Frequently Asked Questions

We’re a family-run operation that sells only 100% natural Stone — no manufactured veneer, no precast, no synthetics. The majority of our material is quarried in the USA and Canada, cut to order, and shipped direct rather than sitting in a yard. You talk to the same team from first sample to final truck, which keeps quality tight and timelines honest.

The majority of our Stone is quarried in the United States and Canada. North American sourcing is our default because it gives us tighter control over quality, lead times, and traceability, and a lower carbon footprint compared to imported material. For projects that call for a Stone we don’t cut here — historic matches, specialty finishes, or specific varieties from other regions — we can also source it on request.

Natural Stone is the real thing — quarried from the earth, no two pieces alike, full density, full mass, and built to outlast the wall it’s set on. Manufactured veneer (also called cultured, cast, or faux Stone) is just pigmented concrete poured into rubber molds. It’s lighter and cheaper up front, but you pay for it over time: the pigments fade under UV, the same handful of molds repeats across the entire wall, it spalls and cracks under freeze-thaw, and it never develops the aged patina real Stone picks up over decades. Once homeowners and architects see the two side by side, there’s no contest — fake Stone is a faux pas the project will regret. Kő doesn’t carry manufactured veneer, never has, and never will. Our promise is “All Natural. All the Time.”

Yes. And increasingly the material of choice for teams targeting high environmental performance. Natural Stone is quarried, not manufactured, so there are no plastics, resins, or synthetic pigments involved. The majority of ours travels short distances from North American quarries, which keeps embodied carbon low. It’s durable enough to outlast most buildings, it doesn’t off-gas, and at end of life it can be reused or returned to the earth. For LEED-certified projects and other green-building programs, tell us what you’re targeting and we’ll work with you on material selection and any documentation support we can help pull together.

Yes. Natural Stone is a non-combustible, Class A fire-rated material — it won’t ignite, feed a fire, or release toxic smoke under high heat. That makes it one of the strongest cladding choices for wildfire-prone areas and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones. Full veneer, thin veneer, and cut-Stone accents all qualify as non-combustible cladding under IBC Chapter 7 and California Chapter 7A (WUI) requirements. Paired with non-combustible trim, soffits, and roofing, natural Stone is one of the most resilient exterior skins you can build.

Natural Stone forms over millions of years, and no two pieces are identical. Variation in color, shade, veining, and texture is inherent to the material — it’s what separates real Stone from manufactured alternatives. Samples are representative rather than exact, so for tight color matching we recommend reviewing a sample board or seeing material in person before finalizing an order.

Yes. Most of our Stones are excellent for exterior horizontal and vertical use, including freeze-thaw climates, when properly installed with correct flashing, drainage, and mortar. Dense limestones, basalts, and granites are exceptional here: low water absorption, high compressive strength, and a long track record on some of the harshest building envelopes in the world. Softer or more porous varieties can also perform outdoors with the right installation, application, and location. Share your climate, exposure, and install plan with us and we’ll recommend the best fit; final selection remains the buyer’s and installer’s responsibility to confirm for the site.

Absolutely. Natural Stone is stunning inside — fireplace surrounds, feature walls, kitchen backsplashes, shower walls, entry floors, and full-slab countertops are all in our wheelhouse. Interior applications usually benefit from a penetrating sealer; softer Stones should be sealed before grouting on floors and countertops; and for wet areas we can recommend Stones with low water absorption. Share the space and intended use with us and we’ll walk through the best options for the aesthetic and performance you’re after.

Natural Stone is the original fireplace material — it handles high heat, it won’t burn, and it ages beautifully through decades of use. A few things to plan for: hearth Stones should be solid, dense, and a minimum of 2 inches thick per most residential codes (confirm requirements with your local jurisdiction); mantel Stones, especially long spans, need support sizing worked out with your mason; and firebox-adjacent Stone should be a heat-tolerant material like granite, basalt, or dense limestone rather than soft sandstone. We fabricate custom hearth Stones, mantels, and surrounds as standard work, and can cut to architect specifications on request.

