Landscaping Rocks Blog

Who’s going to the Fair? Stone Haven Inc. is going to the Fair! Will we see you there?

Stone Haven is going to be exhibiting our natural stone once again at the Brome Fair September 3, 4, 5 & 6, 2010.
The Brome Fair is a fall celebration during the long Labour Day weekend for four days in Brome, geared for family, friends and fun. The quaint village of Brome with a small population of only 250, actually expands to over 40,000 people over the course of the four days of fair.

So this Labour Day weekend why don’t you make your way to the Brome Fair, and while you are there, stop by the Stone Haven booth and say Hi!

We are bringing in over 30 pallets of our Natural Stone and Landscaping Rocks just for you to see. Come see our Fall Fair stone yard that we have set up for the long weekend. Place an order at out booth during the Fair and receive a Fair Discount.

Stone Haven is now the largest natural stone wholesaler/retailer in Quebec, so if you don’t see what you are looking for at our booth, come by and see us at our showroom/stone yard in Knowlton.

The Labour Day weekend is a perfect time to visit the Eastern Townships including Brome & Knowlton.
So come and enjoy a relaxed and entertaining weekend with us - “Stone Haven Inc.” - at the Fair.
For more information about the Fair visit www.bromefair.com

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Natural stone, Uncategorized, natural stone by mike
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Thin natural stone is a popular, versatile product. In the last few years its popularity has exploded, particularly as more and more people have turned to natural stone as an interior material, but it has always had a huge number of outdoor applications as well. In the past, designers were concerned that natural stone would always look rustic, but now people are better educated, and know that thin natural stone can be cut to fit smooth, straight lines and the most up to date urban designs.

We carry many different types of thin natural stone, such as limestone, Penn Blue Sandstone, granite, slate and quartzite. Colours, textures and patterns exist to suit virtually every design scheme and surface. If you want natural stone for flooring, fireplaces, showers or exterior patios laid on cement, thin natural stone is your product of choice.

Thin natural stone is available in specific cut patterns for a formal stone designs incorporating tile-style layouts and straight lines, as well as irregular shapes (“crazy work”) for informal or rustic designs.

Because thin natural stone can be cut to fit almost any design, you are free to concentrate less on fitting the stone in, and more on colour. There are too many colours available to list, ranging from red, rust and brown to dramatic blacks, blues and greens. We have always loved the unique colour of Penn Blue Sandstone, and highly recommend it for matching colour schemes. Whatever colour you choose, you can be assured that the stone we provide will be expertly cut, durable and represent the highest quality. Drop by and see for yourself!

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Natural stone, Sand Stone by mike
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Slate is another natural stone product that is found throughout the world.  Slate’s quality is determined by its hardness.  The softer the slate, the more it will flake. This is not what professionals nor their clients like to see.  While it’s true that a natural, weathered look is sometimes desirable, this should always be created through landscaping and design efforts, not because the slate itself wears away quickly! A hard slate is easier to work and will stand the test of time.

Slate is an extremely flexible material, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Slate counter tops have recently exploded in popularity. It’s also an excellent interior flooring and fireplace stone.  Moving outside, slate is also a beautiful choice for around swimming pools and for patios, walkways and steps.

Slate is well known for its variety. Local geological conditions create slate in a tremendous number of colours. The hallmark of a skilled landscaping stone supplier is the ability to find slate in beautiful colours without letting colour take priority over providing quality slate. Stone Haven carries excellent examples of popular colours like black, green, mauve, red and dark blue.

Visit Stone Haven’s showroom to see examples of what slate can do, or email mike@stonehaveninc.ca to see how Stone Haven can help you with projects using slate.

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Uncategorized by mike
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Granite is one of the hardest, most durable types of natural stone available.  Granite is found throughout the world; you’d be hard pressed to find a region where it isn’t a primary building material. Indeed, it’s so useful that it’s used by building architects, landscape architects, interior designers and small scale landscapers alike.

Granite’s wide range of uses can be divided into interior and exterior roles. It’s an excellent choice for kitchen counters, flooring and facing for fireplaces.  On the exterior side, landscapers install granite in patios, walkways and around swimming pools.  Depending on the style of the exterior project irregular flagstone or patterns cut to specific dimensions are used.

One key to getting the most out of granite is being able to get the right cut from a knowledgeable stone supplier. There are several options available. Granite slabs offer a more natural look due to their irregular shapes and varying lengths.  Granite cut steps are also available.  These offer the client an opportunity to decide on the exact length of the step they wish to use.

The ultimate limit on granite’s uses lies in the skill of the planners and artisans who use it. Here at Stone Haven we benefit from Mike Stone’s 40 years of landscaping experience. If you want to know more, email mike@stonehaveninc.ca or call 1-450-242-0255.

Tags: Granite Stone, Stone Veneer, Uncategorized by mike
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As a tradesman of 40 years, I can say that I have worked with a lot of great landscape architects. Large projects require a plan to give the customer an overall view of the landscaped property. This is generally accomplished with the input of the client, landscaper and architect. They work together on a plan that looks good, obeys sound architectural principles and makes the best use of available building and landscaping materials.

