A candid conversation about stone masonry in Calgary with Astrit Martinaj. We answer frequent questions we get with clients while on-site visits/estimates, in our website form fills
Calgarians: Hey Astrit, we keep hearing about natural stone vs manufactured stone. Are natural stones actually natural, or is that just marketing?
Astrit: Great question! Yeah, natural stones are definitely natural – they’re taken straight from mother nature. But here’s the thing – we process and mould them into specific shapes to make installation easier, transportation lighter, and honestly, they look way better when they’re moulded to perfection.
You’ll see natural stone on all the fancy old/rustic builds – older government buildings, anything Parks Canada builds (they only use natural stone), the Banff Springs Hotel is all natural stone, the Public Gardens in Banff. There’s a reason these heritage places choose natural stone – it lasts.
Calgarians: What makes natural stone better than manufactured?
Astrit: Oh man, where do I start? Natural stone is so much easier to keep clean, it’s weather resistant, and it lasts way longer. Here’s something most people don’t know – if natural stone breaks, it stays the same color all the way through. Manufactured stone? It’ll show that ugly white cement core when it gets damaged.
Sure, you’re paying about $5-6 more per square foot, but you’re getting almost double the longevity. Do the math – you’ll get your investment back easily.
Calgarians: We’re thinking about manufactured stone for my property. Is that a mistake?
Astrit: Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – most of our repair calls in Calgary are for manufactured stone. It’s cheaper upfront, I’ll give you that, but it only lasts about 10 years depending on where you put it and how much weather it gets.
Here’s what kills me – I see homeowners in Calgary piling snow against their garage walls where they’ve got manufactured stone. You’re looking at repairs in about 5 years when that stone starts deteriorating and crumbling. I’ve seen it happen over and over.
Calgarians: But it’s so much cheaper…
Astrit:: I get it, trust me. You’ll find manufactured stone on most new buildings in Calgary, especially commercial ones, because it’s cost-effective. It comes pre-made, so installation is easier too. With manufactured stone, you basically just need a saw to cut and install – we call those guys “saw-masons.”But natural stone? That requires real skill, an eye for detail, even carving skills. That’s what we do at Martini Stone Masonry.
Calgarians: What about maintenance? We don’t want to be constantly fixing things.
Astrit: This is where natural stone really shines. You can acid-wash it to remove all the debris that builds up over time, and boom – it looks brand new again. The original color just comes right back.
But here’s where businesses in Calgary waste money – they try to clean manufactured stone the same way. Big mistake! You cannot acid-wash manufactured stone. You can try pressure washing without chemicals, but honestly? It’s often easier to just replace it. Manufactured stone just doesn’t handle weather wear and tear like natural stone does.
Calgarians: What’s the current pricing looking like?
Astrit: Right now, for Alberta Sandstone and Tyndall Limestone, you’re looking at $15-25 per square foot installed. These come as veneers – thin-cut pieces so they’re not heavy. Pretty much every supplier in Alberta carries sandstone, so it’s easy to find.
We install these mostly on house entrances, around garages, and they’re great for indoor fireplaces too.
Calgarians: What’s the most expensive part to stone?
Astrit: Small areas are tough because you can’t really charge per square foot – the ROI just isn’t there for us. Stone backsplash is getting popular with natural sandstone, but it’s interior work, so there’s more prep involved.
Calgarians: Any installation tips we should know about?
Astrit: Oh, absolutely! I always tell homeowners to add stone caps under the metal aluminum flashing. It’s about $25-35 per linear foot, and when you’re already spending big money on stone, this is nothing compared to the benefits. It helps with water tightness and honestly, it looks beautiful.
If you’re going with natural stone, make sure they use polymer mortar – Type S. And here’s something most masons skip – we always seal the top of the foundation where it meets the framing with primer and Henry’s blue skin before flashing. Lots of guys will skip that step, but it makes your house less air tight and energy efficient.
Calgarians: What about stucco & parging?
Astrit: Never apply parge mix to the tar waterproofed part of the foundation. It won’t cure to that black tar layer – that’s basically plastic. It’ll stick to the concrete foundation but not the waterproofed surface.
And scratch coat walls for stucco installations or repairs – always! Even before natural stone installations. Some guys just slap on a coat of mortar and start placing stones. We always do scratch coats regardless of what stone we’re installing. That’s why we get no callbacks.
Calgarians: What kind of repairs do you get called for most?
Astrit: Older buildings with no flashing are the worst. The water just sits there instead of being diverted away from the stone. Also, when driveways settle and move from our Calgary weather, the stone sitting on it goes with it. That’s another reason flashing is so important.
We also see a lot of damage from downpipes not being diverted away from the masonry. And concrete being sloped into the masonry or stucco walls – especially without flashing, the masonry gets hit with humidity and weathers out fast.
Calgarians: What about chimneys?
Astrit: Oh boy, chimneys without metal covers are a nightmare. The older ones have concrete caps without proper overhang, so water drains right onto the wall. A metal cap lasts forever, and I’d say 99% of chimney masonry leaks and stucco repairs are because of missing or inappropriate caps.
For wood-burning fireplaces, most chimneys don’t have covers, so animals get in, rain gets in… When we redo stone fireplaces that haven’t been used, we find dead birds inside. Chimney caps are crucial!
Calgarians: So what’s your honest recommendation?
Astrit: If you can swing the extra $5-6 per square foot, go natural stone. You’re making a long-term investment – nearly double the longevity, way easier maintenance, and you can restore it to look brand new. Plus, there’s something to be said for having the same quality material as heritage buildings.
But if budget’s tight, manufactured stone isn’t terrible – just make sure whoever installs it uses proper flashing (it’s required by code now), and don’t pile snow against it!
Calgarians: Thanks for being so honest about everything.
Astrit: That’s what we’re about at Martini Stone Masonry – transparency. I’d rather you make the right choice for your situation than sell you something that’s gonna cause problems down the road. We’re here in Calgary for the long haul, and our reputation depends on happy customers.
Want to chat more about your specific project? Contact Astrit and the team at Martini Stone Masonry – Calgary’s trusted stone masonry experts.