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Fake Rock 101 - Types Of Fake Rock

When most people think fake rock they either think of a hollow shell used to cover something in their yard or garden or the type that is used as siding on a home or commercial building. Our focus here right now is mainly on the hollow cover types used to hide septic tank lids, well pump heads, vents, utility boxes, telephone pedestals, cable boxes, and in some occasions even loud mother-in-laws!  We'll be touching on the topic of the cultured stone types of fake rock siding in the near future.

Fake Rock Materials

Septic lids, well pumps, utility boxes, vents and other objects always seem to stick out like a sore thumb in the yard or garden. Not only are these objects large and bulky but oftentimes they are brightly colored and just plain ugly.  When you consider the amount of time, money and effort that people spend landscaping their yards and making their property look natural, snazzy and spectacular, it's no wonder many seek a solution for hiding these objects.  A lightweight, hollow fake rock can be a wonderful way of disguising these objects and helping them to blend into the natural surroundings. In some cases they even enhance the quality of the landscape. Achieving a realistic rock color and texture is not an easy manufacturing feat.  Fake rock manufacturers use a couple different techniques including:

Fake Rock Made of Fiberglass

Most fake rocks made of fiberglass are rather heavy. Fiberglass is smooth by nature and therefore it is difficult to achieve a decent texture without relying heavily on paint, and relying on paint is never a good thing as paint can peel and chip easily especially when weedeating and mowing.  Fiberglass can also be prone to breakage if it is dropped, kicked, or clipped with a lawn mower deck.  Damaged areas can be repaired but it is a slow process and once repaired it is difficult to match the colors and textures with those that exist on the rest of the surface. Fiberglass is not as popular anymore as better materials have been developed for making fake rock.

Made With Concrete

A concrete fake rock can be very realistic if properly textured. The main concern with concrete is the weight factor plus the fact that concrete is prone to cracking, chipping and flaking. It's also hard to get the colors just right because of differing dry times. Polymer modified concrete in addition to a stucco type nylon mesh can be used together to prevent the coating from chipping and flaking. Polymer is usually added to the concrete mix either as a liquid concentrate additive or as solids mixed into the powder at the factory.  The combination of mesh and polymer modified concrete also adds crack resistance and durability to the overall package but it is very labor intensive and messy.  It usually involves coating the entire surface first, then embedding the mesh into the wet concrete mix and following up with another one or two coats of concrete with the last and final coat coined the "texture coat."  Sometimes self-adhering sticky mesh can be used to make the process a little less labor intensive. Concrete tint can be used to provide color, but painting is still usually a requirement to achieve a decent look.  And getting the concrete to appear correctly textured can be a bit tricky.  Using a trowel is no easy feat unless one is trained as a mason or stucco applicator.  In fact most folks we see making concrete versions end up using little putty knives or drywall blades to smear the concrete on.  Care must be taken not to apply the concrete too thick in one coat.  This will cause the concrete to crack.  One good thing about concrete is that paint adheres very well to it.  So adding bits of color and texture with thick spray paint can be rather simple. All in all, a concrete fake rock that looks decent is somewhat of a work of art.

Made With Plastic

While the thought of a plastic fake rock may conjure images of low quality, flimsy,  and sad looking chunks of  hollow cheesiness, recent advances in plastic molding techniques have allowed manufacturers to achieve some amazingly realistic and excellent results. By adding actual organic materials to the resin, manufacturers are able to incorporate color, texture and U.V. Inhibitors into the molded plastic walls. Plastic is quickly becoming the most popular  material. Which material is best for your particular application? It really depends on what you intend to use the rock for. If it's strictly for decoration and you don't plan on moving it around a lot, then concrete may be the way to go. Concrete rocks can look awesome if properly molded and tinted. Cultured stone used to side homes and commercial buildings is an excellent example of rock cast with concrete. Finding hollow concrete ones may be a challenge though. Most concrete fake rock is solid cast and not really designed to cover objects in a yard or garden.

If you need a fake rock to cover something in your yard or garden then plastic is probably your best bet. Plastic rocks are lightweight and easy to move around. This can be a bad thing in windy areas, however. Many a plastic rock has been spotted tumbling through the neighborhood in a gust of wind. And once recovered the rightful owner rarely has a collar on it tagged with a name, address, and phone number to notify for it's safe return! Luckily many higher end models are equipped with a staking system allowing one to securely fasten the edges to the ground. Another benefit of a plastic based molding material is U.V. Resistance. Some models are created with U.V. Resistant polymers actually molded into the side walls throughout. This is ideal as it creates a very effective barrier against sun fade. Put anything out in the sun for days, weeks, months on end and it's going to take a beating from U.V. Rays. These plastic products are no different. The better the U.V. Protection, the less the color and texture will fade over time. Good U.V. Inhibitors also help sustain the integrity of the fake rock walls by preventing the polymers from breaking down and becoming brittle, especially in colder months.

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In choosing a fake rock design we always tell people “When in doubt, go with plastic!” It's hard to go wrong with a plastic rock for ease of use and durability. And depending on the brand, many models look incredibly realistic. Some of the plastic models can even be coined as “Green” being molded with recycled content: One day a bottle of Mountain Dew, the next a gorgeous rock covering an ugly septic tank lid! Since plastic models from the same manufacturer and of the same model are identical to one another they can be stacked on top of one another for easy storage . This can be a big selling point if you plan on keeping them inside during winter months. Make a quick and easy stack in your shed or garage and be done with it.  Keep this in mind when ordering multiple units online.  Many times manufacturers and vendors can ship ones of the same model in this stacked fashion.  This could mean decent shipping discounts in some cases.  Don't be afraid to ask before ordering  in quantities greater than one. In conclusion plastic appears to be the king. It's durable and lightweight and can be made highly U.V. Resistant and “Green.” if made with reclaimed plastics. So now you can run out and buy the cheapest plastic rock you can find, throw it over the septic tank lid in your yard and be a happy camper with a great looking fake rock covering that ugly septic once and for all, right? Well, almost, first lets look at the different types of plastic models. While they all may look similar at first glance and from afar, there are some notable differences in the molding and manufacturing processes that make these plastic fake rocks different from one another.

Next let's look at “The Fake Rock Good, The Bad And The Ugly”

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