Formstone

formstone-faced rowhouses in San Francisco Formstone is a type of stucco colored and shaped to imitate masonry. It is strongly associated with Baltimore.

formstone-faced rowhouses]] in San Francisco]] Formstone is a type of stucco colored and shaped to imitate masonry. It is strongly associated with Baltimore. ===Baltimore=== Formstone was used widely in Baltimore. Formstone was primarily used in remodeling but could also be used for new construction. Film director and Baltimore native John Waters described Formstone as "the polyester of brick." Baltimore became the “Formstone capital of the world." The Baltimore-based Lasting Products Company, the parent company of Formstone, was later known as the Formstone Co. Not long after Formstone was invented, the Lasting Products Company disbanded during World War II. When business resumed, the majority of buildings faced in Formstone were single-family homes. It was not long until rowhouse homeowners in more urban and working-class areas of Baltimore wanted the clean and polished look of Formstone. The company opened successful franchise locations in various cities across the United States but Baltimore was the epicenter of the Formstone phenomenon. The company provided all of the tools and materials needed to complete a Formstone project and trained registered contractors on how to sell and apply Formstone. There were many competitors in the 1950s and 1960s, some with salesmen who advertised different materials under the Formstone product name. The competitors used a simulated stone product similar to Formstone but with different variations in patterns, colors, and application. Formstone’s popularity came from the promise that it was inexpensive, maintenance-free, and more energy-efficient. It also gave Baltimore rowhouses a more modern look. A 1950 advertisement for Formstone revealed the “secret of its popularity: weatherproof and insulating forever; first cost is the last; no upkeep or repair…lasting beauty for exteriors or interiors; tried and proven; fully guaranteed.” Formstone was meant to be a maintenance-free alternative to the low-quality brick that many early Baltimore rowhouses were constructed with. These brick buildings required a lot of upkeep and frequent painting. But for the cost of three paint jobs, Formstone could be applied to the building’s exterior and eliminate much of the effort to maintain the exterior brick. At the height of its popularity in the 1950s, Formstone was a sign of wealth and stability in the working class neighborhoods of Baltimore. But the longevity of Formstone was not living up to the company’s promises and the Formstone Co. went out of business in the late 1960s. Aluminum and vinyl siding, much cheaper ways to weather-proof buildings, became more popular and contributed to the decline of Formstone and other simulated stone products. ===San Francisco=== Formstone, described as "[a]n odd architectural fad" by urban design critic John King, appeared in San Francisco in the 1930s and '40s. While not particularly common, it is still found around the city. Like San Francisco, in Washington, DC, the same debate over whether it is historic or should be removed continues where it was used to mimic granite and other stone in a rather historic city famous for real stone buildings. ==Application== Formstone is mixed on-site and applied directly to a building’s exterior. Knight wanted to provide a process for that used the tools of masonry and cement finishers so they could easily follow the application process. Formstone is applied in three layers, anchored by a perforated metal lath attached to the underlying brick with nails. Galvanized mesh was used in many instances to reduce the likelihood of rusting. The three layers are cement-based concrete. The first layer of cement mortar is 3/8” to 3/4” thick and it is scored before it dries. The second layer is between 1/4” and 3/8” thick. The top layer, or finish layer, is also between 1/4” and 3/8” thick and is applied while the second layer is still plastic. While the finish layer is still wet, it is hand-sculpted into the shape of stones. The finish layer contains the coloration used to imitate stone and is textured using waxed paper and an aluminum roller. Mica could also be sprayed on the surface to give the Formstone a sparkly, clean look. Mortar joints are then scored into the top layer to mimic natural stone construction.

Text derived from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1359883082 under CC BY-SA 4.0; modifications have been made.