In traditional societies, poor people built their homes from cob (mud). Middle-class construction was largely wood while the rich people got to live in stone houses built by slaves, serfs, and servants. These days, most of us can afford to build with concrete.
But because of technology, regional climate, building laws, and convenience, most homes are made of drywall and vinyl siding. Fortunately, vinyl technology has come so far that plastic can convincingly pass for wood or stone. So let’s check out some vinyl stone siding ideas.
1. Like a Stone!
Natural stone can cost $50 per foot while vinyl stone siding costs less than $10 for the same volume. It’s also physically lighter, easier to install, and you don’t need to move out to mount it. Just look at the vinyl stone siding here. It looks exactly like stacked slate but it’s only a few millimeters thick. Your walls retain that raw rugged look with none of the construction work!
2. Vinyl Claptops and Stone Bottoms
Slate, limestone, and stone, basalt, and granite are the most common kinds of stone used in construction. You might see river rocks or concrete blocks too. To lower material costs, your contractors might suggest stone veneer, insulbrick, or adhesive plastic peels (which should only be used indoors). So double-check your purchase – it might not be vinyl stone siding.
3. Continental Covers
The Continental Siding Company is proficient at all sorts of faux siding, from logs and louvers to stone and cedar. Their vinyl stone siding is made of polyurethane so it’s tougher than typical polyvinyl. The style here has a raised profile to resemble curvy quarry stones. The siding comes in several colors including shaped pieces for corners, columns, and trim.
4. Cedar, Clapboard, and Cool Stone
Many types of natural stone are porous. So while they last a long time, they do absorb rain and atmospheric moisture that eventually makes them bloat and crumble if they’re not well sealed. And because stone conducts heat well, it can overheat during the day and get chilly at night. Vinyl stone siding is better for harsh weather. It’s waterproof and can be insulated.
5. Endurethane Stone Siding
When you’re shopping for vinyl stone siding, you’ll bump into loads of stone veneer brands like ClipStone, Certainteed, Qora, or Versetta. They’re thicker and heavier than vinyl because they’re fiberglass, foam, composite, or concrete. They also cost a little more. Because the visible surface is often true stone, veneer needs more care and maintenance than vinyl does.
6. Tempted to Touch
You’re probably worried your vinyl stone siding will look too fake. But as you can see here, PVC tiles can be quite convincing. The print, cut, and even the faux grout on this stone façade looks delightfully authentic. And you won’t have to worry about patina or moss. These staggered ‘rock faces’ have a 15-year no-fade warranty plus a 30-year usage guarantee.
7. Mixed Textures
If you’re a tactile person, you probably want a home that’s a mix of fabrics and features, from log panels to terracotta. But maintaining these different materials can be a pain. Especially for exteriors. So if you want a house that’s diverse but only needs a high-pressure hose, try this house. The exteriors are a magical mingling of vinyl clapboard and vinyl stone siding.
8. Cast Stone Siding
Visually, you might not know the difference between plastic stone and veneer stone. Both types can be molded, but vinyl stone siding is made of vinyl or polyurethane while cast veneers might have metal, fiberglass, or concrete in them. Some even have natural stone on the outer surface. So look for plastic cast siding if you’re interested in pocket-friendly vinyl.
9. Faux Stone Sheet Siding
It’s easy to mistake stone veneers for vinyl stone siding. But remember, veneers are thicker and probably have real stone in them – or at least concrete. But if you want bulk without weight, consider these plastic stone sheets. They’re made of cast polyurethane so they’re thicker and denser than adhesive vinyl sheets. And they’re safer than stick-ons for exteriors.
10. Home Comfort
It used to take months or even years to build a house by hand. These days, with power tools and modern construction materials, you can finish your house in weeks, and at a fraction of the cost. You can even redo your exteriors without leaving home! (Except for supply trips.) Here, the upper story siding is vinyl clapboard while the lower story is clad in vinyl stone.
