In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

On 2/16/2016 5:58 PM, Don Y wrote:
In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

Are you talking about stacked stone? I'm not really clear what you're
referring to. Got a link or some picture?

I like the idea of the planks. That sounds really pretty.

On 2/16/2016 5:11 PM, SeaNymph wrote:

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to precisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

Are you talking about stacked stone? I'm not really clear what you're
referring to. Got a link or some picture?

No. There are a few commercial establishments in town that
use the stuff in which I'm interested. I will have to take a
camera and snap some closeups (anything from a distance wouldn't
show the closeness of fit)

I like the idea of the planks. That sounds really pretty.

It has the advantage of presenting a contrast to visitors.
Instead of the heaviness of the (painted) stucco, it's more
organic and "rich". We may partially enclose both porches
so this approach would make the areas feel more like
rooms than "exterior areas".

In either case, I figure I can just apply whatever as a
veneer over the existing paneling, etc. (unless I opt
to remove it to increase the R value of that wall)

On 2/18/2016 12:39 AM, Don Y wrote:
On 2/16/2016 5:11 PM, SeaNymph wrote:

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to precisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

Are you talking about stacked stone? I'm not really clear what you're
referring to. Got a link or some picture?

No. There are a few commercial establishments in town that
use the stuff in which I'm interested. I will have to take a
camera and snap some closeups (anything from a distance wouldn't
show the closeness of fit)

Some time with google turned up this:
http://southwestblock.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Stacked_Stone_1271348324.jpg

Not exactly what I was describing but illustrates the key aspects:
- "stones" are not uniform in size/shape (i.e., doesn't look like bricks!)
- they are roughly the same color (unlike some that are multicolored)
- the surface is somewhat flat (no big indents or protrusions)
- stones fit together *tight*
- no grout/mortar lines evident
- any "pattern" is difficult to discern (the suggestion that this
was pieced together from individual, unique stones and not
cookie cutter)

On 2/18/2016 2:33 AM, Don Y wrote:
On 2/18/2016 12:39 AM, Don Y wrote:
On 2/16/2016 5:11 PM, SeaNymph wrote:

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to precisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

Are you talking about stacked stone? I'm not really clear what you're
referring to. Got a link or some picture?

No. There are a few commercial establishments in town that
use the stuff in which I'm interested. I will have to take a
camera and snap some closeups (anything from a distance wouldn't
show the closeness of fit)

Some time with google turned up this:
http://southwestblock.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Stacked_Stone_1271348324.jpg


Not exactly what I was describing but illustrates the key aspects:
- "stones" are not uniform in size/shape (i.e., doesn't look like bricks!)
- they are roughly the same color (unlike some that are multicolored)
- the surface is somewhat flat (no big indents or protrusions)
- stones fit together *tight*
- no grout/mortar lines evident
- any "pattern" is difficult to discern (the suggestion that this
was pieced together from individual, unique stones and not
cookie cutter)

That is exactly what I have around the wood stove downstairs, except for
the colorc and I still hate it g

It's called stacked stone around here.

On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

On 2/16/2016 7:37 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

Most of those photos are what I think of as stacked stone. And the stone
seems to be in small sections because that's the way it is currently
coming loose. The wood stove insert downstairs has that stacked stone
and I hate it, mainly because it's drab and more because over the years
sections of it have come loose. Can't wait to take it off and replace
it with something else.

On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 06:52:49 -0600, SeaNymph
wrote:

On 2/16/2016 7:37 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

Most of those photos are what I think of as stacked stone. And the stone
seems to be in small sections because that's the way it is currently
coming loose. The wood stove insert downstairs has that stacked stone
and I hate it, mainly because it's drab and more because over the years
sections of it have come loose. Can't wait to take it off and replace
it with something else.

If you set it with flex mortar it isn't going to come loose.
The cultured stone is pretty drab looking but the natural stone is
vibrant and you can hit it with a sealer like stone glamor to really
bring up the color if you want. I like it natural. The real advantage
of natural stone is it is not going to fade in the sun and it is very
stain resistant. The same is not going to be true of the cultured
product. There are also lots of kinds of stone.

