Veneer: The Real Deal
By K. Schipper
For some jobs, there’s no substitute for natural stone – except for those minor considerations of costs, weight and installation issues.
The solution: thin-veneer cuts of quarried stone. Depending on the material and the location of the project, the thinner slices of natural stone can aid in structural stability, meet the aesthetic needs of clients and planning commissions, and become part of a sustainable-building plan.
In the following three projects, the natural alternative proved key in securing a job or providing just the right look for the customer
THE SECRET SAUCE: STONE
LOMBARD, Ill. – In 1977, John Koliopoulous opened his first Patio Restaurant offering family fast-fare to his clientele. His specialty: barbecue ribs.
More than three decades later, the ribs are acclaimed as among the finest in the Chicago area…and his newest restaurant is also getting raves with the use of plenty of thin-veneer natural stone.
Click image to enlargeMark Knauer, owner of Deerfield, Ill.-based Knauer Inc. and the restaurant’s designer, calls the new facility, “probably the finest-looking fast-food restaurant you’ll ever see; it looks like a fine-dining restaurant.”
While Knauer might be a bit prejudiced, he’s not a novice in designing such facilities. His firm specializes in the hospitality industry, and typical projects include hotels, restaurants, clubs, lounges and gaming facilities. When called in to do a fast-food restaurant, the firm creates a prototype.
However, this is a one-of-a-kind facility among the five built by Koliopoulous.
“All of his restaurants are very, very high quality,” says Knauer. “This is probably a little warmer and a little more family-friendly. John would probably be the first to say that the others are a little cold and stark.”
To help warm up the décor, the design incorporates 4,000-5,000 ft² of thin veneer Virginia Ledgestone from Fond du Lac, Wis.-based Natural Stone Veneers International Inc. (NSVI). (The job was sold by Marathon, Wis.-based County Materials Corp.)
Knauer cites multiple reasons for using thin-veneer stone on this project.
Click image to enlarge
“For one thing, there’s a consistency in the stone that allows us to write a spec and not have to spend a lot of time tracking things down,” he says. “We don’t have to make sure the contractor is furnishing exactly the right stone, and we don’t have to go out to the quarry or to the supplier to make sure it’s the right stone.”
The stone’s lighter weight doesn’t require the same level of structural detailing that the use of a full veneer would require. And, Knauer adds, when time is money, it goes up quickly.
“We have, of course, learned over the years some about how to deal with inside and outside corners,” Knauer says. “There are some differences to dealing with a 4” stacked stone. Fortunately, the mason (DTM Masonry Inc.) did a great job.”
Dan Mesch, owner of St. Charles, Ill.-based DTM, agrees that thin veneer can be a bit, as he says “tricky” in the corners. On the other hand, he says he’s becoming a fan of thin veneer products.
“We love using it because it’s lightweight,” he says. “It’s easy on our bodies.”
