Huron Drystack and Log Cabin

Here is one of my projects. This is my parent's home in Franklin County, VA. My parents, with the help of family friend Joe Spencer, built this home in '92 '93. They just recently stained the logs with a cherry, burgundy stain. The Huron stone has a burgundy stone along with a hunter green, golds and buffs. This is a great color combination, also, with the logs and the stone, this gives the mountain look. WAY TO GO MOM and POP!!!

Robinson Thin Rock

Here is a job by Sun Building of Portsmouth, VA. The stone used is a mixture of Sutter Mill and Adirondack Robinson Thin Stone. This is a natural stone that is veneered. The product comes with veneered corners to give the full stone look. No footer is needed to use Robinson Thin Stone. This is a great advantage for this product, but not the only advantage. Full stone requires a footer to set the stone on. If a home is being remodeled, and the exterior is in the scope of the plans and your home does not have a ledge on the footer, you can still stone your home with real stone using Robinson. The stone meets the less than 15lbs. per square foot. The stone is applied directly to the home structure by using wire mesh and applying a scratch coat then sticking the stones on the scratch coat. The Robinson product comes in small packs (5 sf) and large boxes (100 sf). The large box has 10 layers of 10 sf per layer. The layers are also blended so one could lay straight from the box, layer by layer. Using full stone, one has to blend, chisel, chip, grind, and all of the above to make each stone fit. These stones require little or no chipping, grinding, ect... to make an outstanding LOOK. This is a great product to bring indoors as well. Imagine a back splash in the kitchen, or underneath a bar, how about in the bath. What a great way to bring the jewels of the earth into our homes.

Michael Newsome

Here is one of the exterior doors showing cherry wood with gray field stone and Canterbury thin brick. Just the description sounds tasteful. There is more to come on this project.

How Not to Apply Drystack Stone

Here is great example of what not to do with a drystack profile. I do my best to not disclose the building. However, I am doing my best to show what the job should look like when completed. There are areas of stone that are of alike sizes grouped together. The size of the stone should be blended. The left corner is stacked. Header joints are aligned up the wall. Then there is the "WAVE", this drives me nuts. I feel like I am looking at a flash back of "Earthquake" the movie, at the end of the show. Not to mention the lack of not being level. The only thing that looks good is the distribution of color. The color of the stone is a nice match to the trim colors and the rest of the building. I am sure if the Architect could see the final product he/she would boil. When using exterior products it signifies who the designer or person is. It is a statement or identification. Why spend the time, money and effort on such a project to fall apart at the finish line? Ever work of art crafted by Rembrandt was conceived in his mind, ever line, shade, color, edge, curve and texture. If Rembrandt knew how ever masterpiece was supposed to look like in his head and decided to describe his image to someone and let them put on canvas, we would not know Rembrandt today. I am not suggesting that the Architect should be at every job, I am suggesting someone needs to have an eye for stone and hold the installer accountable. Here again check the installer, ask for references, call and check the references. Ask the installer for his brag book, pictures of completed jobs. If he is not bragging about his owne jobs, must not be much to brag about. "Don't expect what you don't inspect."

JD Williams Construction

This home was crafted by Dennis Williams of JD Williams Construction. This home, along with 3 others are located off of Great Neck onto Rose Hall in Virginia Beach.

The contrast with the dark slate colored roof and the crisp white trim and the rich color of the Carter's Grove brick is outstanding. The roof lines of the home give it so much character.

Anyone would be proud to call this home.

Great job Dennis!!!

Gray fieldstone on wing walls

Wing walls around foundation. Great look with the exposed timbers.

Thin brick triple arch with gray fieldstone

Here is another picture of the gray fieldstone from Heritage Stone using thin brick for the triple arch. This home is over flowing with so much character, and the job is not completed. Evertime I visit the jobsite, I have a craving for a smooth glass of Merlot.

The contrast between the thin brick and the gray stone is incredible. I have more pictures to follow. Enjoy!

Gray Fieldstone

This has been an exciting job with every turn. This home has been transformed into a show case. I am excited to be part of this job from the beginning. Every time I visit the job, it amazes me. I plan on doing several posts on this job to give the full look of the home. No blog or pictures can do justice for the home. But, I will try.

The stone used is the Heritage gray field stone. Teger Stone is the installer of the stone. The home has a series of wing walls for the foundation, and each wing wall has been stoned. Notice how the chimney goes through the roof line and down into the wall. This is a great perception of intersecting planes. The dark roof with an antique/cream white trim board and the white windows and the gray stone is an excellent combination. Hats off.

I will be posting over the next couple of days more details of this home.