Creative Faux Panels

Chic and timeless, red brick is a great building material for adding foundation and flair to your design projects; and FauxPanels.com has a new selection of products that perfectly capture that timeless look.

Red brick is one of the most iconic design materials in Chicago

During America’s golden ages of construction – in the late 19^th century, the “roaring twenties” and following World War II – huge quantities of red brick were used to build towering structures in major cities across America.

Perhaps nowhere was the use of red brick more prevalent than the Windy City, Chicago; where brick offered the perfect insulation against the bitter Illinois winters.

Today, as glass and steel become the building materials of choice, a thriving business in reclaiming red brick from demolished buildings has emerged; re-purposing these reclaimed building materials for use in the home, garden and for interior design.

The appeal of reclaimed brick is obvious. Beautifully imperfect – with color and texture earned through decades of exposure to the sun, wind and rain – reclaimed brick adds an instant air of timeless solidity to any surface it’s used on.

However, even though this brick is “reclaimed”, it remains a fairly expensive material to use and is labor-intensive to install correctly. Some walls may even need to be reinforced to mount reclaimed brick because of its weight.

That’s why FauxPanels.com recently added some great new products to the lineup intended to offer an affordable, easy-to-use alternative to reclaimed brick.

Their two new Regency panel designs, Old Chicago Brick and Regency Contempo, are both inspired by the beautiful brick surfaces found in historic American cities like Chicago. The brick veneer panels are stunningly realistic, because each design was molded from the authentic brick face itself; perfectly capturing every detail in tough, light and durable molded polyurethane.

Regency Old Chicago Brick perfectly captures the look and feel of reclaimed brick

These panels even offer an improvement on the authentic; that they’re are available in a variety of intricately rendered colors and hues perfectly matching whatever project you intend to use them for. You can also order them Class A Fire Rated, which makes them ideal for use as fireplace surrounds and on chimneys.

We’re already receiving before and after pictures of home design projects our customers have accomplished using our new Regency panels – keep checking back with Creative Faux Panels and we’ll post them soon. In the meantime, if you decide to add a little old Americana to your interior or exterior walls with our new Regency brick panels, don’t hesitate to send us all the details, at info@fauxpanels.com.

Millions of Americans were hit hard by Hurricane Irene last weekend; with some suffering devastating damage to their homes and properties.

Stone veneer panels are great for installing in a finished basement; even one prone to flooding.

Fortunately, many of us on the east coast escaped with relatively minor damage; losing shingles, water in the basement and other inconveniences that remind us of just how lucky we were.

While repairing roofing and cleaning out a flooded basement is a pain, many turn the inconvenience into an opportunity; turning simple repair and maintenance work into an excuse to start, or finish, a home remodeling project they’ve been putting off for a while.

Our faux panels, exterior siding and other faux stone, brick and wood products are great tools for making the most of these remodeling projects, as they’re affordable, easy to install and 100% waterproof; which is especially relevant as many of us are being forced to reevaluate just how vulnerable our homes are to water.

Even better, if a post-flood home design project is on the “to-do” list, this Labor Day you can instantly save 5% when you order faux panels online by using a special Labor Day sale coupon FauxPanels.com has created.

Labor Day sale coupon

It’s easy to use. Just shop for what you want online, at fauxpanels.com, and then enter the Labor Day sale code at checkout – SMP11.

This savings code is valid throughout September 5, 2011 – and must be used at the time of purchase and cannot be combined with any other savings or sale offer.

Let us know what you buy – and how you use them! And if you send in before and after photos to info@fauxpanels.com, we might even ask to use them on our blog!

See how Jessica transformed her fireplace with our stone veneer paneling.

“Our boring living room was begging for a focal point,” admits New Jersey resident Jessica St. Clair, writing to fauxpanels.com with details of her fireplace makeover project. “It was your faux panels that helped bring my vision to life!”

Jessica’s room lacked a focal point until she added stone veneer panels

The before and after photos reveal Jessica’s dilemma: Although beautifully decorated, with stunning terracotta walls and contrasting furniture, her room lacked a definitive focus point.

