Landscaping Rocks Blog

Natural Stone is more than an enduring material that stands the test of time. It’s environmentally friendly on several fronts. This makes it an ideal building material for anyone who is interested in doing more than just creating a natural look for our home, but demonstrating that they believe in environmentally responsible values.

Tags: Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »

Let’s talk about tools! Most people have a set of tools they use to make occasional repairs. Sometimes you might even have a few special tools you plan on using for arts and crafts – once you get the time. And if you’re like most people, you want to save money on those tools because you’ll only be using them occasionally. It just doesn’t make economic sense for you to invest in them too heavily.

Natural stone layers and other trades-people have a completely different attitude. Put yourself in their shoes. If you’re buying a tool that’s going to put food on the table – one that will be a constant companion throughout your working life – savings is the furthest thing from your mind. Instead, you’d be interested in performance and durability. If you’re going to use a tool every day as part of your profession you don’t even think about what you’ll save at the time of purchase.

If you’re planning on doing work with natural stone yourself, you should buy tools with the same attitude, even if you only plan on using them for a few jobs. Leaving aside the fact that some tools have uses beyond natural stone, working with it is the type of process where tool quality will add little to the total budget, comparatively speaking. Consider safety, too. Natural stone isn’t necessarily dangerous, but it’s a relatively hard, heavy substance. Poor tools can chip and shatter, leading to cuts, eye injuries and even fractures in cases where the breaking tool causes a piece of stone to fall on a digit.

(And speaking of safety, remember that you also need to get a good pair of safety boots, gloves and goggles. Without owning them and knowing when to use them, you’ll exponentially increase your chances of injury.)

Finally, you can always see the influence of good tools on a job’s workmanship. You can’t get the best results without solid, professionals tools. If you use cheap tools your levels will be off, your stone will show ugly gouges from tool slippage, and the result just won’t fit together well. A good stone layer uses top of the line tools and it shows in his work. The tools and tradesman become like old pals, thanks to a positive working relationship. An experienced stone layer’s hammers, chisels, levels and trowels look as aged and weathered, but as strong and confident as he does.

Tags: Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »

Most seasoned tradesmen in the dry stone laying field have at least one person helping them out while learning the ins and outs of working with natural stone. That’s the apprentice: someone participating in an ancient tradition that continues to help train stone layers, masons and other professionals working in natural stone to the highest levels of skill.

A skilled apprentice learns to work with two or three tradesmen at once. He learns the major types and properties of natural stone and its role in landscaping, construction, veneers, interiors – the exact degree of knowledge depends on how much the apprentice’s teacher knows. Beginner’s knowledge in the trade is enough to fulfil requests quickly, including selecting materials, ordering from natural stone retailers and helping with actual stone laying.

Through it all, it’s the apprentice’s duty to keep his eyes open, ears alert and mind inquisitive. He should ask questions about the trade whenever his teachers can spare the time to answer them, get plenty of practice in all aspects of the trade – and be patient. It takes time to learn to professional standards. I’ve seen many young apprentices work for a trades-person for one year or less, start a business of their own, and leave a trail of disappointed clients in their wake. No amount of (over)confidence and talent can replace practice.

It takes years of working with good stone layers to acquire the ability to visit any job site and work through the different tasks that arise. So if a tradesman that tells you he apprenticed under an excellent professional, get the teacher’s name. Learn his reputation and give him a call. If the natural stone worker you’re thinking of hiring is skilled, his or her teacher will be proud to recommend the former apprentice.

Tags: Sand Stone by mike
No Comments »

“You can’t buy experience.” That saying holds true when it comes to working with natural stone. While buying from a quality natural stone retailer will provide the very best raw materials to work with, the actual effort involved in landscaping with stone retaining walls or crafting beautiful natural stone interiors requires the experience to get the best out of the material, avoid mistakes and select the best natural stone for the job.

You can’t buy your own experience, but you can employ someone with that experience to work for you. With that in mind, experience is a key ingredient in the mix of criteria you need to look at when you decide to employ a natural stone layer. In today’s service-oriented professional environment it’s easy to get dazzled by personality and superficial results. While someone may have a reputation for quick work and a polite demeanour, the quality of the end result is what matters. You want someone with a reputation for solid work above everything else.

