Limestone Balusters versus Synthetic Balusters

In the past, when someone wanted the look and feel of real stone the only two options were real limestone or concrete balusters. With synthetic balusters you get the look and feel of real stone at a fraction of the cost of real limestone. Our baluster has real limestone mixed into the matrix; this in turn gives you the look and feel of a real stone baluster.

Limestone: Limestone balusters are cut from the earth, they are then cut into smaller cubes of stone. They are then placed unto a lathe and turned to meet certain specifications, this process is very time consuming and costly to the homeowner.
Synthetic: We have 9 different baluster sizes. Making molds is very time consuming, but once completed, those molds will last a very long time. The production time on our balusters is a fraction of the time it takes to make a limestone baluster; this in turn allows us to be very competitive.

Limestone: When installing limestone balusters, cutting them for stairs is very difficult to do, also you have to drill holes in each end of the baluster, then you have to epoxy steel pins into all of the balusters, this is normally done by a mason, and is very time consuming and very expensive to install.
Synthetic: Our balusters are lightweight and easy to install, you can use a miter saw to cut our balusters for stairs. We send plastic inserts that fit inside the plastic pipe that is installed during production, it is very simple and easy to do. Liquid nail is used to secure the baluster.

Limestone: The weight of a 7" limestone balustrade system is approximately 200 lbs per foot; this means that an 8' section of rail weighs 1600 lbs. When installing this on a deck you have to reinforce the deck with steel columns and steel beams to carry these kinds of loads, this is very costly and difficult to do.
Synthetic: Our 7" balustrade weighs around 80lbs. per foot, meaning an 8' section weighs 640lbs. You in turn do not need all that steel; it can be installed on standard framing.

Limestone: Limestone balustrade is very porous, this allows water to soak into the product, thus promoting the growth of mold on the balustrade, it is a constant maintenance issue to the homeowner, and also once limestone weathers nothing can be done to restore it to its original appearance.
Synthetic: Our balustrade is not porous, it will not allow water to penetrate into it, therefore, mold will not grow. It is mold resistant. If in 10 years our baluster becomes weathered, you can simply hire any local crew that removes paint from old buildings, they will use a portable sandblaster and spray our product to remove the top layer of grime. Since the color is throughout the product, it will leave a fresh new layer of material. It will look as though you just installed it.