Her answer was a timeless addition that has helped bring focus to rooms for centuries: An electric fireplace.

Jessica chose a beautiful all-electric model built into a dark wood surround mantel; which gave the instant impression of a real log fire with fixture. The secret to completing that look, though, was the use of our stone veneer panels.

“With a quick rearrange of furniture and the addition of the electric fireplace, beautifully set off by a tall faux river rock chimney, our living room now boasts character and style.”

Jessica created the faux rock wall with a single column of Oxford Large River Stone veneer panels with Standard Ends. Using wooden caps on either end, she gave the instant appearance of a real stone chimney rising from wooden mantel to ceiling; and unlike using real stone, it was a breeze to install.

“The material arrived promptly, was easy to use, and made our weekend project a great experience!”

Our Oxford River Rock panels instantly gave a chimney look to a modern home

Proof once again that our faux panels often offer design possibilities that real stone and brick wouldn’t, Jessica finished off her chimney design with the addition of classical American five pointed stars and a flat-screen TV; mounted straight through the panels onto the wall behind. Jessica also had the option of mounting pictures on the panels. Learn how to do that here.

How does she feel about the results?

“I’m so pleased with the last project,” she admits. “I’m already looking forward to the next. I will be sure to shop fauxpanels.com again! Thanks for a great product and offering so many fantastic styles to choose from!”

If the results are as impressive as her fireplace makeover, we hope Jessica will be sending us pictures of whatever she gets up to next, too.

Homeowners love our decorative stone panels because they perfectly recreate the look of stone, rock or brick without the impracticality or cost. Unsurprisingly, TV and movie companies love our wall panels for the exact same reason.

In fact, a number of TV shows and film companies have made use of our faux panels to create set and set design projects that capture the look of stone or wood, without having to use the real materials.

For example, in this photo you can see an intricately detailed Parisian apartment, created by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition using our Cambridge White Brick panels. Paired with French artwork and accessories, it’s difficult not to believe that you’re stepping into a boulevard in Montmartre when you step beyond the doorway.

Brick veneer panels brought Paris to life

TV shows like Extreme Makeover have also used our products to turn their imaginative visions into reality. Here is one of their best-known home transformations – a “pirate” bedroom for kids created using our Oxford Rustic Barnyard Brown panels.

Shiver me faux timber panels!

As we’ve mentioned before, Renaissance Faire enthusiasts also love our decorative stone panels; using them to enhance their own homes, or create authentic looking medieval castles and keeps as a backdrop to their pageantry at Renaissance events all across the country.

Decorative stone is popular with renn faire designers

And even if you’re not producing a TV show or putting on a renaissance faire, you can still take something away from seeing these creative uses of our faux panels. The real benefit of our artificial wood and decorative stone panels is that their application is really only limited by your imagination. What could you come up with?

For some great examples of how customers have used our panels to create home improvement projects worthy of an Oscar, check out some of the other entries in the Creative Faux Panels blog. One of our favorites is a fairytale bedroom, created by John with our Wellington River Rock panels.

Stone veneer panels fit for a princess?

If you’ve used our faux panels in an especially imaginative or unexpected way, we’d love to see it. Send pictures of info@fauxpanels.com and we might even showcase them here.

Mobile homes and prefab houses are an affordable and practical way to live; but not always the most beautiful. Our faux stone panels used as mobile home skirting or in other applications can help give any trailer or prefab a unique and stylish look, and offer other practical benefits people might not have though of before.

Faux stone panels instantly transform prefab or mobile homes.

The eponymous prefab started to become popular in the United States following World War II, when returning soldiers sought to capitalize on the “G.I. Bill” to find their own slice of the American dream.

Produced cheaply and quickly in factories, these prefabricated and modular homes are normally transported to their final destination by flatbed truck; and then installed on foundations similar to regular homes.

Others are transported as trailers, with the wheels removed when they arrive at their installation site.

These days, modern building materials and standards make most prefab houses match up to regular building codes; which is why, despite being called “trailers” or “mobile” homes, only about 5% of them are ever moved after installation.