11. Antico Polyurethane Siding
Yes, stone veneers can be made of plastic. Like this set of Antico vinyl stone siding sheets that you can order from Lowes. The individual panels are cast from polyurethane foam and painted by hand so they’re realistic in look and texture. You can order them in several colors and they come with a 25-year warranty. But you do need carpentry skills to install them.
12. Not for the Culture
Cultured stone is a type of stone used in veneer. It’s manufactured at a factory and is often made from concrete, colored, textured, and molded to resemble real stone. So if you do opt for veneer, check that the individual blocks are polyurethane rather than cultured. Ask your contractor – they probably offer both so they can mix and match within your budget.
13. Composing in Stone
Cultured stone may be a no-no in the world of vinyl stone siding. But just like polyurethane, you can get away with polypropylene blocks. These composite slabs have enough plastic to fall within the vinyl category. And Tando is a popular brand for stone vinyl. You can order stacked sheets or grouted vinyl in different tones and textures, with or without insulation.
14. Stone and Cedar Accents
Can you tell which parts of this house are plastic? Hint: those columns holding up the porch? Vinyl. And all the siding is vinyl too, from the faux cedar shakes on the gables to the vinyl stone siding below the windows. The owner thought the artificial wood and false rocks would look tasteless and fake so they only used small amounts … but doesn’t it all look amazing?
15. Interlocking Ledges
Whether you want to upgrade your fireplace or update your front façade, faux stone sheets are the perfect tool for vinyl stone siding. This Urestone series of ledge stones is cast from polyurethane. And because the stone blocks interlock, you can join several sheets into a jigsaw wall of your liking. You can use woodworking tools to saw the sheets to the right size.
16. Low-Fuss Stone Siding
Not everyone is into symmetry. Some of us like that carefully cluttered look of uneven cedar panels and abstractly shaped stones. So if you want that artsy layout with none of the labor-intensive work, try these vinyl stone siding sheets. They have a hand-crafted look because of their uneven cuts, irregular shapes, and mixed shades of brown. Plus it’s low-maintenance!
17. Follow the Grey Brick Wall
It’ll probably get into less trouble than following the yellow brick road. Plus, if you don’t mind the obviously artificial look, you can order this vinyl stone siding in a wide range of colors. The grey staggered brick is cast from polypropylene so the texture feels real even though it looks synthetic. And yes, you get specially-cut pieces for corners and edges.
18. Pebbled Perfection
Wayne Homes is known for its model houses, and many are constructed with vinyl siding that ranged from log and cedar to vinyl and brick. Many of their homes have wraparound columns too. In this home, sections of the exterior walls are done in vinyl river rock siding that resembles pebbles from a distance. It gives a gorgeous textural contrast to clapboard.
19. Novik Moka Stacked Vinyl Polymer
You’re probably puzzled by all these terms we’re throwing around. Faux, synthetic, vinyl, urethane, composite … it can get so confusing! So here’s a quick primer – if it has ‘poly’ in its name, it’s probably plastic. So this wall of stacked brick made of polyvinyl polymers? It counts as vinyl stone siding. And Menards has lots of colors and styles you can pick from.
20. Shake, Shimmer, and Stone
Can’t decide between stone, brick, and cedar? If those are your options, it probably means you like dark tones and distinct textures. So you’ll be happy with this compromise – dark staggered stone that’s cast from plastic. This vinyl stone siding has polyurethane Tando blocks arranged in differing shades of browns and greys. They’re nicely narrow and muted.
21. In Praise of Faux Stone
Read through that comprehensive pros-and-cons table that compares faux stone (plastic), cultured stone (concrete), and natural stone veneers. Then look at the vinyl stone siding mosaic for proof – you can’t tell any of those images are plastic! Convinced? Good. Now go check out the vinyl stone section at your local hardware store (or website) and enjoy!
22. Stone Front
If you’d like to build a modern maisonette that looks both classic and new, go for traditional styles. But use contemporary construction materials. This home has pitched roofs and arched windows that look straight out of a fairy tale. But the lateral siding is teal clapboard vinyl and the front is vinyl stone siding. The porch columns are vinyl with brick window trim.
