Handcrafted Stone Over Wooden Deck

This project was done to create a more decorative transition from the home to the patio area. Rather than just having steps leading into the home, we created an elevated entertaining area with stone accents on the vertical areas and steps that created a focal point. Rather than create a structure out of masonry, which would require footings around the entire perimeter, we chose our method of covering elevated wooden structures. With this method, we would only require two footings to be poured just as you would with a typical elevated deck of this size. The deck was then constructed just as an ordinary deck would be, with the only exception being the incorporation of pitch for drainage since the top decking would be solid surface. We then secure plywood to the sides to create a surface that would be covered with a stone. The entire surface is then wrapped in a waterproofing material and that is then covered with wire lathe. All of the vertical portions and the horizontal areas were then scratch coated with a cementious material to created a bonding layer. We then create our handcrafted stone over the entire horizontal areas of the deck including the steps. Once these areas were complete and grouted, we could focus on the vertical areas. The verticals were covered with our vertical handcrafted stone done in a ledgestone pattern. This process involves hand carving and sculpting the concrete to take the shape of a natural stone. This can be done with any colors in mind or any style, and is an attractive alternative to lattice or other similar materials used to cover vertical portions of decks. As a side note, this type of construction is not only more cost effective than typical masonry construction, but can also be completed in a much quicker time frame.