Faux stone or rock veneer panels are quick and easy to install

Faux stone panels can be used in several ways to enhance the exterior of a modular or prefabricated home; but the most common option is installing them as skirting or wainscoting.

This is a great way to cover any gap between the ground and the lower corner of a mobile home or prefab; plus has the added benefit of keeping animals, insects and pests out.

There are many stone and rock veneer panel options to choose from; but we recommend options that resemble brick or stacked stone; giving the impression that the prefab is built on a solid rock or stone foundation.

This subtle detail can often totally transform the appearance of a trailer or prefab; giving it a unique look which is a benefit amongst homes that notoriously “all look the same.”

Faux stone panels also have the advantage of being molded from weatherproof, light and durable polyurethane; making them tough and resistant to the elements.

Unlike a real stacked stone or brick foundation, installing stone veneer panels is a quick and simple job; accomplished with nothing more than a regular wood saw, caulk and screws.  Our  panels are also highly affordable; another good match for beautifying a modular home or trailer.

Check out the pictures we’ve posted of faux stone panels that were used in past customers’ projects. If you’ve used our panels on your own trailer or mobile home, we’d love to see pictures – email them to info@fauxpanels.com.

Check out how Mike and Chris Grace used our best selling Wellington Dry Stack  decorative stone panels in Tierra Gold to create a stunning final result for their fireplace remodeling project.

Mike and Chris' fireplace was set against an angled wall; making it ideal for a unique decorative stone panel treatment

“Our fireplace is on an angled wall all by itself,” wrote Mike Grace, when he sent in before and after pictures of his recent faux panel design project, “so we thought it lent itself naturally to a unique treatment.”

“We originally thought about simply painting it a different color, but then decided brick or stone would have a much greater visual impact.”

The problem, of course, was that brick and stone are not the easiest or most affordable materials to work with; especially inside.

“Since we were working on an inside wall, we were concerned about the weight of installing natural stone. This would have required more work and more money.”

This is why the Graces eventually considered other options: “We chose your decorative stone panels for several reasons, but the most important was simply ease-of-use.”

Unlike using real stone, which would have to be painstakingly hand laid and mortared, the Wellington Dry Stack panels that Michael and Chris chose could be installed on their interior wall with nothing more than trim head screws.

“We also liked the huge variety of finishes and colors there are to choose from with faux stone panels,” Mike admits — explaining that he and Chris bought samples to agree on texture and color before installation.

“The samples we were able to order ahead of time really helped us make the decision – and they’re why we’re still very happy about it!”

Installation of the fireplace surround was straightforward:

“We laid three or four of the panels out on the floor first, to make sure we liked the look before we hung it on the wall. Then we installed them using screws, just like the installation instructions recommend.”

Mike has some great tips for other people considering using decorative stone panels:

The combination of decorative stone and a faux wood mantel is breathtaking

“Make sure to put the installation screws in an inconspicuous location so they won’t be noticeable.”

The texture of the Wellington Dry Stack makes it easy to hide the screws beneath the crags and nooks of the panel; but you can touch them up with caulk if they’re too visible.

“Also, it helps to stagger each row of panels so you don’t have a telltale joint that’s really noticeable.” A final tip? “Purchase the matching paint. We used it to touch-up the outside edges where we had to cut the panels to fit our fireplace.”

The end results are really amazing – including the use of a faux wood mantel to complete the project. Mike and Chris are thrilled:

“Friends and family have told us that it has totally transformed our room and it looks much more intimate and cozy.”

Do you agree? Let us know – and also send in your own pictures if you’ve used our faux stone panels or artificial rock panels to finish off your own fireplace project.

Check out this quick, easy and dramatic backyard design project – accomplished using our Nailon Granite Gray Stone Wall panels.

There’s no better way to enjoy the summer sunshine than by the water – and customers Jane and Jim Sheridan had a beautiful swimming pool to enjoy in the back yard of their Georgia home. But despite the combination of crisp blue skies and sparkling blue water, one thing was stopping them fully enjoying their poolside relaxation: an ugly retaining wall.

