About Castlestone

Castlestone, Inc . was formed in 1980 by Mr.Alex McCulloch , with over 20 years experience in stonework. We specialize in high quality Cast Stone, working with landscape/hardscape Architects. Having the experience to manufacture directly from your drawings/photographs we are able to produce a comprehensive range of Mantles, Stone Fireplaces, Columns, Urns, Balustrades, Garden Ornaments, Lions, Door Surrounds, Pool surrounds, Steps, & Sundials.

The earliest known use of Cast Stone dates about to the year 1138 and was seen at Carcassonne, France, the Cité which contains the finest remains of medieval fortification in Europe. Cast Stone was first used extensively in London in around 1900 by Jenny Coade, known as "Coade Stone" and gained widespread acceptance in America in 1920.

Today, Cast Stone is a truly superior alternative to natural cut building stone. Combined with its ability to simulate or reproduce an almost limitless variety of natural stones, Cast Stone offers many advantages over cut stone. Cast Stone can be integrally reinforced with steel and precisely colored through aggregates or mineral oxides. Mix designs have tested engineering values which result in a predictable durable life.

Strength and weathering qualities are consistently better than natural stone because the manufacturing process is controlled. Properties such as these cannot be assured in a quarried building stone. Repetitive treatment, either as trim or ornament, can be achieved quite economically in Cast Stone. The ability of Cast Stone to replicate deteriorating natural stone on existing buildings makes it an ideal material for the remodeling or restoration of old structures.

Cast Stone is a highly refined architectural building stone, usually made up of white cement and a combination of various sizes aggregates of white marble, quartz, or other durable white stone. The aggregates are numerous and are meticulously graded by sieve analysis to produce a material that is dense and lack voids.

The cast material is impervious to moisture, and will test in compression to 6,000 psi and not over 5% water absorption. The surface skin of the cement on cast stone is removed to expose the white stone (or other) aggregates, which reflect and sparkle over the matrix.

Since cast stone is a type of architectural precast stone, the question is often asked: "What is the difference between cast stone and architectural precast concrete?" The short answer is that cast stone is used in place of natural stone. As a type of building stone, cast stone is specified under the masonry division 04720. It is usually set by a masonry contractor using standard building stone anchors. Perhaps most important, and unless otherwise specified, cast stone looks like natural stone, dimensional, cut building stone. Upon close examination, the finish of cast stone looks like limestone.

To distinguish its appearance from the "pebbly with voids" appearance normally associated with concrete. This dense finish is more resistant to weather and dirt, and the fine aggregates retain the granular texture through decades of exposure to the elements. The character of Cast Stone, made as described above, is similar in color, texture, and appearance to a good grade of natural cut limestone, but is stronger, since strength can be controlled through the manufacturing process and is more impervious to water, weather, and dirt. By controlling the proportion of white and /or gray cement, manufactured or natural sands, carefully selected crushed stone or well-graded natural gravel, and mineral coloring pigments, cast stone can be made to simulate perfectly many other natural cut building stones, such as brownstone, sandstone, bluestone, granite, slate, keystone, travertine, and others.

Although Cast Stone can be used as a substitute for limestone and architectural precast concrete, there are some limitations. Where precast concrete, division 03450, is specified and is designed as non-structural or minimally load bearing, Cast Stone can be used. In instances where the precast concrete is structural or a combination of structural and decorative, Cast Stone should not be used.

Since Cast Stone is a division 4 masonry material, sizes and connection methods should be within the scope of work to be performed by the masonry contractor. In addition to not designing structural pieces, the vibrant dry tamp method of Cast Stone, which involves ramming earth-moist concrete against rigid formwork until ready for immediate removal from the mould, does not lend itself to large panels.