When I first started looking into stone for our exterior, I had no idea how complicated (and expensive) it could get. Between the materials, the labor, and the prep work, real stone just wasn’t in the cards for us. But I still wanted that textured, timeless look—and that’s when I stumbled across NextStone Canada and their imitation stone panels.

To be honest, I was skeptical at first. I’d seen some “faux” products in the past that looked, well… obviously fake. But NextStone’s panels were different. The photos looked good, and the details were sharp, so I decided to order a few samples. Once they showed up, I was surprised by how realistic they were. You could see the depth, feel the grooves, even the color variation looked natural. Definitely not just printed plastic.

We ended up choosing a slate-toned style for the front of our house—just a partial section, to break up the siding and give the entrance more presence. The install was way easier than expected. We didn’t need a contractor, just basic tools and a bit of patience. The panels locked in cleanly, and the final look genuinely feels like real stone. Our neighbors even asked who did the masonry work. That says something.

Beyond the looks, what really sold me on NextStone’s imitation stone panels was the durability. We’ve had heavy rain, snow, and crazy temperature swings, and they’ve held up perfectly—no fading, no cracking, no peeling. They don’t soak up water like real stone, and I don’t have to do any maintenance besides occasionally hosing them down.

If you're on the fence about going with a faux product, I get it. But this stuff is different. It feels solid. It looks right. And it saved us a ton of money without sacrificing curb appeal.

Would I recommend NextStone Canada? Yep—already have. A friend of mine is using their panels for an indoor fireplace surround now. And honestly, I kind of wish I had another excuse to order more.