Bare wood got the job done, but this retaining wall was ugly and attracted mold

“It was just plain unsightly,” Jim wrote to us, with accompanying pictures of his poolside project. “The wall was made of untreated and ugly wood, which would get damp and attract mold. Trying to cover it was a Band Aid solution to a bigger problem – after a few weeks, the paint would repeatedly peel.”

Jim and Jane’s options seem limited. The foundation wall did its job, even if it was unsightly, and replacing it with brick or stone would have taken weeks and cost thousands of dollars.

“We were at a loss as how to renovate,” Jim told us – until he and his wife learned about our Nailon faux stone wall siding.

Made from durable and weatherproof polypropylene, our Nailon Granite Gray Stone Wall panels install just like regular siding – and are molded from real stone, intricately detailed to look almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

This gave Jim and Jane two important advantages. Firstly, the faux stone panels wouldn’t get saturated with moisture as the wooden wall did – making it resistant to ugly and unsightly mold.

Secondly, the Nailon Granite Gray Stone Wall panels looked amazing – giving the instant impression that the Sheridan’s serviceable wooden retaining wall was actually created from hand-laid stone bricks.

As you can see from these “before” and “after” photos, installing faux stone panels on the retaining wall instantly transformed the poolside; giving it a clean, beautiful, top-dollar appearance for a fraction of the cost of building a real stone wall.

Even better, the job was quick and easy.

Nailon Granite Gray Stone Wall panels transformed this poolside retaining wall

“The siding was applied as part of one of our weekend projects,” Jim admits. “It was breathtakingly easy to install.”

Both Jim and Jane are thrilled at the results.

“We’ve already had so many compliments about how much this has added and improved the area. The wall is a centerpiece of beauty and sets off the area complimenting the deck – we could not be happier.”

What do you think of the Sheridan’s new poolside view? And have you used our faux stone panels for your own poolside or backyard design project? If so, we’d love to see the pictures.  Send them to us at info@fauxpanels.com.

You’ll find full instructions for installing our faux stone siding on our website – but we’re always interested to see how customers do it. Our faux stone panels are easy to install, but it’s surprising the unique tips and tricks home installers come up with that even we hadn’t thought of!

Just recently, Denny Bushong from California sent us pictures of how he’d created a stunning faux stone façade over an ugly cement wall using our Novi Stone Wall Siding. It was a quick and easy way to turn an eye-sore into a backyard feature to boast about – and here’s how he did it:

STEP ONE: First Denny installed a wooden framework around the wall to make installation easier. Our Nailon siding is breathtakingly easy to install, and you can mount it just like you would regular siding, using nails or screws.

Denny installed a wooden framework on this concrete wall. This make installing his faux stone siding easy.

STEP TWO: Next, Denny started arranging the Novi faux stone siding panels to get ready for installation. As you can see, they’re designed to be interlocking for a really seamless connection. This means the end result looks fantastic – but it’s worth the extra time to lay the panels out to make sure they line up right.

Lining up the Nailon Stone Wall Siding prior to installation made the whole process easier.

STEP THREE: As you can see from the picture, the wall Denny was covering was about two-and-a-half panels high. This meant he had to cut the last row of panels to fit flush with the top of the wall. Because our Novi Stone Wall Panels are molded from polypropylene, this was an easy enough step. You can cut our faux stone siding and panels to size with a regular wood saw or electric circular saw.

Each Novi Nailon Siding panel interlocks, for a flush and seamless fit

STEP FOUR: Installation was straightforward. Starting from the bottom with a starter strip and working his way up, Denny installed each row by sliding the interlocking pieces onto the previous panel.

TIPS & TRICKS: A neat trick Denny used here is to offset each row of panels – preventing each row from looking too symmetrical to the one below and above it. You can do this by trimming the first panel of each alternating row in half.

As you can see, the results are amazing. Denny turned a really ugly cement wall into the centerpiece of his yard; and much more quickly and affordably than he’d have been able to using real stone.

