The stone was quarried and fabricated by RLF Salado Quarries, LLC, of Florence, TX. The quarry site is approximately one hour north of Austin, giving the project a local flavor as well as an aesthetically pleasing appearance. To produce the thin stone veneer, stone pieces are processed on the TXS Thin Stone system from Park Industries. The unit features two blades, and it can process stone pieces up to 12 inches high, 18 to 24 inches long and up to 12 inches thick. Blocks are loaded onto the conveyor, and the two blades simultaneously cut off the ends. These end pieces are 1 ¼ inch thick, with one textured surface and one flat (sawn) surface. According to the company, the thin stone veneer products are competitive with cultured stone products in terms of price as well as ease of installation.
Although natural stone is not generally part of the Home Depot’s materials palette, the Arbor Walk location was able to utilize the material as thin veneer as an economically viable feature for the project.