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Adding a masonry project to your remodel can add a great deal of value to your home. Depending on the scope of the project adding a hand-carved stone fireplace, keystone, family crest, door surround, ornamental panel or a fountain feature can add not only great value, but also a sense of individuality, and style that truly highlights the theme of your home and its style. Stone carving has been around since the dawn of time. Many stone carvers have been skilled in their trade for many years. Most regions of the country have stone and masonry contractors that do not only large scale projects but, smaller projects such as fireplaces and at a reasonable price.

There are several things to consider when using stone in your projects. Depending on the type of stone you choose, there may be large differences in the cost of one stone versus another type of stone. There are hundreds if not more quarries all across the country that cut stones for large and small scale projects. Some types of stone are more costly than others simply because of the area of the country the stone comes from. The process of creating a new carving involves many steps.

There are several stages in working with a carver, and it is generally best to involve the carver very early in your planning as custom hand-carving is not a fast process. In your initial discussions you will need to provide the carver with the necessary information of the project in order to get started. You will need to provide the carver with information on design style, choice of material, budget, and schedule for the project.

Information about the design and scale of the room or building will be helpful. If you are considering a fireplace, what are the dimensions of the firebox and the wall? Is it wood burning or gas? If you have pictures of work that appeals to you, bring them along to help the carver understand your sense of style for the project.

Carvers will need precise measurements. Once the design has been determined and the type of stone selected, the carver will prepare shop drawings and job tickets which detail how each piece of stone needs to be cut and shaped, and templates or patterns. The will want to understand how the stone will be anchored into the wall so they can shape and carve it appropriately. Let them know if anchor slots or holes need to be precut or if you will have them cut on the job.

Stone carvers can design the work to your specifications or work directly from your plans. Discuss who will do that design work: the carver, designer or architect. If the carver is doing that work, a design fee may be required. The shop will then need to make drawings of their own and then they will order the stone. When the stone arrives at the carver’s shop the process of carving will begin. Even when working from finished drawings, like those prepared by an architect, the carver will need to translate those into shop drawings and make sure the thickness and sizes of each pieces is appropriate for the particular type of stone and application.

Using stone and masonry in your new home or remodeling project can be a more costly project, but one that will add great value and a beautiful show piece for your home.

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