The trick is to make sure you measure everything twice; to be sure you don’t waste any materials and you get a flush, seamless fit wherever you choose to install your faux stone panels. Check out our installation instructions and get familiar with them before you begin.

Then, after installation, comes the fun part! Just sit back and enjoy the attention and compliments your hard work will receive!

Mark Griff added craftsman style to his Tennessee lake house with our Wellington Dry Stack column wraps.

BEFORE: Marks lake house was built out of generic building materials - the antithesis of the craftsman aesthetic

“My wife and I wanted to modify our very basic lake house so it had a craftsman-style cottage appearance,” customer Mark wrote to us, enclosing pictures of the home remodeling project he’d undertaken with our faux stacked stone. “Your Wellington Dry Stack column wraps really helped us move in that direction.”

You can’t fault Mark’s taste. America is rich with architectural styles, but few are as striking – or popular – as American Craftsman style. Pioneered during the late 19^th century, it was a style of home building that celebrated originality, simplicity of form and the use of local, natural materials – a far cry from the “McMansions” of today.

Mark used our Wellington Dry Stack column wraps around his bare front porch columns – recreating the hand-made look by combining molding with our artificial stacked stone. They pay perfect tribute to the craftsman style, and are a marked improvement over the plain wooden beams that held his porch roof up previously.

Some modification was required: Mark had to cut the column caps to fit his 4” x 4” interior posts, and fit the white molding on top. However, our faux column wraps are made from durable molded polyurethane and are easy enough to cut with a regular wood saw.

AFTER: Faux stone column wraps and molding helped create the illusion of stacked stone columns

In fact, the modifications are what helps the columns blend so seamlessly with the other craftsman-style updates Mark has been working in – and it’s only fitting that adding the “craftsman” look involves some modest craftsmanship of its own.

And the end result is spectacular. Mark finished his email to us by boasting: “My neighbor and my sister were so impressed with what I’d done that they’re placing orders for Faux Panels too, for use on their own homes.”

We’d love to see pictures of what they do with them!

Kathie Ward faced the classic dilemma for antique homes – how to keep true to the character of her gorgeous 100-year-old Kentucky house, while also renovating it to meet modern requirements. The answer? Our Royal Rock Face Fake Rock Panels.

Modern materials made renovation more affordable, but didn't match the character of the 100-year-old house

“Our house is over 100 years old,” Kathie wrote, enclosing before and after photos of the incredible transformation her property had undergone, “but recently it needed a foundation renovation.”

The beautiful wrap-around porch – a design staple of Kentucky houses from that era – needed some support work to keep it stable. Kathie’s challenge was to complete the work to modern standards; but not spoil the classical look of her charming antique home.

At first glance, it looked like she was left with two unsatisfactory options:

The first was to do the work that needed to be done, and just settle for a modern look and modern materials that appeared completely out-of-place on the front of her historic house.

Royal Rock Face Faux Rock Panels gave the appearance of large rock foundations, as would have been common over a century ago.

The second was to go “all out” and complete the foundation renovation to the standards of a century ago. The problem there was one of time and cost. Rebuilding foundations with large rocks and mortar would cost thousands of dollars, and take weeks or more.

Fortunately, Kathie looked a little deeper into her options – and the idea of faux panels cropped up.

“Your product was exactly what I was looking for,” Kathie explained. Choosing fake rock panels allowed her to use affordable, modern renovation techniques to rebuild the foundation of her home, but still give them a timeless appearance by covering the modern materials with the rock paneling.

Once installed, the fake rock panels perfectly disguised the modern renovation work, and maintained the character of the historic home.

Molded from real rock in tough, waterproof polyurethane, they perfectly resemble the rock walls and stonework that would have been common over a century ago. Another plus point is that they’re totally waterproof and weatherproof – important as Hickman County bore the brunt of flooding and storms last year.

Now that the Rock Face Panels are installed, Kathie is thrilled:

“We really love the results! Thank you so much!”

Check out the pictures for yourself. Our fake rock panels already look like they’ve been there for decades – and they’ll stay looking that good for many years to come.