Yes. Paving is one of our core categories alongside veneer. We fabricate dimensional and flagstone pavers in standard sizes and custom cuts for walkways, patios, driveways, pool decks, and rooftop terraces. We offer paving in limestones, basalts, granites, sandstones, quartzites, and more, and we’ll guide you toward the Stones and finishes that fit your project’s needs, whether that’s freeze-thaw durability, slip resistance underfoot, or a specific color and finish direction. Standard thicknesses run about 1½ inches for adhered overlay applications up to 3 inches for sand-set or mortar-set exterior paving. On custom orders we can go as thin as ¾ inch and as thick as 4 inches or more. When a project also calls for veneer, wall caps, sills, or treads, we can often pull all of it from the same block of Stone — keeping color and character consistent across every element on site. Share the square footage, substrate, and climate with us and we’ll recommend the right Stone and thickness.

Both are natural Stone paving — the difference is shape and coursing. Flagstone is irregular, hand-shaped Stone laid in a random pattern with variable joint widths; the installed look is organic and rustic, and each piece is hand-fit to its neighbors. Typical flagstone runs 1 to 2 inches thick and comes in random sizes off the pallet. Dimensional paving is sawn to precise rectangular sizes and held to a consistent thickness; the installed look is orderly and modern, with uniform joints and predictable coursing — it comes in single-size layouts, modular multi-size blends, and ashlar patterns. Flagstone reads informal and blends into the landscape; dimensional reads architectural and ties cleanly to a building. We fabricate both, and often blend them on the same project — dimensional near the structure, flagstone farther out into the garden.

Yes. Retaining walls, garden walls, steps, treads and risers, pool coping, outdoor kitchens, fire pits, water features, site walls, and boulder accents are all everyday work for us. We fabricate both the structural pieces (full-depth Stone for gravity walls, dimensioned treads, capstones) and the facing pieces (thin veneer over a structural wall for a seamless finish). For outdoor spaces that tie to a building, we’ll match the hardscape Stone to the architecture — same Stone or complementary — so the whole site reads as one composition.

Yes. Custom cut-Stone is one of our specialties. We fabricate coping and cap profiles for walls and parapets, wainscoting sills, window and door sills and lintels, treads and risers for stairs, mantels and surrounds for fireplaces, hearths, monuments, address Stones, balusters, and one-off architectural pieces. One of the real advantages of working with us on a full project is that the same block of Stone can be cut for your veneer, pavers, wall caps, wainscoting sills, window sills, treads, and surrounds — keeping color, tone, and character consistent across every element on the site. Most cut-Stone work starts from shop tickets we prepare against the architectural drawings, with profiles and dimensions confirmed before cutting. Share elevations, plans, or a reference image through Let’s Talk Stone and we’ll scope the piece list with you.

Thin veneer is sawn Stone, typically 1 to 1¼ inches deep and 10–15 lbs per square foot, installed over a prepared substrate with mortar — no structural footing required. Full veneer is full-depth Stone, typically 3–5 inches deep and 35–60 lbs per square foot, installed with a structural ledge or footing and wall ties like traditional masonry. Both use the same quarried material; thin veneer simply costs less to install because the weight is lower and no foundation work is required.

Thin veneer weighs approximately 10 to 15 pounds per square foot. A typical pallet carries about 150 SF of flats at 1,800–2,200 lbs, with corners shipped on separate pallets at roughly 100 LF per pallet and 500–1,000 lbs.

Yes. Custom fabrication is a core part of what we do. Custom sizes, blends, cuts, shapes, and finishes are all available, along with coping profiles, sills, treads, hearths, surrounds, caps, corbels, and one-off architectural pieces. Share dimensions, elevations, or an inspiration image through our Let’s Talk Stone form and we’ll work up a quote.

Yes. Our website highlights the Stones we work with most often, but our network of quarry and supplier relationships reaches well beyond what’s shown there. If you’ve seen a Stone somewhere else — an architectural precedent, an inspiration photo, a specific quarry or formation name, or a match to existing stonework — send us what you have and we’ll work on sourcing it. Availability, lead time, and pricing vary by Stone, and we’ll confirm each before placing any order.

