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Our front porch remodel is now complete. New door, new stone siding, new ceiling, new posts, new railings, new decking, new light fixture.
Ka-Ching!
And while there were a few bumps along the way… I have to say we’re pleased with the results.
For someone who’d never worked with stone siding before, my husband did a good job.
As long as you don’t look too closely. 😉
Before and afters.
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Cleaner, fresher and much more attractive.
👍
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Every once in a while I have a good idea.
And every rarer once in a while my husband has to admit it.
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He’d been out front struggling with those silly balustrades popping in and out of the top rail for an hour on the second frustrating day when I said “Why don’t we just tape them in place until we get them lined up?”
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He grumbled and swore it wouldn’t work, but ya know what?
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It was the perfect solution.
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Time consuming, yes.
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But we lined those babies up and snapped that top rail on smooth as butter.
The hardest part was him admitting it was my idea.
🤣
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The first over the window section of stone siding is complete and kudos to my husband’s hard work…
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Because I think it looks pretty damn good.
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Unfortunately the section above window number two is proving just as difficult as window #1.
And after #2?
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There’s window #3.
It’s a good thing the man has patience.
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My husband is still at it.
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Although the final pieces on top of the windows next to the ceiling are giving him serious trouble.
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Overall… this Versetta Stone is easy to work with. It fits well together in random patterns that look good no matter which slabs you marry.
Problems arise when you have to make small precise cuts around things. Like windows, dryer vents and electrical outlets. Then it’s a bit of a nightmare.
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And we haven’t reached the light fixture, door or inside corner yet.
🥴
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In case you’ve been wondering how our stone veneer is installed…
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Each piece has a metal flange with holes for screws attached to the top. You stagger the seams and there’s a little cutaway groove in each so they fit snuggly. Which is great…
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Until you reach the top and can’t fit an entire piece.
The flange and a portion of the stone has to be cut away, so how do you attach it?
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Serious thinking and strategizing was required because like most men, my spouse refused to follow the manufacturer’s directions… which called for industrial adhesive.
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I suggested masonry screws and was shot down.
See that piece on the top left?
It’s just wedged in there tightly. No screws, no adhesive. Just a hope and a prayer it doesn’t come loose and whack me on the head.
Wish us luck.
🥴
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The stone veneer installation is coming along nicely…
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Rising up the wall and around the windows.
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But at this point I need to take a moment and complain about the namby pamby fortitude of this product.
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It cracks easily.
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It chips even easier.
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For something that weighs a ton and costs a fortune?
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I expected better resiliency.
Cutting the “easy to install” stone is a nightmare all its own and everything is covered in dust.
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So much so it has to be brushed off every piece before and after installation.
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Thankfully you can’t see the cracks and chips unless you’re right on top of them.
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And I think it’s going to make a huge difference to our home’s curbside appeal when (if!) it’s completed.
😊
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Remember the large, oh so heavy batch of stone my husband piled on the barn porch?
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The one I told him was too heavy to put in one place and might damage the frame?
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Yeah.
Serious sagging that had to be propped up.
Why do men never listen? Why…
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Work continues… and the more stone that’s affixed to the house, the less weight and possibility of caving in the barn porch.
I call that a win.
Progress is slow but steady.
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Question… what do we think of the color combination of stone and composite decking?
When this remodel started, I chose decking that would blend with the vinyl siding. It looks very grey in photos but is actually striated with beige-y clay.
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It had already been delivered by the time the husband decided to replace the siding with stone. Special order, no return…. so I’m talking myself into it blending.
What say you?
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Color coordinated or not, it’s what we’ve got.
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And standing on the lawn I’m beginning to get an idea of what it will look like when complete.
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While choking on masonry dust that is.
😉
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The stone work continues and it’s been …
Challenging.
Yes. Let’s go with that.
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Cutting around the dryer vent was extremely unpleasant since rounded cuts had to be made.
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A new tool was purchased.
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And my husband now owns a grinder with a masonry blade.
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I doubt it will surprise you to learn an entire day was spent making adjustments.
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I snuck a few pictures but played it safe and stayed in the house during the majority of the cursing work.
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Aggravating? Yes.
But it turned out well in the end and we’re beginning to get an idea what the finished product will look like.
😊
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So there was stone.
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The first row of it anyway.
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Things did not always go smoothly, especially when it came to cutting around the electrical outlet box and dryer vent.
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Which is when the hammer came out.
If you know anything about stone veneer, you know hammers are not their best friend.
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Enough said.
One row down, many more to go.
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River's world..... 