Fakey-Fake Stone

There has been a trend for the past decade or two to try and mimic the look of stone at a better price point than stone. It rarely works.

This retaining wall system is made up of precast concrete blocks that are intended to look like six individual "stones" but the modular joints are a dead giveaway. The "stacked marshmallow" appearance of this wall is absurd!

A simple poured in place concrete wall that is honest about what it is would be much more pleasing. The fake stone veneer on the building itself isn't much better...what would be wrong with a nice brick?

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.