Yes. Request hand-selected physical samples through our Let’s Talk Stone page and we’ll ship them quickly so you can see color and texture in person. Small-quantity orders are welcome; they typically travel as less-than-truckload (LTL) freight or alongside another shipment heading to your region.

Yes. We offer a complimentary selection consultation. Share your project details (location, application, aesthetic direction, budget, and timeline), and we’ll pull samples, suggest collections, and walk through pattern and grout options with you. It’s often the most useful thirty minutes at the start of a project, and it saves a lot of back-and-forth down the line.

Pattern selection is one of the biggest drivers of how a finished Stone wall reads. The four we fabricate for most often:

• Ledgestone — coursed rectangular pieces of varied heights laid in horizontal bands with tight joints. The most popular pattern in contemporary masonry and a good fit for almost any architectural style.
• Coursed — a more structured version of ledgestone where each row is cut to a consistent height and the rows alternate by size. More formal and architectural than random ledgestone, and a strong choice for traditional or transitional facades.
• Ashlar — a mix of rectangular and square pieces in different sizes, laid in a semi-organized layout. Reads more traditional and varied than straight ledgestone.
• Random (or rubble) — irregular shapes laid in an organic, hand-placed pattern. The most rustic of the common patterns and the classic East Coast fieldstone look.

We’ll help you pick a pattern that fits the architecture, the Stone, and the installer’s comfort level, and we can fabricate mixed blends when a project calls for something between the standard patterns.

Grout style is how the mortar between Stones is finished, and it’s one of the biggest visual levers in a Stone project. The most common options:

• Dry-stack — no visible mortar joints (mortar is set back behind the Stone face and hidden from view). Creates a tight, clean, contemporary look; works best with dense, regular-shaped Stone.
• Flush — mortar troweled level with the face of the Stone. A soft, uniform finish that reads more traditional.
• Raked — mortar recessed into the joint to create shadow lines and emphasize each Stone. A good choice for adding depth and dimension.
• Overgrout — mortar intentionally spread over portions of the Stone face and tooled for a rustic, weathered, old-world appearance. Popular on European-inspired architecture.

Grout color has nearly as much visual impact as the Stone itself. A few general rules of thumb:

• Matching grout (tinted to the Stone’s dominant color) tightens the visual read and makes the wall feel more monolithic, like one continuous piece of Stone.
• Contrasting grout, usually darker than the Stone, emphasizes the geometry and individual pieces — the traditional East Coast fieldstone and historic masonry look.
• Light grout (white, natural, or buff) brightens the overall wall and softens contrast. Often paired with darker Stones to add visual lift.
• Dark grout (charcoal, black, deep grey) recedes into the joints and makes each Stone read more individually, highlighting texture and shape.

Tinted mortar is mixed on-site by the installer, so getting a color right almost always involves a small test panel before the main install. We’re happy to help you think through grout color during Stone selection — it’s worth deciding before the first pallet is unloaded.

Natural Stone carries some dimensional variation by the nature of the material — it’s cut from the earth, not extruded from a mold, and that irregularity is what gives real Stone its depth and character. Kő holds tolerances in line with Natural Stone Institute (NSI) recommended practices for each Stone type and application. Typical veneer pieces run within about ±⅛ inch on sawn faces; cut-Stone items (coping, caps, sills, treads) are held tighter depending on the detail. Final joint widths and pattern density are established by the installer on a mockup panel — that’s where the finished look is dialed in, not in the fabrication tolerance. If your project has non-standard tolerance requirements, flag them with us before fabrication starts.

