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Handcrafted Stone Over Wooden Deck

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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.

Handcrafted Stone Columns

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These column bases were made to highlight the deck support posts that were on this patio. Rather than ignore the posts, we chose to make them into a design feature. The process began by creating custom handcrafted stone caps approximately a 1/3rd of the way up the column. These were done with a decorative edging and a textured top. They were made using a high performance mix that eliminated the need for joints or seams. The next step was to create the stone that would be the main focal point. The stone was hand carved and shape to mimic the look of a drystack ledgestone. The stones were then colored and stained to create the desired look. Since all of the stone work on these columns is handcrafted, we can manipulated and customize for a varying amount of different situations. We can do this for driveway piers, deck supports, railing piers, outdoor fire features, and seat walls just to name a few. The colors are limitless and sizes and shapes are able to be customized much easier and more reasonably than real stone.