A good architect keeps an open mind once the plan gets applied to a working job sites. Lets face it: What may work on paper doesn’t always work on the site. Supplies, budgets and the site’s environment all need to be accounted for. A good architect is ready to give practical input that takes these conditions into account. This allows the team at the site to make the necessary changes quickly.

A landscape architect creates a living space on your property. Therefore, when choosing an architect it’s important to choose an individual who listens well and can translate your needs and preference into a reality. They should be able to accommodate your tastes in everything from sandstone and granite varieties to blending a patio into a natural stone feature.

Tags: English, Granite Stone, Landscaping Rocks by mike
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Building a stone retaining wall can be an intimidating prospect for a first-timer, but if you break it down into single steps and pay attention to detail, you’ll end up with a good looking, functional result.

Before you get started, remember to pay attention to your own safety. Wear steel-toed work boots and safety gloves. If you’re using a chipping hammer or anything else that could produce flying debris, wear safety goggles too.

Once you’re dressed to work, here’s what you do:

1. Check the soil at your work site to see if you have a wet area. If you do, make sure to drain it away from the wall area.
2. If the ground isn’t firm around where you plan on building the wall, compact the earth.
3. Your wall should have a slope of two and a half to three inches of incline per foot of height. For instance, a two foot high wall should slope back five or six inches.
4. Use two by twos or half-inch rebar for your stakes to install your lines. Make sure your first line is six inches off of the ground and your second is 12 to 18 inches higher.
5. If your wall is more that two feet high, remember to increase the width of the base. Your base’s width should be 75% to 100% of its height. For example, a six foot high wall should have at least a four to six foot wide base.
6. Once your lines are up, install your membrane (landscape geo-textile) against the bank. That’s the last major step before you actually lay the stone retaining wall.
7. Start with the wall’s ends and corners first. Work from them, toward the middle.
8. Fill in the back of your wall with rough stone and three-quarter inch width clean crushed stone. Make sure to pack the back of the wall tight using your heavy hammer.
9. Lay your stone with the one over two and two over one method as much as possible. In other words, you should avoid having a vertical seam that cuts across two stones. Vertical lines will lead to a weak joint in your retaining wall.
10. Save the larger flat stones for capping the wall. The cap could protrude out of the wall’s face by two or three inches. It looks nice, and helps divert runoff water.

Whether your wall is large or small, the key to finishing it is one stone at a time, laid well and with pride.

Stone Haven is now giving courses by appointment only. These draw on Mike Stone’s 40 years of landscaping experience.  Please call 450.242.0255 or email Mike at mike@stonehaveninc.ca to have your name included in our 2009 schedule.

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks by mike
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Stone Haven, Inc. celebrates its 9^th year in business this season. Owners Mike and Sue Stone have brought Stone Haven from its small beginnings to one of the largest natural stone retailers in Eastern Canada. As the business has grown, Stone Haven has been able to expand its product offerings and enhance its service quality. An exclusive delivery service with J.J. Towing allows Stone Haven to offer 24 hour delivery of stock products. J.J. Towing’s boom truck has the ability to place product close to the job site. Six trucks help ensure prompt deliveries on busy days. Their service is second to none.

Stone Haven’s vast selection of landscape stone and thin stone for masonry brings tradespeople, home owners and architects from the Laurentians, West Island Montreal, the City of Montreal, the South Shore, Sherbrooke and Drummondville down autoroute 10 to take advantage of the variety and expertise on hand.

Tradespeople take advantage of Stone Haven’s wide selection. They encourage their clients to visit the business’ three and a half acre site and outdoor pergola showroom to help them make wise choices. Visitors can view different colours, sizes and shapes of natural stone from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, the United States, China and Brazil. The outdoor pergola showroom offers displays of patio, walkway and step stones, as well as wall stone and fountain displays.

This year owner Mike Stone will share his over 40 years of patio and wall laying experience through classes on how to build patios, walkways and stone walls. Classes will be by appointment only.

Visit Stone Haven at 570 Knowlton Road, in Knowlton, Quebec. You’ll be able to view pallets of Pennsylvania Blue Stone, slate, granite, limestone and much more, in a pleasant environment where expert advice is always close at hand.

Tags: English, Granite Stone, Landscaping Rocks by mike
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Sandstone has an incredible amount of variety, and you can usually find a type to match your project. Our Penn Blue Sandstone is ideal for temperate climates due to both its colour and material properties.

Penn Blue is a tough, fine grained sandstone that we offer in smooth ( cut and flamed), tumbled, and natural faced varieties. 400 million years of heat and pressure give it a smooth texture and almost luminous true blue as well as our full colour (grey, brown, and rust colours) that make it ideal for building facades, walls, patios, steps and walkways. It’s also popular for interior features such as flooring and fireplaces.

Here at Stone Haven Inc., we have some of the most durable and beautiful sandstone around. People have used Penn Blue to build houses and even bridges, so it should suit your landscaping and interior home needs just fine. Drop by our Pergola showroom to see how you might use it for walls, paths, steps and more.

Until then, take a look!

Tags: Flagstones, Landscaping Rocks, Sand Stone by mike
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