Face finish is the texture of the Stone’s visible surface, and it has an enormous effect on color, reflectivity, and how the Stone ages. The finishes we fabricate most often:

• Natural (split) face — the Stone’s natural cleft or quarry face, textured and irregular. The most common finish on thin and full veneer.
• Sawn / smooth — cut flat by the saw blade, no additional texturing. A clean, modern look, popular on contemporary veneer and cut Stone.
• Honed — mechanically sanded to a smooth matte finish. Tighter and more refined than sawn, with less reflectivity than polished. Common on interior floors and countertops.
• Polished — buffed to a mirror finish. Deepens color and reveals veining; typical on countertops and formal interiors, rarely used outdoors.
• Sandblasted — surface peened with sand under pressure for a subtly textured matte look. Softens color and hides foot traffic.
• Bush hammered — struck with a specialty hammer to create a pitted, uniform texture. Reads rustic and industrial, and adds excellent slip resistance.
• Flamed / thermaled — surface torched so the outer layer spalls off, leaving a rough, slip-resistant texture. Standard on exterior pavers, pool decks, and stair treads.
• Tumbled — barrel-tumbled to soften edges and faces for an aged, old-world look.
• Brushed / antiqued — mechanically brushed (often after flaming or tumbling) to soften sawn edges and create weathered character.
• Chiseled / pitched — hand-worked for a rusticated texture, often used on edges and architectural accents.

We’ll pair finish to Stone and application — flamed-and-brushed granite for a pool deck, honed limestone for an interior floor, split-face quartzite for a fireplace. Share the application and aesthetic direction and we’ll recommend the right finish.

Edge finish is how each veneer piece is cut at the top, bottom, and ends. Different combinations produce very different looks:

• Sawn tops and bottoms with snapped ends — the most popular thin veneer format. Sawn top and bottom edges stack tightly for clean horizontal courses, while snapped (broken) ends give each piece natural, hand-built character on the vertical joints.
• Fully sawn — all six faces sawn clean. Reads modern and architectural, with tight joints on every side.
• Quarry-chopped / hand-chopped ends — ends worked by hand with a Stone hammer rather than snapped mechanically. Rougher and more irregular than snapped ends, for a traditional masonry look.
• Tumbled — finished veneer barrel-tumbled to round edges and soften the face. Gives Stone an aged, reclaimed-look feel.
• Rock-pitched / rock face — edges hand-pitched with a chisel for a heavily rusticated, old-world appearance.
• Fully natural / split — no sawn edges; the Stone is split to approximate shape and laid in a random or rubble pattern.

Most thin-veneer projects use sawn tops-and-bottoms with snapped ends — it’s the best balance of tight coursing and natural character. For a more rustic or traditional project, we’ll move toward quarry-chopped or tumbled. For a contemporary project, fully sawn tightens everything up.

Coping and cap Stones are fabricated with a specific edge profile — the finished outside edge visible on the wall, sill, or counter. Standard profiles:

• Square — 90° sharp edge. The most architectural and modern look.
• Eased — corner slightly softened by about ⅛ inch; looks square to the eye but removes the sharp chip hazard.
• Chamfered — 45° bevel cut on the corner for a crisp, geometric accent.
• Bullnose — half-round edge; soft, traditional, and the common choice for pool coping and residential caps.
• Demi-bullnose (quarter-round) — quarter-round on the top edge with a square underside; popular for window sills and interior counters.
• Pencil — small, tight rounded edge; cleaner than bullnose, softer than square.
• Rocked / rock-pitched — edge hand-pitched with a hammer for a rough, rusticated profile. The traditional Stone-wall look.
• Thermaled (flamed) edge — flame-finished for a rough, textured edge that ties visually to thermaled tops.
• Ogee and custom profiles — S-curve and other decorative profiles are cut on request for architectural work.

Coping typically also includes a wash (a 1–2° top slope to shed water) and a drip edge (an undercut groove on the underside) to keep water off the face of the wall. We detail the profile on the shop ticket before fabricating, and can cut a profile sample for approval on larger or custom jobs.

