Elements of The Perfect Outdoor Kitchen

Today homes are more than just a place to eat, sleep, and bathe. They have evolved into multi-functional places where we locate our office, exercise, and entertain. As a society we've begun to place a higher value on our leisure time, so it makes sense that designers are now finding new approaches to everyday living. One of the newest interior design revolutions is actually taking place in the back yard with elegant and comfortable outdoor kitchen and dining rooms.

In the 1950's families gathered in the backyard around a charcoal barbeque grill. In the 1970's and 80's gas grills were placed on decks and patios. Now this outdoor living phenomenon inspired designers to create permanent living area centered on eating and entertaining. These spaces can be cozy and intimate or large and expansive. They usually contain a cooking or food preparation area and a dining space. Let's look at some of the elements that can make up the perfect outdoor kitchen

· Stone or Brick Cooking Counter- The cook has decided to take the kitchen outside. Mom no longer needs to be sequestered inside while everybody else relaxes on the patio. Now the grill, sink, and counters are all outside so nobody misses out on conversation or good times. Natural stone or brick are popular treatments for these outdoor islands.

· Complete Kitchen Island - The concept of the outdoor kitchen counter can be taken one step further into an expanded kitchen island. This larger space is designed to include a refrigerator, oven, microwave, and counter style seating area. Bar style stools or chairs can be placed on one or both sides of the counter. Many families prefer this casual approach for everyday dining.

· Natural Stone or Masonry Privacy Walls - These outdoor entertainment centers are actually little rooms. Sometimes the boundaries are marked simply by a patio floor, but stone walls in combination with shrubs and other natural features can also demarcate the room.

· Outdoor Fireplace - A brick or stone fireplace is an ideal focal point. It is often placed across or kitty corner to the food preparation area to encourage people to gather away from the grill. This maximizes space and encourages an even and comfortable flow during parties and large gatherings. An outdoor fireplace sets the perfect tone, especially for nighttime events.

· Permanent Pergola - A pergola, a permanent canopy with open sides, can demarcate an area of the outdoor room. Posts can be set into one or two short brick walls or the posts can be centered into a patio floor. The pergola can designate a dining or cooking area.

· Covered Outdoor Room - If your yard is in a very sunny area and you'd like some shade for your backyard kitchen, consider a pavilion style room with four open walls. The roof and patio floor create the room and a stone counter island and stone fireplace can add exciting elements.

Outdoor kitchen-dining rooms can stand alone or be incorporated into a pool or pond setting. Contact an experienced stone mason for design ideas and suggestions.

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Stonework Installation

Many areas of a home, inside and outside, could use the application of stone countertops, or you can have entire enclosures consist of stone. Between fireplaces, counter tops, outdoor applications, retaining walls, and everything in-between, every home could benefit ascetically and usability wise from having some sort of stone surface installed at their home. The installation process of the actual stone is usually dependent on what the specific application consists of because many of the different stones need to be installed differently.

The first process of having a countertop, or application, installed, is to schedule a free consultation with your stonework installation company. The company will send out a consultant who will discuss with you your different options of stone, such as granite or marble, and then make measurements as to how much of the stone will be needed for the installation. During this consultation, you will get a rough idea of how much your project will cost.

Another major part of your initial consultation is to select what specific material you desire. Granite is a very popular choice for kitchens, and many countertops throughout their home. It is so popular because of the affordability, durability, and cost effective aspects of the stone itself. Once your stone has been chosen, the stone installer will make templates of the countertops needs. Once these templates are made, they will go back and get cuts made for each piece of countertop that is needed.

While installing each piece of stone, at times, there will be the need of having a seam. Your installer will make the seam the least noticeable as possible, and they will make sure that all of your countertops are completely level. They will also ensure that there is a proper amount of support underneath the stone, so that the installation itself lasts a long time. Leveling the stones while installing them helps keep the stone at full strength too, making sure it will not break due to pressure.

After your stone has been cut, placed, seamed, and overall installed, the finishing portion of the installation process will come. The stone will need to be polished, and then sealed. The polishing of the stone is what brings out the natural colors of the stone that look so good. The sealing process will make sure the polished stone is protected, and is not prone to wear and tear. Some people choose not to seal their stone for a more natural look. This process is typically consistent with fireplaces and walkways. The overall process is not very messy, and tends to be very affordable when you buy stone from your installer, so feel free to have a consultation with a installer and get your home remodeling underway.

