The Production of Cast Stone

Planning

Conference room of Continental Cast Stone, the most modern Cast Stone plant in the country. Here architects and contractors discuss projects quietly, at their convenience. A fully-staffed estimating department provides prompt reliable estimates on all projects.

Drafting

Of primary importance is the drafting department. Architect’s drawings for Cast Stone are detailed and reduced to units of a size easily handled in the shop and on location. Each piece is numbered according to a master plan.

Pattern Making

Here experienced pattern makers follow the drawings so that the fine detail in delicate ornamentation is reproduced faithfully. The simplest sill, no less than a decorative finial, demands accuracy in the wood pattern. The final product must exactly fit the master plan. 

Materials

All the aggregates used in the manufacturing of Cast Stone are washed, screened, graded and tested at the quarry. Exact amounts of every ingredient are weighed by computer controlled scales for each batch. Test samples show a comfortable margin of compression strength over minimum requirements and an absorption far below the minimum requirements.

Mixing

Special mixers turn, grind and pestle the mass until every particle of aggregate is completely surrounded by Portland cement. Mineral oxides are added to achieve the desired color. Water content is regularly measured to keep the water-cement ratio as low as possible, thereby increasing the hardness and durability of the Cast Stone.

Casting

The mix is placed into a sturdy, reinforced moulds, then vibro-tamped by machine. Every detail is observed in the production process and an extraordinary degree of density is achieved. A superior Cast Stone is the natural result of the painstaking care lavished through every step of manufacture. 

Caring

After a proprietary direct-fired hot steam curing process, under presence of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, every piece of Cast Stone is carefully examined by quality control inspectors before being passed for shipment. Each piece is annotated with its own location number on the master plan.

Delivery

Finally, after twenty-four hours, the Cast Stone is rubbed and etched to season a surface that will not be affected by weathering. Trucks and trailers keep the jobs moving: not too many pieces are piled up on location; contractors do not wait for deliveries.  Our production schedules mesh expertly with the contractors’ needs.