Measure square feet (SF) for veneer flats, full-veneer, and paving. Measure lineal feet (LF) for thin-veneer corners, coping, sills, treads, lintels, surrounds, and trim. Cut-Stone items — caps, corbels, balusters, monuments — are calculated per piece. Add a 5–10% overage to account for cutting waste, joint variation, and site adjustments. Our team offers complimentary take-offs from your plans, so email us your elevations and we’ll scope the order with you.

Yes. Send elevation drawings, plans, or reference photos to the Kő team and we’ll prepare a take-off at no charge to help estimate your order. Final quantities should always be verified by the installer before placement.

Most orders require a 50% non-refundable deposit to start, with the balance due prior to shipment. The deposit reflects the fact that every order is custom-fabricated for a specific project — once we begin cutting, the Stone is dedicated to you and can’t be reallocated. Some orders, including larger custom fabrication work, first-time accounts, and certain quarry-direct shipments, may require 100% payment upfront; when this applies, we’ll note it at the time of quoting. We accept all major forms of payment, and buy-now-pay-later financing is available for qualifying orders.

Once fabrication begins, orders are non-returnable and non-cancellable, and deposits are non-refundable — per our Terms & Conditions of Sale. Inspect all materials on delivery and notify us in writing within 3 business days of any issue. If you end up with extra material after installation, reach out and we’ll see what we can do; any accommodation is handled case-by-case at Kő’s discretion.

Lead times vary by Stone, quantity, and whether the order requires custom fabrication. Stock veneer typically ships within 2 to 3 weeks; custom-cut pieces, architectural accents, and quarry-direct shipments generally run 4 to 8 weeks. We’ll confirm the lead time in writing when the order is quoted.

Orders ship direct from our fabrication facility — or from our yard when the Stone is already on hand — rather than bouncing through a third-party warehouse. In many cases we run the trucking ourselves from facility or yard straight to your site, which keeps handling steps low and breakage down. Full-truckload (FTL) shipments carry approximately 22–24 tons and are most efficient for larger projects. Smaller orders ship as less-than-truckload (LTL), either on their own or combined with another order heading your way. Deliveries arrive via flatbed for pallets or dry van for boxed cut Stone, depending on the order.

You’ll need a forklift, reach lift, or skid steer with forks to offload pallets — that’s typically enough for a flatbed, where the pallets can be reached from the side of the trailer. Dry-van (enclosed) deliveries also require a pallet jack, or a pallet clamp with chains, to move pallets from inside the trailer to the door. If you aren’t set up to offload on your end, we’re happy to handle it — when Kő is running the truck, we can bring the right equipment and crew to offload the Stone at your site for an added fee. Just flag it when scheduling so we can price it into the delivery and coordinate gear for your site.

Let us know as early as possible and we’ll work with you. Construction schedules move, weather happens, and we’d much rather coordinate ahead than surprise anyone. On a case-by-case basis we’re happy to hold finished Stone in our yard until your site is ready, or to time delivery around your crew. The earlier it’s communicated, the more flexibility we can offer. Materials that sit past the scheduled ship or delivery date without prior arrangement may be subject to reasonable storage fees per our Terms & Conditions of Sale.

A few best practices: keep pallets on level ground, elevated off raw dirt (use dunnage or a pallet on blocks), and covered with a tarp or poly to protect from rain, mud splash, and freeze cycles during extended wait times. Don’t stack pallets on top of each other. When opening pallets, have the installer pull from multiple pallets at once to blend natural variation across the wall rather than finishing one pallet at a time. Handle corners especially carefully — they’re the most fragile pieces on the delivery and the most time-consuming to replace.

Thin veneer installs over any structurally sound substrate — CMU block, poured concrete, cement board, or a scratch coat applied over lath. The key requirements are a clean, level surface and a proper scratch coat for bonding. No structural footing or ledge is required. Full veneer does require a structural foundation or ledge to carry the additional weight.

Yes. A skilled installer makes or breaks the finished look of a natural-Stone project, and we keep a list of masons we’ve worked with across the country. Reach out with your project location and we’ll recommend installers in your area. For teams new to natural Stone, our AIA-accredited Lunch & Learn covers best practices for specification and install.

