What Stone Is Right for My Fireplace?

Is there anything to compare to the comfort and grandeur of a stone fireplace? Stone has always been a popular material for fireplace design, and for good reason. Stone is incredibly versatile; you can literally create any style of fireplace, from the most grand to the most rustic and everything in between, with stone. But which stone is right for your fireplace? Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when designing your ideal fireplace.

Overall Design

Your overall design will steer you towards certain stones. The elegance and beauty of marble perfectly elevates a more formal room, while the rustic curvature of fieldstones can lend organic comfort to a cottage-style den. Determine what style you want for the room as a whole, and see if any stones immediately evoke that aesthetic for you. Marble may be expensive, but it's worth every penny if it perfects your room's look.

Maintenance Issues

Some stone is very easy to care for, requiring only a gentle cleaning every so often to maintain its luster and beauty. Other stone is more complicated to keep in pristine condition. Marbles and limestones are softer than other stones, so extra care needs to be taken to ensure these stones aren't dented by accident. In addition, marble can take more effort to clean than, say, granite. Which brings us to the elephant in the room: soot.

Soot and Staining

If you use your fireplace with any frequency, soot will be an issue. Using a dark material for your fireplace can certainly help to mask soot stains. Darker grey or black stone will keep your cleaning to a minimum, but what if your heart is set on something lighter? If you plan to use your fireplace often, aim for something easy to clean, like granite or slate.

Don't Forget Your Hearth

Make sure your hearth design complements your fireplace design. Depending on the material you choose for your fireplace, you may be able to use the same material to create your hearth. If not, or if you don't want your hearth made from the same material, try to use a product that complements your fireplace's style and coloring. Tile is an excellent option for hearths, as are other stone varieties with similar coloring to the main stone you pick. Be sure that the hearth design itself works well with the design of the fireplace; you don't want a cottage-style fireplace thrown off by a modern hearth or vice versa.

Ultimately, the beauty of well-designed and well-constructed stone will make your fireplace the show-stopping centerpiece of whatever room you incorporate it into. Discuss with your designer or salesperson which stones will be right for your fireplace.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones   

Designing a Stone Fire Pit

Spending time with a person or a number of people is one way to communicate with them and let them know that you are happy with their presence in your life. That is why there are gatherings or get - together and stuff like that. But without knowing this fact, you know, as a human being, you know that when you want to spend time with people, you would prefer to do it outdoors. There is something about the great outdoors that makes things a bit more special, even if that outdoor meant your backyard.

This is pretty much true and guesses what; most people would prefer to go out in the evening. However, in some places, going out in the evening, even in your yard could prove to be a very frigid idea, literally. Especially on certain times of the year, a night out could be very cold. That is why you need the help of fire pits. It's a bit like camp fire but more sophisticated. These fire pits are great additions in your backyard because they provide you're much required heat to warm you on cold nights as well as provide you with a cozy fire and just the right amount of lighting to soothe or stimulate the mood. It's all about that.

The thing is, not everyone could buy or have a fire pit constructed in their house. It comes with a price that makes some people uncomfortable. However, you don't have to worry about that. If you are part of them (like me) you can always settle down for a DIY stone fire pit project. Designing a stone pit would be a very smart decision just in case you can't afford to buy or have one constructed in your house or maybe you are just the DIY type of person. So how do you design your own stone fire pit and build it?

First, you have to check for your local community officers if it's okay to have fire pits in your neighborhood because some neighborhoods don't allow that. Sometimes, they will ask you to get a permit for it but that's alright. First, get a stake (from some wood or something) and place it on the center of the spot which you have pre-located where you would place the pit. You will need a steel fire ring too. Dig a hole about one foot deep. When you are done with that, dig down the center until its half a foot deep. Set up stone blocks around the hole and then place some gravels on the center of the hole to act as drains if the rain comes. Use the steel ring to function as a line on your pit. You can get the steel ring at any home improvement or hardware stores nationwide. Add decorative stone blocks around it and you are all set. Now you have your very own stone fire pit. Handy!

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones   

Stone Veneer Provides Options To Make Dreams Come True

Stone veneer is giving people more options than ever before for creating the look and feel of natural stone without having to go through all the mess and expensive of installing the latter. With different manufacturers around the country producing manufactured stone, there is no doubt that every taste will be satisfied when this beautiful material is used to cover the outside of homes. Artificial stones are produced using lightweight concrete or other substance mixes that are poured into molds that are specially prepared to create the look and feel of real natural stone.

