Cultured Stone in Denver is a popular choice for fireplace surrounds. Made entirely of lightweight molded/colored concrete panels, Cultured Stone is frequently chosen for fireplace surround installations, especially when affixed over older red brick that looks outdated.

Cultured stone in Denver is a popular fireplace update for the same reasons brick was originally used. Both materials are certified by various testing performance standards as both non-combustible and generally incapable of producing smoke under assault from any temperatures a wood-burning fireplace would produce under normal conditions.

Why Seal A Cultured Stone Fireplace Surround?

At first blush it seems entirely counterintuitive to seal an inflammable material installed indoors. If your fireplace surround is for a gas insert we entirely agree that sealing it would be a waste of materials and labor.

However, if you are installing the new surround over the brick of a wood-burning fireplace, take a moment to inspect the condition of that brick. Chances are good that the brick over the opening of the fireplace is much darker than the rest of the surround. The brick need never have been flame licked by an out of control burn to appear this way either. Instead it is likely that years of exposure to superheated gases micro-depositing soot upon the surface of the brick is the culprit of the discoloration.

Oftentimes, a Cultured Stone Veneer product is installed over an existing wood burning fireplace to lighten the look of the room. Gone is the fire brick red or yellow and in comes a more natural color. Now imagine years of fume discoloration upon the lighter hued material. What to do?

Soot staining can be mitigated by scrubbing, but scrubbing cultured stone veneer has its pitfalls. Though the cultured stone materials we carry at ProCoat Systems of Denver are formed with pigmentation throughout the mold, many of the surface color variations to mimic the look of natural stone are surface pigmented. Scrubbing such a veneer too vigorously may irreparably harm it.

If your client wants to be able to clean their cultured stone surround, we recommend you tell them it should be sealed first. By applying a waterproof sealant to the cultured stone veneer fireplace surround, you accomplish two things: 1) the soot has a more difficult time permanently settling into the surface pores of the installation, and 2) if the soot has to be scrubbed away, the installation can be cleaned easier with less aggressive methods.

For more professional tricks and tips like these, never hesitate to contact ProCoat Systems of Denver.

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