That’s why it’s always a good idea to ask for references when it’s time to hire a professional stone layer. When you follow up on these references you can ask past clients how their work has held up under everyday wear and tear and how they feel about the job’s quality after the fact. This will give you an idea of whether the natural stone layer’s results stand the test of time, and whether there’s substantial skill behind that first impression.

A skilled natural stone layer also knows how to create beautiful work that fits in with the style you desire. Ask for a portfolio of past work. Ask yourself if it demonstrates versatility across a range of jobs and natural stone types, and whether any particular example especially appeals to you. This will not only let you know if the contractor is right for you, but help you firm up your own ideas about the job you want done.

Once you’ve found the right candidate for the job, act fast, as skilled professionals in natural stone laying are rare. The best professionals will often be booked months in advance, so it’s a good idea to schedule your job as soon as possible, but set a realistic date weeks or months down the road. For outdoor natural stone work such as paths, stone retaining walls and other landscaping jobs, remember that demand spikes through Spring and Summer. Natural stone interiors don’t depend on the weather but will be affected by the demand for outdoor jobs, since expertise often crosses over.

Our natural stone showroom includes examples of professional grade natural stone work as judged by Mike Stone, informed by his decades of experience. Visit us and we can tell you more about how to find a natural stone layer with valuable experience, and the quality you should expect from these professionals.

Tags: English, Fieldstone, Flagstones, Granite Stone, Landscaping Rocks by mike
No Comments »

After years of laying natural stone for walls, patios, walkways and dozens of other types of projects I’m proud of where I’ve taken my craft. More than that, I’ve come to understand some of the attributes that separate amateurs from true natural stone professionals. Let me share four of the qualities I think stone layers need to progress to this level.

Passion: The most creative stone layers have an undeniable passion for their work. It’s sometimes difficult for an amateur to understand why someone would want to spend their entire professional life working with natural stone. You need to apply strength, patience and a memory of the techniques you need and the characteristics that apply to a specific type of natural stone. Passion is an appreciation for that detail because you can see it all as part of one process that turns the raw stone into something perfectly suited to its function, whether that’s a stone retaining wall, patio or path.

Mastery of the Tools: A professional stone layer learns to orchestrate his tools efficiently, moving effortlessly from one tool to the next. This ability has to come from a love of the craft or it simply won’t appear, because it requires constant practice and the commitment needed to procure the right chisels, hammers, levels, squares and other tools for the job. Don’t underestimate the effort it takes to put together a truly complete set of tools! A good stone layer avoids using a less than ideal tool for a particular task and doesn’t get confused over his selection of tools. Once he has them on hand, the job may look easy – but nothing that looks so easy ever is without intense preparation.

Knowledge of the Stone: A true professional knows the important differences between each type of stone. This includes its relative weight, strength and how it reacts to different tools and environmental phenomena. This way, he can do more than just get the job done, but participate in choosing the correct natural stone. An expert stone layer is a valuable resource for an architect, landscaping professional or interior designer because he keeps those individuals from making poor choices about the stone to use. Furthermore, a stone layer learns about the cosmetic qualities of different natural stone varieties, including color and texture, and should over time know where to find them from a reputable stone retailer or stone wholesaler (depending on the type of job).

Creativity: Laying stone requires more creativity than you might think. A laid down surface is like a puzzle where the person solving it (the stone layer) gets to “cheat” by reshaping the pieces, but he must make the end result attractive and functional. There are countless ways to arrange stones in a path, but not all of them are practical. A stone layer can find the best looking option. He can build a wall with a beautiful pattern with its structural requirements.

The end result is that he’s created a piece of art out of natural stone. His solution shows the imagination and talent of the stone layer and the natural beauty of the stone.

Tags: English, Flagstones, Landscaping Rocks, Retaining Walls, Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »

Coordinating your renovation’s colour scheme to account for natural stone interiors requires more than just picking a colour and finding the stones with the closest colours. You need to plan carefully so that natural stone interior elements fit with the rest of your vision for a particular room.