On 2/17/2016 10:21 AM, wrote:
On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 06:52:49 -0600, SeaNymph
wrote:

On 2/16/2016 7:37 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

Most of those photos are what I think of as stacked stone. And the stone
seems to be in small sections because that's the way it is currently
coming loose. The wood stove insert downstairs has that stacked stone
and I hate it, mainly because it's drab and more because over the years
sections of it have come loose. Can't wait to take it off and replace
it with something else.

If you set it with flex mortar it isn't going to come loose.
The cultured stone is pretty drab looking but the natural stone is
vibrant and you can hit it with a sealer like stone glamor to really
bring up the color if you want. I like it natural. The real advantage
of natural stone is it is not going to fade in the sun and it is very
stain resistant. The same is not going to be true of the cultured
product. There are also lots of kinds of stone.

Seems that everything in this house is maple, the floors, the cabinets,
the window frames. There is a lot of maple in this house and that's the
way it was when we bought it. The walls are painted in nice, rich
colors and while that helps, it's not enough, imo.

We've already changed the countertops and the downstairs wood stove
surround is next.

On 2/17/2016 11:38 AM, SeaNymph wrote:
Seems that everything in this house is maple, the floors, the cabinets, the
window frames. There is a lot of maple in this house and that's the way it was
when we bought it. The walls are painted in nice, rich colors and while that
helps, it's not enough, imo.

Be thankful. Here, most interiors are textured wallboard, ceramic/saltillo
tile floors and cabinets that don't seem to "fit" with the rest of the decor.

We opted to go with hickory (though I much prefer aged knotty pine or
maple -- but not birdseye) throughout the house -- so you are reminded
of it instead of just encountering it in the kitchen. Tries to counter the
"stoney" aspect of the stucco, textured walls, etc.

Currently deciding if we want to surround the rooms with hickory crown
and/or replace the drywall corners with hickory 2x2's.

We've already changed the countertops and the downstairs wood stove surround is
next.

Removing the beehive fireplace will be the next interior "project";
before I lay the tile.

On 2/17/2016 10:21 AM, wrote:

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.


If you set it with flex mortar it isn't going to come loose.
The cultured stone is pretty drab looking but the natural stone is
vibrant and you can hit it with a sealer like stone glamor to really
bring up the color if you want. I like it natural. The real advantage
of natural stone is it is not going to fade in the sun and it is very
stain resistant. The same is not going to be true of the cultured
product. There are also lots of kinds of stone.


q: In the photos, it looks like it's a fireplace below the tv. Doesn't
the heat from the fireplace also heat up the tv? Wouldn't the heat do
damage?
--
Maggie

On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 14:24:00 -0600, Muggles
wrote:

On 2/17/2016 10:21 AM, wrote:

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.


If you set it with flex mortar it isn't going to come loose.
The cultured stone is pretty drab looking but the natural stone is
vibrant and you can hit it with a sealer like stone glamor to really
bring up the color if you want. I like it natural. The real advantage
of natural stone is it is not going to fade in the sun and it is very
stain resistant. The same is not going to be true of the cultured
product. There are also lots of kinds of stone.


q: In the photos, it looks like it's a fireplace below the tv. Doesn't
the heat from the fireplace also heat up the tv? Wouldn't the heat do
damage?

It is an electric with a 1.44kw heater. The blower gets the heat away
from the TV pretty well. It does not seem to get warm above the mantel
We seldom turn the heater on anyway.
I have fans in the 2 equipment bays beside the fire place to get the
heat from those components out. I used a remote sense thermometer to
verify that I was not over heating anything. There are 2 satellite
boxes, a PC, a ReplayTV, a DVD player, a disk carousel and 2 UPS units
in there.

On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 20:37:44 -0500
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two
"tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

that looks very cool!

On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 11:32:48 -0500, burfordTjustice
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 20:37:44 -0500
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:58:46 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two
"tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.
The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg
You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

that looks very cool!

I still have to finish the wood trim. We are looking for more of the
"live edge" cypress like we have for the mantel piece over the fire
place. The guy we got that one from died. I want to bring that all the
way around the waist band. I have the cypress to do the end caps but I
want to fit it to the live edge stuff.

