Stone Veneer in Los Gatos

Here are some progress pictures from a job in Los Gatos we are working on.

The project includes a Slate patio, a planter box and a retaining wall.


We are using Multi-Classic Stone for all the features on the project. The ledger, slate and cap stones are all Multi-Classic Stone.

We have only finished the hardscaping in these pictures, with the finished landscaping soon to come.

All the stone work was sealed with a Low-Sheen
Stone Laquer. 

Here are some more progress pictures. Enjoy! 

Patio and planter box formed and ready to pour.

Forming the retaining wall.

Finished wall.

As always, please feel free to contact us with any questions or inquires about new landscaping projects in Santa Cruz County and the surrounding areas.

Using Recycled Stone in the Landscape

There is a sort of 'Alchemy' applied when working with recycled stone. 

We had a project last week that required us to use a Fieldstone that was pulled off of the interior fireplace during the renovation of the house.

The project required us to wrap two front entryway posts with this natural stone. Using fieldstone to make a square feature can be difficult. Building with used fieldstone makes it even more complicated. 

Fieldstone is round and irregular by nature. Any type of stone can be considered a 'Fieldstone' as long as it has been weathered above ground for some time.
The weathering gives it an aged looked and usually rounds sharp edges. In Santa Cruz, we usually use Sonoma Fieldstone, because it is harvested in California.

Using a stone that is round or has rounded edges can make our job more interesting, when we are trying to create a square column. 

The stone work was capped with recycled Bluestone. The patio at the entryway is made of Bluestone, so incorporating it into our feature helped to bring everything together. 

Landscaping in Santa Cruz:

Slate Entryway Steps

We worked hard this last week to finish a stairway at our clients house in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The design for this project was to create a pathway from the driveway to the front door. We came up with a modern looking, staggered stairway that is veneered with 16 inch 'Multi Color' natural slate.

After initial grading and excavation, we begin the layout and forming. 

Time is taken at this stage of the project to get the design and layout perfect.

Making sure the forming is right will allow the the next stages of the job to go more smoothly.

After the forms are up and secured, we install a grid of 1/2 inch rebar to give strength to the new concrete. The rebar grid is laid on 12-16 inch centers, leaving 2 inches on any side of the rebar from the ground and forms. 

We then pour and finish the concrete. Since we are going to be veneering the steps with natural stone slate, we only need a rough finish on the concrete.

Although the finish is 'rough', it is still very important that the steps are completely flat.

After the concrete has cured, we begin laying the slate. We start with the risers of the steps so when we lay the flat work, or 'treads', they can be set over the risers.

We use Thinset to glue the slate to the concrete. 

The slate is carefully spaced and cut into place when needed.

The 'Multi-Color' slate is a very common slate, and has some rich colors.

The 'nose' of each step tread is bullnosed, using a special diamond blade on the tile saw, prior to installation.

The steps are then grouted with a colored, sanded grout. 

We will also be coming back next week to seal the slate with a 'low sheen' stone sealant.

Please visit my Facebook page and website for more info and pictures of other stone installation projects in Santa Cruz.

www.livingwaterslandscaping.com

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Veneer Stone

When choosing a veneer stone for your retaining wall or other masonry work, be sure to look at your options to make sure you are geting the look and feel you desire for your landscape.


There are many types of Faux Veneer Stone products to choose from. 
ElDorado Stone and Cultured Stone make some beautiful products. 


Faux veneer stone is a lightweight concrete product that is cast into a variety of shapes and colors that mimic actual stone almost identically. Faux stone is easy to work with and can be installed much faster than natural stone veneer.


However, there is nothing that compares to the beauty and color of Natural Stone Veneer.
The project featured here was constructed using a Natural Stone Veneer.
We used Wolk Creek and Autumn Flame stones for this wall.

 Stones are carefully selected and cut into place to create a one of a kind piece of functional art. 


Natural Veneer Stone is slightly harder to work with because of its weight and its density, which makes it harder to cut. 
Natural stone can be more expensive than faux stone, depending on the stone you choose to work with.


This project called for a 'Dry Stack' look. This means there are no grout joints between the stones. The result is a more naturalistic feature.


After all the stone is mortared to the wall, we cap it with a bull-nosed cap stone and seal the entire wall with a semi-gloss laquer finish.