Pick the type of stone you want to use before settling on interior colours. Natural stone comes in hundreds of amazing colours and shades, but not all types of stone come in all shades. That’s why you need to start by asking yourself what you’ll be using the stone for, as that will determine the best basic type of stone. Do you want veneers on your walls? Do you want a stone floor? What about stone counters and shelving? Depending on colour and texture your choice of stone could be limestone, Penn Blue sandstone, slate or granite.

To make the right choice you’ll not only need the help of someone who knows natural stone, but a stone retailer who combines that experience with access to a large selection of different types of natural stone. While you might read about a particular type of stone, what if it isn’t the best choice for that particular interior feature? What if the retailer doesn’t have it in stock? At Stone Haven we pride ourselves on access to a diverse array of natural stone varieties, along with the experience to guide you to the best possible choice.

As there are so many options available it’s possible to use natural stone to meet very specific interior design specifications. At the same time, natural stone is an enduring material that may last longer than your plans for a specific room in the house. You may want to choose a textured might to medium grey colour if you plan on changing your interior spaces regularly. Grey is a neutral colour and won’t clash with others.

On the other hand, don’t think you have to pick grey. One of the great things about natural stone is that almost any colour comes off as neutral compared to non-stone interior elements. Natural stone’s appearance and range of textures means that any colour takes new “dressing” (the addition of furniture, shelving and other interior pieces) well.

Once you’ve narrowed down the type of stone you want to use and found the right colour, it’s easy to decorate the rest of your interior. By determining your base colour, your natural stone guides you to the right wall colour, furniture and other elements, but doesn’t lock you into that choice forever. If you’d like some specific examples of how natural stone makes your interiors more attractive, contact us at Stone Haven. We’ll share our experience with successful designs.

Tags: English, Flagstones, Granite Stone, Landscaping Rocks, Sand Stone, Stone Veneer, Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »

Natural stone interior elements provide a high end look to your home that false stone can’t even come close to. People are often tempted to use false versions of natural stone types such as granite and slate, but they rarely stand up to close inspection.

One of the chief issues with false stone is that it can’t be properly cut and shaped by a professional stone mason. If you try to cut false stone yourself, or it chips, you’ll expose the cement beneath the dyed exterior. Your guests will notice if they stick around for any length of time but worst of all, you’ll notice too – you’ll see the disappointing results more often than anyone. The problems with false stone only get worse over time as dyes and adhesives weaken. Cheap concrete will age, wear and crumble fast, leaving you with an unattractive, hard to renovate interior.

Fortunately, false stone isn’t much of a bargain. Natural stone is only slightly more expensive for something that is not only more attractive, but easier to shape specifically for your home. As a stone retailer with decades of experience both selling and working with natural stone, we can provide suggestions based on a type of stone’s appearance and material qualities. For example, properly cut and installed slate is a beautiful flooring material, while granite is excellent for heavy duty surfaces (such as counter tops) and veneers. There are colours, textures, shapes and thicknesses to suit virtually any interior function, from an attractive veneer to a heated slate floor.

Perhaps the best thing about choosing natural stone for your interiors is the way it connects you to a tradition of quality craftsmanship that uses tried and tested techniques. Skilled stone masons cut and lay stone in personalized styles, making every natural stone installation a unique work of art – not an artificial pattern that you might see in dozens of other homes.

If you have questions about how to use natural stone inside your home, contact Stone Haven. We can find the perfect type of stone for your needs, and let you know what to expect when it’s time to install natural stone in your home.

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Stone Veneer, Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »

Stone Haven is looking ahead to the 2010 season. We have a number of plans for the New Year based on our understanding of upcoming trends in landscaping and interior design with natural stone, as well as new opportunities that will allow us to serve our customers better.

As a stone retailer we pay close attention to customer preferences through each season and use them to meet upcoming demands. As a stone wholesaler we use our contacts in the professional community to ensure that our stone meets their needs, so that they can perform work of the highest quality. As a result, we’re confident that we’re going to have exactly what each customer needs for the upcoming season. Here are just a few of the developments we’re working on.

Stone Haven will be increasing its selection of thin interior building stone.  This stone can be used for interior flooring and walls throughout the home. Stone interiors have become increasingly popular to provide attractive flooring, walls and work surfaces. We’ll be prepared to meet the growing demand.

Thin building stone is also a popular choice for exteriors. By using a slab of cement as a base it’s possible to lay an array of attractive exterior surfaces.

