granite
In the course of my watershaping career, I've come to divide remodeling projects into two distinct categories. The first is what I call cosmetic refurbishing. Here, all a homeowner usually wants is a superficial updating of a pool's or spa's appearance or performance through application of a new interior finish, some fresh waterline tile, maybe new coping and decking and, often, new equipment or perhaps a poolside waterfeature. I avoid these projects as energetically as possible because, typically, the challenges are thin and there's little room for creativity. The second category encompasses what I call
Stone Forest (Santa Fe, NM) produces ribbed sphere fountains in three diameters: 20, 24 and…
The Concrete Protector (Wapakoneta, OH) produces the Graniflex concrete resurfacing system. The decorative, high-strength material…
Working on a large-scale project is a challenge when it happens even ten miles from your home base: Big jobs are just plain tough. But building that same project 150 miles away? That takes the difficulty to another level - and when you mix in an extremely difficult, environmentally sensitive site, it can feel as though you're operating on another planet. A case in point can be found in our participation in a design/build project on a remote cottage estate in the stunning
In recent years, more and more of our clients have asked us to use old hardscape materials on their projects: They love the stuff, they tell us, and they're sold on its aesthetic richness, authenticity and time-tested visual appeal. Living in southeastern Pennsylvania near some of the country's oldest cities gives me the advantage of ready access to these timeless objects - mostly old cobbles, bricks and stone curbing pulled up in the process of infrastructure
Grand Effects (Irvine, CA) has added granite fire pits to its list of products. Kits…
In one form or another, almost every landscape project uses stone. Whether it's ledger, rubble, pebbles or flagstone - on its own or woven into other hardscape materials - when it comes to shaping exterior environments, stone is one of the most versatile of all materials at your disposal. In my experience as a stone supplier, however, few landshapers understand enough about the properties and characteristics of available stone products to use them as effectively as possible. This is true despite the fact that inappropriate stone usage creates liabilities for both the installer and the client and that the need for eventual replacement incurs great cost down the line. Simply knowing which types of stone are dense and which are soft, for example, is enough to prevent many problems with installations and will make landscapes more successful. While placing beautiful slate on an exterior deck may seem a great idea visually, for instance, it will eventually disintegrate as a result of exposure to the elements, nobody involved will be happy - and everybody will recognize that it would have been better to
In one form or another, almost every landscape project uses stone. Whether it's ledger, rubble, pebbles or flagstone - on its own or woven into other hardscape materials - when it comes to shaping exterior environments, stone is one of the most versatile of all materials at your disposal. In my experience as a stone supplier, however, few landshapers understand enough about the properties and characteristics of available stone products to use them as effectively as possible. This is true despite the fact that inappropriate stone usage creates liabilities for both the installer and the client and that the need for eventual replacement incurs great cost down the line. Simply knowing which types of stone are dense and which are soft, for example, is enough to prevent many problems with installations and will make landscapes more successful. While placing beautiful slate on an exterior deck may seem a great idea visually, for instance, it will eventually disintegrate as a result of exposure to the elements, nobody involved will be happy - and everybody will recognize that it would have been better to
There's something intriguing about heavy objects that float on water. In our daily lives, we often see traditional fountains made with utterly huge pieces of stone, but as gorgeous and compelling as those systems can be, it's the ones in which that stone moves that are the most fascinating of all. The very idea that you can move a massive piece of granite with just the slightest touch of a hand is simply mesmerizing. These floating objects become centerpieces immediately - a fact that has led to their proliferation in plazas and other public spaces around the
