5 Outdoor Stone Wall design ideas

Your outdoor space has many functions, whether it's a place to unwind and relax or hold a big gathering with family and friends. Create a long-lasting and elegant enclosure by adding a stone wall to your yard can be a great decision.

At South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida, we give you five inspiring outdoor Stone Walls ideas that will help you make your space a favorite hangout:

1. Flagstone Wall: 

Slim stones stacked into a low wall make an attractive way to delineate space and add a sense of structure to a backyard landscape. Differences in stone thicknesses make it nearly impossible to build a flagstone wall with an exact horizontal top. It's much easier to fit the flagstones without regard to thickness, and then choose flat pieces to create a level top. Low walls provide additional seating or a platform on which to display potted plants.

2. Undulating Fieldstone Wall:

An undulating stone wall creates a barrier while looking stylish at the same time. Fieldstone offers a natural material for garden walls. You can either dry stack stone or use mortar to hold it together. Dry-stacked walls should be no taller than 4 feet. For a natural garden backdrop, a stone wall offers a classic and long-lasting option.

3. Varied-Size Stone Wall:

A lattice-topped wall shows off the beauty and diversity of the stone. Large and small stones can be mortared together to create a textural wall that is perfect for a cottage or country garden. 

4. Stone Wall Entryway:

A dramatic stone wall features stone steps and espaliered pear trees trained to stretch horizontally across the walls. Mortared-stone retaining walls offer long-lasting solutions to sloped yards and offer beautiful surfaces and backdrops for plantings.

5. Low Stone Wall:

A low stone wall creates a clear barrier along a property line without blocking the view. A wall made of different shapes and sizes of stone adds textural visual interest to a home's landscaping. Walls can also be topped with pots and containers.

Please contact us today to find out how South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida can help you renovate or create the best landscape for your home. 

For more information in Atlanta or Florida call us: (678) 628-9987

Please visit us: www.southatlanticmasonry.com

How to include Brick in your Kitchen

Brick can lend a wonderful historic look, warm up a kitchen or make you feel like you’re in an urban loft.

At  South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida, we give you eigth tips to help you include Brick in your Kitchen:

1. The easiest way to get the look of real brick without having to accommodate its weight is to use a brick veneer, which is typically ¾ inch thick. 

2. Sealants are not necessary on these products, however, if you choose to seal it, it must be a silane-based breathable sealer. Using a sealer may darken the color, slow the natural movement of moisture out of the brick and/or increase the possibility of efflorescence.

3. Cleanin the brick wall is easy, but there are some strict guidelines to follow. It’s very important not to use an acid-based cleaner, any sort of power washing, sandblasting or a wire brush. 

4. We recommend using a granulated soap like laundry detergent mixed with water and scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush, and we also recommend using one part vinegar to five parts water.

5. Brick veneer can be applied similarly to a tile, not requiring any additional structural support.

6. The reclaimed brick was used to age the kitchen while adding warmth and texture. 

7. The key to using brick in the kitchen is balance. It can be a great texture, and if you are worried about it being too heavy, you can paint to reduce overall weight and have nice texture.

8. Brick kitchen walls are not limited to traditional and transitional looks. A brick accent wall helps define the kitchen and dining room spaces in the open plan.

Please contact us today to find out how South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida can help you renovate or create the best renovation or creation for your Kitchen. All our designs are made to customers exact requirements so each project is individual to your taste, style and the dimensions of your space. 

For more information in Atlanta or Florida call us: (678) 628-9987 

Please visit us: www.southatlanticmasonry.com

4 Ideas for Incorporating Natural Stone into your Landscaping

Natural stone and concrete pavers can significantly improve the aesthetic beauty and functionality of your property. Natural Stone has the ability to bring color, function, and texture to a landscape, and can help form the floor plan to your outdoor spaces.

At South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida,  we give you four ideas for incorporating Natural Stone and Concrete Pavers into your landscape design and get the most of what they have to offer:

1. Flagstone Patio:

The advantage of a flagstone patio, whether you’re capping a concrete slab or setting the stone in sand or soil, it that they can be as formal or informal as one wishes. Flagstone is a great material due to its durability, character and the variety of colors and textures available.

2. Rock the Foundation:

Slate or flagstone is a versatile choice for patios and walkways, as these sleek stones look good paired with almost any home style (stucco, brick, wood) and outdoor decor. In addition, they never need to be refinished like decking. While some homeowners consider pavers a DIY project, installation can be tricky due to the stones varying widths and tendency to shear over the years if laid down incorrectly. 

3. Build a Stone Wall:

A stone retaining wall can be used to prevent soil erosion or the movement of other loose, organic materials. Despite its functional intent, this structure can still be as pleasing to the eye as it is effective. Stone walls can be mortared or dry laid, long or short, tall or low. Gravity and placement determine their overall structural integrity.

4. Stone Path and Steps:

Paths, like patios, can be as informal or informal as one desires. Paths can be made of flagstone pavers, larger flagstone slabs, or gravel. Most paths are edged with a material such as a flagstone strip stone to keep the material between the stones contained. Stone steps are always a nice feature in a garden. 

Please contact us today to find out how South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida can help you renovate or create the best landscape for your home. 

For more information in Atlanta or Florida call us: (678) 628-9987

Please visit us: www.southatlanticmasonry.com

Natural Stone for the Bathroom

Natural stone remains at a high level as a premier building material because it reflects unique character, stability, and grandeur. Variations in natural stone’s broad range of color, pattern, and texture are visually interesting and impossible to replicate. And, because it comes from the earth, from eco-friendly compositions, it is a natural choice.

At South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor  located in Atlanta and Florida,  we give you some tips to include the natural stone to your bathroom:

1. A beautiful stone makes the bathroom feel elegant and natural at the same time. 

2. Natural stone in the shower is largely about appearance. It looks great in your shower or shower/tub, or as a tub surround. But if your primary concern in your shower is water permeability and maintenance, then look to acrylic or ceramic tiles.

3. Fake Natural Stone as an Option: Many tile manufacturers offer a porcelain or ceramic product that looks amazingly like real stone. From a distance, these rock-looking porcelain tiles can pass as natural stone. 

One problem is that fake stone's texture looks nothing like that of real stone, especially for highly textured materials like slate.

4. Natural Stone Maintenance: Most any natural stone can be made to work in a shower, as long as it is properly sealed. Unsealed stone allows for water infiltration. Use a microfiber cloth to dust granite surfaces. For everyday cleaning, just wipe the stone surfaces with water. Use a pH-neutral cleaner for weekly cleanings.

5. The best natural stone tile for a bathroom: The main concern with using stone in bathrooms is moisture. Even though the stone is conceived under extremely high temperatures and pressure within the Earth, it is prone to being affected by moisture, either direct or indirect. Though slate produces a dark, gloomy feeling within showers, it works well in the bathroom on the floor or walls. Marble is another popular wall tile material.

Please contact us today to find out how South Atlantic Masonry and Concrete Contractor located in Atlanta and Florida can help you renovate or create the best stone wall for your bathroom. All our designs are made to customers exact requirements so each stone wall is individual to your taste, style and the dimensions of your bathroom. 

For more information in Atlanta or Florida call us: (678) 628-9987

Please visit us: www.southatlanticmasonry.com