Forget Granite: Meet Aurastone!

By Vera Darius

As a decorative painter I am always excited to discover new innovative products.  I have recently discovered a product called Aurastone™ and I wanted to share it with you.

According to the Aurastone™ website “it is an architectural coating used in the faux finishing industry. Decorative artists and designers alike are quickly integrating the Aurastone™ system for a number of reasons. The Aurastone™ finishing system is unparalleled in durability, versatility and aesthetic appeal.

Aurastone™ is simply the most user-friendly product available. Hundreds of decorative faux effects can be created utilizing our one-bucket system. Many faux finishes involve four to five steps to create the desired look. The cost of these additional layers and left over materials can add up quickly, cutting into your profits. Utilizing Aurastone™ eliminates many of these laborious processes because most Aurastone™ finishes involve only two or three steps. In many cases labor can be cut by fifty percent utilizing the Aurastone™ system. Since Aurastone is a one-bucket system there is virtually no wasted or unusable product.”

Key Advantages of Aurastone Compared to Granite or Marble

It is NOT a cheap alternative to granite, although it is ultimately more cost effective

An eco-friendly alternative to natural stone that out performs granite and marble

A system that can be applied over existing substrates – Granite cannot, and often upgrade requires an entire support system as reinforcement.

Three times harder than normal concrete yet has phenomenal tensile strength, (flexibility) expanding and contracting to its environment. Granite has zero flexibility, and is actually considered a brittle substrate, easily cracked or chipped, often with numerous soft spots or weak areas, especially around cracks and fissures.

Absolutely NOT going to accept a stain, even iodine -

Courtesy of Aurastone.com

Granite stains easily with fruit, peanut butter, olive oil, bacteria, etc.

A high heat resistance surface, can withstand 500 degrees F of indirect heat, Granite is extremely susceptible to cracking and discoloring with heat, especially a new slab that has a high moisture and gas content.

USDA approved (you can eat right off the counter!) –Granite is not.

A seamless system, Granite always has seams.

Completely Radon free. Most Granite has at least trace amounts of Radon, and many hold toxic levels of Radon because it is extremely porous.

Available with limitless edging possibilities –Granite offers limited and expensive selections of profiled edges.

Completely waterproof – Granite is porous and not waterproof.

A system with ingredients which are completely safe – Granite is polished and sealed with extremely high VOC penetrating sealers. The VOC dive into the porous granite and over time migrate back through the surface providing an unhealthy substrate for clean living.

Manufactured and processed with the most minimal environmental footprint possible. Granite requires excavating large holes in the earth, using large quantities of fossil fuel from the extractment to the international shipping requirements.

The possibilities for this product are endless. Consider finishing your old outdoor furniture or perhaps making your furniture virtually indestructible by refinishing it. Can you think of an exciting use for Aurastone in your home? Share it with us in the comments!

Vera Darius is the Owner of Genuine Art Effects a company specializing in painting and decorative finishes. For more information on Aurastone or to arrange an in home consultation, call Vera at 604-831-2383 or visit her website at www.genuinearteffects.com