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Stone Veneer Is The Alternative To Natural Stone

The desire to personalize our homes is nothing new. Paint, trim and cabinetry have always been the simplest ways to make changes but are limited in the affects they can provide. The innovation's that building materials manufacturers have devised give the do it yourself in many new ways to decorate and personalize their property. One approach that gives a stunning result is the use of brick or stone materials. One of the easiest projects that the home owner can safely undertake is with the new thin stone veneer products. These product's produce a material that has all the aesthetic characteristics of brick in texture and finish but are ninety percent lighter and require much less skill to yield a good finished result.

Stone veneer comes in a multitude of colors and textures that are best suited for interior use. Let's say your home has an entry way that is plain and some what drab. The interior dimensions of an entry often won't allow us to use full thickness whole brick, but will accommodate thinner artificial stone. Most manufactured stones are usually 3/8's of an inch thick or less, but the width and lengths are the same as whole brick. The principles to apply veneer are much simpler than that of whole brick. Mason's use mortar to put brick together, but the newer artificial stones can be put up using acrylic adhesives that have no VOC, or volatile organic compounds, that are often hazardous. Designing a veneer system for covering your project wall can quickly be obtained from the supplier with the help of new computer software that will let the home owner see the finished project in a virtual view generated by a computer.

Using vendor resources will also give the do it yourself a complete list of the required material's and complete instructions to make a perfectly finished project in a timely fashion. Often without a good set of references, a project can get bogged down because of the lack of information. The home improvement industry has made great strides in information technology geared to the occasional typical home owner project. The utilization of the vendor will be helpful in product selection and helpful tips geared to keep potential problems to a minimum.

Today's stone veneers can be produced in many ways, all of which create the desired effect for the project at hand. Many manufactures produce a fired brick material that uses the same clay base that whole brick are made from. The surface has the same feel and resilience that whole brick provides and come in a myriad of textures and colors that are sure to accent the project. Stone veneers aren't designed for structural needs but do provide a hard surface that will withstand the rigors of day to day life.

Many providers will offer a veneer product made from alternative methods. The use of recycled components is now being widely used to produce products that are every bit as attractive as fired veneer but without the carbon foot print that results from fired brick. Recycled ingredients can range from ground stone and powdered brick scraps that are incorporated with Portland based binders that are cast and formed to give the same look and feel as their fired counter parts. Whatever your choice of products, a veneer project will, when properly done, give the project a professional touch.

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Natural Stone Tiles Bring Home the Magic

If value for money deals is what you desire, then look no further than floor tiles made out of stone to give you the best combination of great looks and extremely affordable prices for embellishing any particular area of your room. Utilizing elements that are easily available on the earth's surface, the main reason why these tiles are so popular among home owners is that they are so easily available and do not cost as much. The reason for this is because stones are, after all, present in large quantities around the world. All it takes is for them to be cut into proper shape and undergo a series of processing procedures, and that's it! They are ready to be used in whichever form you want them to be.

Once you have had stone floor tiles installed in your home, irrespective of the area or room, you will instantly notice that the surroundings have started to look a lot different, in the positive sense. This is because the mere presence of this kind of a material has a very astonishing effect on other components of the room like furniture, ceiling fixtures, show-pieces, etc.

If you want a great look for your bathroom or kitchen, limestone is the material to choose, for it has an amazing persona with regards to physical appearance as well as adorning the surroundings with a truly elegant look. Further, it's available in lots of different kinds of patterns and shapes to suit your requirements and expectations to the T. Next, if you want natural stone tiles for areas where there is a lot of movement, like the kitchen, then you must consider granite as the material of choice, the reason being that it's a very rough and tough type of substance and also looks great in whichever colour you choose.

Now, you don't even have to visit different hardware stores to get the best natural stone tiles for your home, since the internet is here to solve all your problems. Not only do you have a wide range of options to choose from, but can also access them from the comfort and convenience of your home. And don't worry about the quality or pricing part, since all recognized dealer websites in this domain have links with some of the best quarries around the world, which not only assures unmatchable quality, but also offers it at an unbeatable price.

