In one form or another, 'stucco' has been used for centuries. Hard and durable, it has been textured, tinted or coated to provide a colorful, attractive and cost eective exterior. Few materials in nature are harder than stone, and man has been using it as a building material for thousands of years. Modern homes are often covered in a thin layer of stone, called a veneer. Both stone and cultured stone veneers are essentially maintenance-free, which is one reason that home owners choose them as part of their exterior finish.