On 2/16/2016 6:37 PM, wrote:
You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.

Exactly. Folks will be able to *touch* this in the normal course
of usage (e.g., approaching the front door, sitting on the porch,
etc.). Also, able to scrutinize it "up close and personal".
And, it wants/needs to be reasonably flat; can't have things
jutting out that folks could bump into.

The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.

So, they *are* individual pieces? Not prefabbed "assemblies"
(that just happen to be "busy enough" -- visually -- that your eye
can't readily discern a pattern)?

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg

Neat!

Most of the properties, here, are surrounded by "privacy walls".
They resemble cinderblock but they are thinner (front to back).
Periodically, there are "pillars" made of "H blocks" (look like
an H when viewed from above; the "thinner" blocks previously mentioned
fit into the "slots" in the H).

The pillars tend to be located every ~10 feet but there is often
variation (lots aren't always regularly shaped, either!).

One neighbor had fashioned a hinged door -- five feet high and
3 or 4 feet wide -- *in* the wall made to resemble the same
blocks that the wall was fashioned of. I'd always dismissed
the area as just "two H pillars that happened to be located
close together" -- until, one day, seeing it *open*!

When I next encounter it as such, I will examine it more
carefully to see if it truly was fashioned of the same 3"
thick, 8x16 "cinder blocks" or if there's some hackery
involved.

You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

Again, you're fitting individual "stones" (that are presumably very "thin",
front to back)?

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 01:42:26 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/16/2016 6:37 PM, wrote:
You have natural stone like this
http://www.nsvi.com/
You also have man made products like this
http://www.eldoradostone.com/

If you are somewhat far away you can use the Eldorado stuff but up
close you want the natural stone.

Exactly. Folks will be able to *touch* this in the normal course
of usage (e.g., approaching the front door, sitting on the porch,
etc.). Also, able to scrutinize it "up close and personal".
And, it wants/needs to be reasonably flat; can't have things
jutting out that folks could bump into.

The cultured stone is very regular in height and you just stack them
up. The natural stone can be diamond cut or split. Diamond cut is very
regular too. The split stone looks better but there is a lot of hand
fitting. We made an entertainment center, electric fire place etc with
the split NVSI stone and I thought it came out well but doing the
puzzle takes a little time.

So, they *are* individual pieces? Not prefabbed "assemblies"
(that just happen to be "busy enough" -- visually -- that your eye
can't readily discern a pattern)?


The Eldorodo type "cultured stone" can be had in panels but it is
pretty easy to see it is not stone and your sun may fade it pretty
fast.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet/Our...s/image010.jpg
This is mostly done in this picture but I had not finished the wood
trim, the kicks and the far panel.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015.jpg
All of the panels open and the whole thing is on wheels.
http://gfretwell.com/ftp/cabinet%202015%20open.jpg

Neat!

Most of the properties, here, are surrounded by "privacy walls".
They resemble cinderblock but they are thinner (front to back).
Periodically, there are "pillars" made of "H blocks" (look like
an H when viewed from above; the "thinner" blocks previously mentioned
fit into the "slots" in the H).

The pillars tend to be located every ~10 feet but there is often
variation (lots aren't always regularly shaped, either!).

One neighbor had fashioned a hinged door -- five feet high and
3 or 4 feet wide -- *in* the wall made to resemble the same
blocks that the wall was fashioned of. I'd always dismissed
the area as just "two H pillars that happened to be located
close together" -- until, one day, seeing it *open*!

When I next encounter it as such, I will examine it more
carefully to see if it truly was fashioned of the same 3"
thick, 8x16 "cinder blocks" or if there's some hackery
involved.

You put down expanded metal stucco lath, mortar it and stick on the
stone like you would do tile. I like "flex" mortar because it really
sticks. Then use a wet tooth brush to remove any mortar that squeezes
out. That usually means you used too much mortar.

Again, you're fitting individual "stones" (that are presumably very "thin",
front to back)?

These stones vary from an inch to an inch and a half thick but I
actually have a mix of 2 different styles here because we wanted a lot
of variation. It is all basically the same stone though. We have
similar stone (flagging) on the patio and front porch too so it
carries all the way through the house. It is a quartzite quarried from
the Rockies, up the road from you. (Colorado,Wyoming Idaho is loaded
with it). We have picked up pieces that are a perfect match hiking.