Sealing depends on the Stone, the application, and your climate. Most exterior installations benefit from a breathable sealer that reduces water absorption, efflorescence, and staining. Denser Stones and dry-stack installations may not require sealing at all, while interior floors and countertops typically should be sealed. Follow Natural Stone Institute (NSI) recommended practices for your specific Stone, and expect to reapply every 1 to 2 years depending on exposure.

Clean with a pH-neutral Stone cleaner and water for routine maintenance. Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar, citrus, or bleach, which can etch calcium-based Stones such as limestone and marble. On exteriors, reseal grout lines annually, inspect for loose pieces after heavy weather, and address any staining quickly — stains are harder to remove the longer they sit.

Efflorescence is the white mineral deposit that sometimes appears on Stone or grout as water carries salts through the masonry to the surface. It’s common on new installations and usually self-resolves as the wall cures. Minimize it with proper flashing and drainage, a breathable sealer, and a clean water source during install. Persistent efflorescence can be removed with a specialty efflorescence cleaner.

Yes. Every Stone we carry has a downloadable spec sheet covering density, water absorption, compressive strength, and modulus of rupture — the ASTM data architects need to write a complete natural-Stone specification. We also maintain CAD details for common installation conditions (thin veneer over CMU, thin-veneer corners, coping and cap terminations, sill profiles) and will prepare custom details to match your assembly on request. Send the project and applications you’re specifying through Let’s Talk Stone and we’ll pull the relevant package together.

Yes. For any project where pattern, grout color, and installer workmanship matter — which is most projects — we recommend building an on-site mockup panel before the full install starts. A 3′ × 3′ panel lets the design team approve pattern density, grout color, joint width, and installer technique in place, and becomes the approved standard of workmanship for the rest of the job. We’ll coordinate mockup material with your mason and join the review if schedules permit.

Yes. Our natural Stone products fit under CSI MasterFormat Division 04 22 26 (Adhered Stone Veneer) and Division 04 43 00 (Stone Masonry), depending on the assembly. We’ll provide a starting spec section, Stone data sheets, and any performance data needed to finalize your project manual. Custom Stone — cut pieces, coping, architectural accents — can also be specified by drawing and shop-ticket reference.

Yes. And it’s part education, part inspiration. Our AIA-accredited Lunch & Learn covers the technical ground you’d expect — natural-Stone selection, thin versus full veneer, installation best practices, sourcing, and spec support — and spends just as much time on the design side: real project applications, pattern and finish pairings, custom fabrication possibilities, and how Stone can elevate everything from residential architecture to commercial facades, hardscape, and interior detail. Many design firms have earned CEUs through the program, and most leave with a notebook full of ideas for their next project. Request a session through Let’s Talk Stone.

Yes. On a case-by-case basis we’re happy to come see you. Site meetings, in-office design reviews, and jobsite walk-throughs can all be arranged; just reach out and we’ll work to make it happen. We also run our Stone Tour every year, visiting clients, designers, builders, and quarry partners across the United States and Canada — often we can fold a visit into a nearby Tour stop, or schedule one around it. Reach out through Let’s Talk Stone and we’ll figure out the best way to connect in person.

Yes. Professional photography of finished projects is a core part of how we capture and share our work — both for our portfolio and for future clients picturing a similar application. After install, we’ll send a short Project Completion Form to coordinate permission, timing, and any privacy considerations. Featured projects appear on our website, Instagram, Pinterest, and Houzz, and several are written up as case studies. If you’d prefer your project stay private, that’s fine too — just let us know.

We love Stone. That’s the short version. We genuinely enjoy every step of a project — from helping you pick the right material with samples and sizing guidance, to working through design decisions, patterns, and finishes, to fabricating and shipping the order, right down to talking your mason through tricky install details at the point of set if needed. Once your project is scoped, you have a direct line to our team for whatever comes up — design questions, schedule shifts, install support, or just confirming a detail before the trowel goes down. That’s the level of care we build in from day one, and it’s why so many of our clients come back for their next project.