As customers grow more aware of the flexibility of natural stone and develop more sophisticated ideas about interior and exterior design they want more variety. We’ve always prided ourselves on being able to provide a variety of stone types and colours to fit almost any need, so we’ll continue to keep a complete range of quality natural stone on hand.

Finally, we know that people are watching their budgets closely, so we’re working to provide natural stone in all price ranges, so that customers can fit stone into virtually any landscaping or interior design project.

Contact us now to learn more about our 2010 plans and to talk about your needs. Mike Stone’s extensive experience means he can help you find the stone you need to complement your project.

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Retaining Walls, Stone Veneer by mike
No Comments »

Spring projects require winter planning. If you have a spring or summer landscape project coming up, now is the time to start contacting an architect, landscaper, stone retailer and excavation company to help plan and execute your work.

The winter months are a perfect time to plan. First of all, the summer landscaping season is extraordinarily busy for landscaping professionals, so booking time with them now puts you at the front of the line. Otherwise, you may have to wait to work with contractors who can only spare a strictly limited amount of time to your project.

Winter is also a great time to secure your pick of natural stone such as sandstone and granite stone. Stone Haven makes a point of keeping a complete stock as much as possible, but the best way to get the exact stone you want is to order ahead of time, so that it will be ready for you from the first day. Winter is also an opportunity to consult with us about your specific needs, so that you’ll be ready for projects ranging from stone retaining walls to large flagstone patios.

Once you consult with professionals you’ll be able to look at the area you want worked on with an eye toward the specific requirements defined by your team. We have decades of experience providing this kind of insight to people looking at using stone in landscaping and other projects, so we can certainly provide useful input.

Generally speaking, you’ll need to know the size and shape of the area. The more exact your measurements, the more useful they’ll be. Do you know exactly how wide, long and tall the area you’ve set aside for a patio is? How is the land sloped, and by how much? Where does water typically drain? Professionals are interested in knowing the answers so that they can give you the best guidance and get to work as efficiently as possible.

In Stone Haven’s case, your answers, the type of project and the look you want will influence everything from the recommended natural stone type to the amount you’ll use. At this point, many homeowners can get struck with a need for inspiration. Fortunately, we have many examples of beautiful natural stone work on hand to help inspire you.

Furthermore, we have the experience to work with other professionals. We understand each other, help you define exactly what you want, and prepare a plan designed to put our best efforts into your property. Once the season starts, you’ll be in good hands and soon enough, you’ll have a beautiful landscape ready to enjoy for the remainder of next year’s warm weather.

Think about your vision and contact us to start the process.

Tags: English, Landscaping Rocks, Retaining Walls by mike
1 Comment »

Stone retaining walls can be used to keep gardens, lawns, flower beds and banks level and healthy, as long as you properly place and build them. Retaining walls are beautiful, too. When they’re well-built, they can be used as focal points themselves. Enhance your landscape using a stone retaining wall by incorporating just a few simple ideas.

1. Choose natural stone for your retaining wall. No other material has the same character or variety as natural stone. Contact Stone Haven or visit our showroom to explore the possibilities. In a world where people walk by standardized brick and concrete every day, natural stone stands out.

1. If your wall is going to be longer than 30 linear feet you may want to install some natural stone steps near the center of the wall. These give you and your guests access to the area above the wall. With the right stone and construction, the steps will add beauty as well as functionality to your retaining wall.

1. Put a curve in the wall for a natural look. You can also give the wall an organic ambiance by building the retaining wall so that its height follows the lay of the land. Remember that at either end of the wall, you have the option of either tapering it off or making square corners with a return into the bank.

1. A natural stone cap that overhangs the wall by 2 or 3 inches will act as a crown for your masterpiece and strengthen the wall, too. Use a stone cap to frame the wall, bring attention to the patterns in your work, and emphasize the different shapes of individual stones within the retaining wall.

1. Add the odd large rock to the wall to give it a character all its own. A beautiful natural stone wall is a unique object; it quickly becomes a local landmark or a friendly, familiar site to anyone familiar with the area. That not only makes your property more beautiful, but transfers that to your entire neighbourhood.

Tags: English, Retaining Walls, Uncategorized by mike
No Comments »