I suggest you find a good stone yard around there and walk around. If
you are like us and like stone, it can be addicting tho. We are in a
state with pretty much no natively occurring rock and our house looks
like a Rocky Mountain CCC project. It is all stone and wood.

On 2/18/2016 8:59 AM, wrote:

The Eldorodo type "cultured stone" can be had in panels but it is
pretty easy to see it is not stone and your sun may fade it pretty
fast.

The two places are probably the ONLY two places that are guaranteed
to be in perpetual shade (both being porches with significant overhangs)

Again, you're fitting individual "stones" (that are presumably very "thin",
front to back)?

These stones vary from an inch to an inch and a half thick but I
actually have a mix of 2 different styles here because we wanted a lot
of variation. It is all basically the same stone though. We have
similar stone (flagging) on the patio and front porch too so it
carries all the way through the house. It is a quartzite quarried from
the Rockies, up the road from you. (Colorado,Wyoming Idaho is loaded
with it). We have picked up pieces that are a perfect match hiking.

The opposite is true, here -- I can't recall ever seeing a "wooden
shingled" house! Everything is slump block, cinder block, stucco
finish, stone-and-mortar, etc.

And, folks seem to think there is only *one* color -- that of
sun-bleached dirt!

[A neighbor had planned on painting their (stucco over frame) house blue.
Another neighbor, on hearing of this, promptly marched over and FORBADE
them from doing so. "It will lower the property values!" Really??
So, his brown, sadly in need of a paint-job home is BETTER for us
than *their* freshly painted blue??

It must have popped his cork to see other homes in the area getting
painted bright yellow, teal, purple, "metallic chocolate", etc.]

That was the appeal of the wood or fitted stone approach -- something
not quite as monotonous as the dreary stucco (that covers most of the
house, already).

I suggest you find a good stone yard around there and walk around. If
you are like us and like stone, it can be addicting tho. We are in a
state with pretty much no natively occurring rock and our house looks
like a Rocky Mountain CCC project. It is all stone and wood.

I'm just trying to see what options are available *before* putting
myself under the salesman's "spin operation". Always (IME) better to
have contrary arguments ready at hand to see how well (if at all) he
handles them.

On Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:23:41 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 2/18/2016 8:59 AM, wrote:

The Eldorodo type "cultured stone" can be had in panels but it is
pretty easy to see it is not stone and your sun may fade it pretty
fast.

The two places are probably the ONLY two places that are guaranteed
to be in perpetual shade (both being porches with significant overhangs)

Again, you're fitting individual "stones" (that are presumably very "thin",
front to back)?

These stones vary from an inch to an inch and a half thick but I
actually have a mix of 2 different styles here because we wanted a lot
of variation. It is all basically the same stone though. We have
similar stone (flagging) on the patio and front porch too so it
carries all the way through the house. It is a quartzite quarried from
the Rockies, up the road from you. (Colorado,Wyoming Idaho is loaded
with it). We have picked up pieces that are a perfect match hiking.

The opposite is true, here -- I can't recall ever seeing a "wooden
shingled" house! Everything is slump block, cinder block, stucco
finish, stone-and-mortar, etc.

And, folks seem to think there is only *one* color -- that of
sun-bleached dirt!

[A neighbor had planned on painting their (stucco over frame) house blue.
Another neighbor, on hearing of this, promptly marched over and FORBADE
them from doing so. "It will lower the property values!" Really??
So, his brown, sadly in need of a paint-job home is BETTER for us
than *their* freshly painted blue??



It must have popped his cork to see other homes in the area getting
painted bright yellow, teal, purple, "metallic chocolate", etc.]

That was the appeal of the wood or fitted stone approach -- something
not quite as monotonous as the dreary stucco (that covers most of the
house, already).

