Thin Veneer

Lyons Sandstone is a Colorado-based, Colorado-quarried, all-natural sandstone quarry. All of our offerings are cut to specification in Lyons, Colorado. This is not a manufactured stone product.

We at Lyons Sandstone have decided that Colorado uses too much “manufactured stone veneer” or “lickem-stickem”. Manufactured stone veneer is uniquely poorly suited to Colorado due to the high number of freeze-thaw cycles we experience and the extremely high UV load our building are subjected to. Natural stone will easily outperform the man-made alternative. With this in mind, we have determined that we must offer a wide range of colors and patterns at a price that is competitive with the manmade product. We never want a designer or an owner to select the manmade product because they did not feel they could find quality natural stone they desired at a reasonable price point.

Natural Stone Thin Veneer can be a good alternative to either full depth veneer or manufactured stone veneers. Full depth veneer requires dedicated engineered support, but thin veneer weights under 15 pounds per square ft and can be directly adhered to the wall of your building just like stucco. Man-made products chip to reveal plaster or concrete and fade or change color in the sun. Our natural thin veneer offers all the advantages of real stone’s durability and colorfastness.

Many of our Thin Veneers are gauged and coursed products. This makes installation easier and faster. Full height, gauged products make a perfect dry stack layup as easy as block. Nominal sizes allow for mortar with the same perfection and speed. Both full height and nominals can be used to create a clean and simple coursed look or a more artistic pattern with 2:1 and 3:2 joints. Different heights can be selected and blended to create the look that is appropriate for your project whether it is a 27″ wainscot or a 6-story building.

Our thin veneer is offered in many distinctive stones and patterns

Rocky Mountain Rose

Rocky Mountain Rose is a traditional cut-face veneer. This pattern is available in either 2” coursed or random ashlar (shown here). We sell 4” corners for both, to create the appearance of the 4” full-depth veneer.

Aspen Ledge

Aspen Buff is a local Colorado buff quartzitic sandstone. Widely and historically used across the Front Range. Lyons Sandstone specializes in providing thin veneer in this product. Any of the “Rose” patterns can be replicated in this material.

Prairie Gold Ashlar

Prairie Gold ashlar is available in Dry-stack and nominal sizing for 2”/4”/6” course heights or 3”/6”/9” course heights. Prairie Gold Ashlar can be ordered as a mix of heights or as single course heights. It is also available as random ashlar.

Prairie Gold Modern

Sawn-face Prairie Gold is available in Dry-stack and nominal sizing for 2”/4”/6” course heights or 3”/6”/9” course heights. Prairie Gold Modern can be ordered as a mix of heights or as single course heights.

Ptarmigan Ashlar

Ptarmigan is Colorado quarried grey gneiss with hints of white and green. This is a very high density and strong stone. Ptarmigan Ashlar is a coursed cut of this material. Available as either ‘Dry-stack” or “Nominal” to allow for mortar, Ptarmigan ashlar can be order as either mixes of heights, or as single course heights.

Ptarmigan Modern is the same as Ptarmigan Ashlar except it has a sawn face rather than a broken face for a smoother and more modern look.

Ptarmigan Mosaic

Ptarmigan Mosaic thin veneer allows you to bring the concept of a historic “rubble rock” wall into your project without the weight and cost of a full rock wall.

Mesa Gray

Mesa Gray is a basalt, quarried from the lava flows in Southern Colorado. We produce a coursed strip stone in either full depth or thin veneer. This stone has high number of bubbles, which contribute to a unique, aggressive texture, without rending it vulnerable to freeze-thaw damage. Available as either ‘Dry-stack” or “Nominal” to allow for mortar, Mesa Grey can be order as either mixes of heights, or as single course heights. Available as either Broken Face or sawn face.

Sugarloaf

Sugarloaf is a locally quarried, predominantly dark grey variegated granite. Lyons Sandstone cuts flats off of rip-rap to make a mosaic style thin veneer.

Federal Rose

Sawn on four sides with the natural cleft showing, this veneer installs very quickly and adds a modern elegance to any project. The sawn heights let you install this stone in courses or a random pattern. It is available in both full heights for dry-stack layup or nominal heights to allow mortar joints. Federal Rose is available in exact and nominal sizing for 2”/4”/6” course heights or 3”/6”/9” course heights. This pattern is also available in the Aspen product line.

College Rose

Similar to Federal Rose, College Rose has sawn heights, but with angled quarry ends that create a less formal feel. College Rose can be installed in a coursed pattern, which can mix the sawn heights, or an ashlar pattern. Dry stack typically installs faster, because there are no joints to tend in either coursed or ashlar patterns. Coursed dry-stack offers the fastest installation. College Rose is available in exact and nominal sizing for 2”/4”/6” course heights or 3”/6”/9” course heights. This pattern is also available in the Aspen product line.

Cottage Rose

With snap cut sides and the natural cleft facing out, Cottage Rose helps create a rustic atmosphere. Our least expensive thin veneer, it is ideal for a coursed installation. Cottage Rose is available in nominal sizing for 2”/4”/6” course heights or 3”/6”/9” course heights. This pattern is also available in the Aspen product line.

Provincial Rose

Like Cottage Rose, Provincial Rose is snap cut on four sides. It offers a random—not coursed—blocky, European look. This pattern is also available in the Aspen product line.

Milagro Ledgstone

Milagro is a quartzitic sandstone. Neutral with brown speckles, it works well with today’s desire for earth tones. Low solar gain. Available in pavers, slabs, strip stone, and thin veneer. Quarried in New Mexico.

Milagro Ledgestone is a vein cut option in this Material. Available as either coursed or random. The coursed option is available as either ‘Dry-stack” or “Nominal” to allow for mortar and can be order as either mixes of heights, or as single course heights. Mixing this with Milagro Ashlar works very well and provides more variegation.

Milagro Mosaic

Canyonwood

Canyonwood is a low weight rhyolite, quarried in Colorado. Highly variegated in color. This stone works easily, allowing us to match historic buildings or meet modern design requirements. It looks best with a snap cut of hand-pitched surface. Product is available in wall stone, veneer, pavers, and thin veneer. Typically full color range, however color sorting is possible if required.

Canyonwood Mosaic

Natural stone thin veneer made from a locally quarried Rhyolite. This is the mosaic option. Also available in a coursed ashlar pattern. This material is highly variegated in color and historically widely used.

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