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Travertine Pavers In A Wet Climate

If you live in a wet climate like here in the Northwest you know how important it is to have a stable and secure walkway to enjoy your yard or garden. There is nothing worse than walking outside and ending up with wet and muddy shoes. Well, actually, what is worse is the response you get from your wife. With a good, firm walkway you don't have to worry about tracking in muddy footprints to the clean floor or carpet.

The installation of pavers in your garden path is a bit more complicated than a normal setting up if you live in a very humid climate. The trouble to be conquered is the water that can flood the base of the passageway during a heavy torrent. Follow these few instructions to cope with periods of heavy rainfall or a constant barrage of one to two inches daily if you want your travertine walkway pavers to last a long time.

The base material is the most central part of any walkway. This becomes even more significant when you begin to cope with heavy rainfall and groundwater. The solution is to construct a base which will allow the water to flow away and not flood beneath the pavement hence allowing them to move when walked on. Crushed rock or stone is the perfect material for the base, since it lets water infiltrate to the subsoil and also it sets well to remove that "squishy" feeling you get with waterlogged soil. Crushed stone works much better than river rock or pea gravel since the last two materials will not set well and tend to cause the stone paver to settle with time. A minimum of 4 inches of crushed material should be applied to your base, but if you have a high rainfall and soil that does not drain well then 6 inches to 8 inches is not uncommon.

Talking of drainage, be certain you have a drainage area somewhere in your path if you have hard clay soil which does not let the water seep away. If not, you could find the situation where your travertine pavers can "float" which means slipping and sliding where you don't want them. They do not really float on the water, but the term floating used in this way means there is plenty of water beneath the stone making it slide easily when any side force is applied. The tiles get out of place since they slip more than they float. If you give a little consideration to the water situation you can have a passageway which lasts for years.

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How to Incorporate Natural Stone Into Bathrooms and Kitchens

Natural stone is the premier choice of homeowners looking to remodel and update their residential bathrooms and kitchens. The intrinsic qualities of stone make it an ideal choice for high traffic areas. Because of the durability and classic appeal of stone, homeowners can be assured that their stone vanities, countertops, tiles and flooring will never go out of style and will increase the value of their home.

One of the reasons that consumers like to use natural stone is because there are a large variety of colors and shades of stone available to match any home décor or style. Homeowners should choose slabs and tiles in person rather than from a catalog or website. This ensures that the stone's colors will match the expectations of the consumer.

Another great quality of stone is that it is an environmentally safe product. Natural stone contains no pollutants that can compromise the health of your family. Because stone is a natural product, is long lasting, and can be recycled, it has become a favorite among those consumers who want to incorporate green building practices into their homes.

There are many ways to incorporate stone into your kitchen and bathroom. Whether you are doing an entire remodel or simply adding a splash of color, natural stone offers style and a classic appeal to any room in your home.

Countertops:

Most kitchens get a lot of use. Synthetic countertops can get stained and look dull over time. Stone countertops are extremely durable and will last a lifetime. Scratches, dents, and cracks are virtually impossible with normal use. With regular cleaning and maintenance, your counters will remain stain-free and retain their luster over time. Because stone is naturally hypoallergenic, it makes a safe surface for food preparation.

Flooring:

Flooring is one of the largest investments in your home. It is important to use a high-quality and durable material, especially in high traffic areas. Stone flooring is easy to clean and holds up well over time. Unlike carpet, it does not trap allergens and dust particles that can make people sick. Consider installing a stone entryway to give a feeling of richness and elegance to visitors who enter your home.

Bathroom Tiling:

Stone tiling gives a spa-like and luxurious feel to your bathroom. Homeowners can create a custom look with tiles. Consider mixing patterns and colors to add interest to your walls, floors, or showers. You can dramatically increase the value of your home with an attractive and updated bathroom.

Backsplash:

A great way to add interest and a splash of color in your kitchen is with a stone backsplash. Because the area is usually quite small, consumers are able to work with more expensive stones that may be out of their price range for larger projects. A backsplash can protect your wall while adding a stylish focal point to the room.

However you decide to incorporate stone products into your home, know that you are adding beauty, durability, and value to the existing structure. Plus, you are using materials that are environmentally safe and will last for years to come.

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