We have stucco over block for most of our houses, just because of the
wind code. You have to put so much steel in a stick built home, block
is cheaper.
My "village" has pretty much decreed that baby poop beige is the
standard here but my neighbors have all sorts of different colors on
their house.
The first guy to break from the earth tones is a Mexican guy who went
with school bus yellow and once people understood that there are other
colors in the box, we see blues, greens and soft purples.
(sorry if I am not real good on the real colors, my crayon box only
had 7)

I suggest you find a good stone yard around there and walk around. If
you are like us and like stone, it can be addicting tho. We are in a
state with pretty much no natively occurring rock and our house looks
like a Rocky Mountain CCC project. It is all stone and wood.

I'm just trying to see what options are available *before* putting
myself under the salesman's "spin operation". Always (IME) better to
have contrary arguments ready at hand to see how well (if at all) he
handles them.

I kicked rocks around at my stone yard for months before I bought the
first batch. Those guys are pretty easy to get along with, at least
here. They will usually give you a handful to take home and play with.
They are only about a quarter a pound so you really can't carry away
any significant amount, money wise.
We did zero in on the quartzite pretty fast once we got serious about
it, then it was just the color (silver or gold).
This stuff in flagging seems to be the perfect pool deck. It has
enough texture to be safe when wet but still easy on your feet and it
is totally maintenance free. We hose it off now and then but that is
about it.

It is a little labor intensive laying them but the time consuming part
is doing the puzzle. We always end up playing with rocks for days
deciding which one goes where. It is sort of fun tho.

http://gfretwell.com/ftp/rocks4.jpg
Then you mud them in.

http://gfretwell.com/electrical/addi...0them%20in.jpg

Don Y wrote:
In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

What I've seen around here (central Florida) isn't stone, it is concrete
molded and colored to look like stone. No reason it couldn't be fabricated
in large units but it doesn't look like it. It doesn't look like it because
one can find "stones" that are identical in shape and form but different in
coloration. I would guess that the mode of attachment is mortar, thinset or
otherwise.

On Wed, 17 Feb 2016 06:44:33 -0500, "dadiOH"
wrote:

Don Y wrote:
In preparation for house paint (probably this Summer/Fall),
I'm trying to decide what to do with the porches. Exterior
of each is cheap, painted paneling. Rest of house is stucco
over block.

I could stucco both but that seems pretty boring.

Another option is tongue and groove planks -- possibly set
at a 45 to the floor (for a "swept" look). Natural stain.

Yet another option (my favorite) is a fitted stone facade.
But, the sort where there are no grout lines -- just very
tightly fitted stones (the stones having shapes similar
to *bricks* -- of various sizes). I.e., the wall feels
almost flat -- but rough.

They are not structural -- perhaps just a couple of inches thick
(front to back) and no stone/brick is more than an inch or two "tall".

A cursory look at these sorts of walls (usually on commercial
establishments, not residences) *suggests* that they are individual
stones and someone just was incredibly patient/lucky to manage
to ALWAYS find "just the right stone" for the odd shape that
needed to be filled.

I'm pretty sure I don't believe that! I suspect they are
prefabbed in some way (like the little 1" tiles you encounter
on bathroom floors -- sold in 12x12" SHEETS (so you don't have
to set each individual tile!). But, the arrangement of
"cracks"/edges is so busy that it's virtually impossible to
*see* an underlying pattern!

Can anyone confirm that they are, in fact, sold as "assemblies"?
That I don't have to budget weeks of time to preisely fitting
a gazillion little rectangular blocks?

And, as there appears to be no mortar (between "courses"),
how they are attached to the structure?

What I've seen around here (central Florida) isn't stone, it is concrete
molded and colored to look like stone. No reason it couldn't be fabricated
in large units but it doesn't look like it. It doesn't look like it because
one can find "stones" that are identical in shape and form but different in
coloration. I would guess that the mode of attachment is mortar, thinset or
otherwise.




I think Eldorodo does make panels but that is the cultured stone, not
real stone. It may look OK from across the street but up close you
know it isn't real. If you are not doing a wide expanse, I imagine you
also get some waste and you are cutting the panels. A diamond blade in
a circular saw or a side grinder goes right through it. I got 8 boxes
of Eldorodo stacking stone left over from a job and we used them for
garden edging. (set in a poured concrete border).
I have a lot of stone work here.