23. Stones and Scallops
So far, we’ve established that veneer often has true stone in it. But the pretty stacked stones on the lower half of these walls? That vinyl stone siding has been described as ‘imitation veneer panels’. Meaning no natural stone. Meaning they’re authentic-looking vinyl strips. They work beautifully with the vinyl Dutch clapboard and the scalloped vinyl above them.
24. Faux Stone Siding Ideas
All the stone walls pictured in this article are cast from polyurethane blocks. But because the molds are true stone, the vinyl stone siding has genuine texture. And the faux blocks are heavier than printed vinyl sheets so they feel hefty and sturdy. They’re still better than stone though because they won’t crack or crumble in wet weather and they offer less pest traction.
25. Beautifully Bella
An easy way to avoid buying the wrong kind of siding is to shop by brand. Oracle is great for horizontal insulated vinyl siding. They sell in Dutch lap and clapboard. And Portsmouth Shake is known for its persuasive plastic cedar shanks. But for vinyl stone siding, look for Bella Stone. It comes in flat or insulated options and you can buy end caps and corners too.
26. Natural-Looking Vinyl
Check out the photos of this page and we’re sure you’ll be calling them in minutes! Not only do they supply visually enticing vinyl stone siding, but they also supply faux cedar shakes and faux bricks, all made from vinyl. These plastic stones are stacked in a mixture of colors to produce an impressively authentic result. And you can install them as a DIY weekend task!
27. Mixed Neutrals
The construction of this house involves a mixed bag of materials. The color scheme is largely neutrals – browns, tans, and grays with a touch of burnt sienna and mustard. The prairie windows invite natural light to brighten the potentially dull palette. The gables have scalloped cedar shakes while the walls are a mix of tan clapboard and vinyl stone siding.
28. Imported PVC Siding
Chinese manufacturing is impressive for its speed and realism. Especially for affordable imitations and substitutions of expensive raw materials. They’re particularly good with plastic derivatives, and as you can see this vinyl stone siding is barely distinguishable from the real thing. And they’ve photographed multiple angles to prove it, so it’s a safe purchase.
29. Terrific Tando
We’ve talked about Tando several times on this list, and here are a few more samples. These come in five variants of brown and grey. The ledge stones are narrow so they work best on borders, pillar wraps, and columns. But because it’s so affordable, you can still use it to clad an entire. They can be cute as lawn edging or for making boundaries when landscaping.
30. Home Depot Stacked Stone Siding
This version of vinyl stone siding is of the polyurethane persuasion. And because the thicker plastic is molded instead of surface printing, it ends up looking more authentic. It also feels closer to stone because it’s denser and heavier. This consoles homeowners who may worry about their plastic exteriors feeling cheap, flimsy, or prone to pet and pest scratches.
31. Out of Context
Most of the pictures we’ve looked at were at showrooms or on distant walls. So you may wonder what vinyl stone siding looks like ‘in the wild’. We’ve praised its realistic grooves and textures. Now you can see them up close and in bright light. These are Tando simulated stone panels. The gradient of grays brings it closer to the effect of naturally quarried stone.
32. More from Home Depot
You don’t get much color variation from natural construction stone. Clay and brick can be tinted, but stone is mostly brown or grey. But with faux Home Depot stone, you get a much wider selection. This vinyl stone siding is easy to install even for the average DIY enthusiast. Some siding is clipped while other kinds need mortar, so confirm and buy the right adhesive.
33. GenStone Faux Stone Siding
Our final piece of vinyl stone siding comes from the experts over at GenStone. Their siding is made of molded polyurethane that’s waterproof, weatherproof, and fireproof. They’re sold as stacked stone panels, and each ‘stone’ is painted by hand using 12 coats of UV paint. You can order pillars and columns in faux stone or faux brick too! They’re great for spot-fixing.
What’s your favorite vinyl stone siding? Show us sample photos in the comments section!
Do you have, or know of anyone who has Large, Round, River Rocks Appearance.
They look very natural, not the man made thin bricks?
where can i purchase