These fabricates stones are then painted with special coloring processes to give them the final touch and provide the appearance of stones that are found wherever they naturally occur. Stone veneer is produced to appear as thin slices of stone. That makes applying them to the outside of a home easy to accomplish, even by the DIY enthusiast. Rather than using masonry mortar as a mason would when building a brick or stone wall around the outside of a home, special mortars have been created to make this process simple and easy to achieve.

It is not uncommon to hear people stating that they would like to add a brick or natural stone facade to the plans they are making for a new home, but they often feel that it is just too expensive to seriously consider. With artificial stones, that cost is cut by one third to one half what it would be to install the other options, making it well within the reach of nearly anyone to give their homes the look they are after. Stone veneer is not just for the outside of the home either.

With fireplaces being one of the most sought after features for those searching for new homes to move into, manufactured stones are a great option for giving a new look to an older home or for adding value to new construction. Fabricated stones are finding their way into other applications as well, since they do not require the same techniques to apply as with brick and mortar, there is no reason anyone these days should have to go without the look and feel of stone.

Stone veneer is usually produced in much thinner layers than is possible with natural stone. That makes it ideal for placing on interior walls that mimic those that have traditionally only been found on the outside of structures. This gives rise to many design elements that could only have been dreamed of before. The cost of natural stone alone has prevented many from incorporating this design feature to their homes. That is no longer true with the incredible array of quality products that are being produced as artificial stone.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones   

Stone Fireplaces: The Hearth Is The Heart of The Home

One hundred ago the fireplace was a standard feature in most homes. It not only heated the interior, it also was used for cooking, boiling water, and other house hold functions. Today a fireplace is an extra that is treasured for its charm more than its function. Although the modern hearth can be a heat source, its real value comes from the warm atmosphere it creates.

Architects and interior designers have had a love affair with the fireplace for decades. There are countless styles which range from small cozy heaths inspired by 17th century designs to sleek modern structures that incorporate cabinets and shelves. Stone masons are experts in building and reconstructing these interior fire pits in almost any home. Always seek out experts that fully understand the structural elements so it will be safe and beautiful.

An interior fireplace is made of up of several parts. It's important to maintain and be aware for the interior elements of your fireplace as well as the decorative exterior. Let's take a look starting at the bottom and move to the top.

1. Foundation - also called a footing is built under the fireplace floor and is separate from the building's foundation.

2. Ash pit/Ash box - This optional feature is a hollow space under the fireplace floor where ashes can be swept into and later emptied.

3. Inner Hearth - This is the fireplace floor where the fire burns. (The term hearth can refer to the fireplace floor as well as the fireplace interior.

4. Outer Hearth - Now the terms can get confusing. The outer heath refers to the floor in front of the firebox.

5. Firebox- (sometimes referred to as the hearth) This is the surfaces and openings around the fire.

6. Fireplace facade - This is the decorative front that dresses up the fire box. Facades can be simple or ornate.

7. Mantle - Although technically this is the top or shelf of the fireplace facade, it is more commonly thought of as the place for trophies, knick-knacks and Christmas stockings.

8. Smoke shelf - This interior shelf redirects air currents that move through the chimney.

9. Damper and Lintel - Metal parts that control heat and smoke.

10. Smoke Chamber - This is the passageway between the fire box and the flue.

11. Flue - The flue is the vertical opening in the chimney which connects to the smoke chamber. The structure of the flue creates a draft and allows for a discharge of smoke, so the smoke is drawn up and out and does not flow into the house.

12. Chimney - Modern heating systems are more efficient than fireplaces; however there are design options which can increase its heating capabilities. Internal fans and special heat pipes can redirect the fire's warmth into the room so you lose less heat up the chimney. If you want the fire but not the ashes, consider a clean, gas fireplace.

Although the interior design elements are somewhat uniform, the fireplace façade and mantel can be built from a wide variety of materials including natural stone, decorative terra cotta lattice, tile, imprinted concrete, rounded stone, and brick. Modern fireplaces can work with any interior and add beauty to any home.

5 Reasons Why Manufactured Stone Is Becoming So Popular   Installing Cultured Stones