Get Your Stone Fireplace Ready For Fall!

Get Your Stone Fireplace Ready For Fall!

by North Star Stone Stone Fireplace

Fall is here and if you want to add some decor to your fireplace, you have a lot of different options available to you. The fireplace is an area of the home that is generally decorated with the current season in mind. Even if you do not decorate at all during the rest of the year, fall is the best time of year to do it because during the colder, winter months, your fireplace is a key focal point in your home. You may be enjoying several cozy nights by the fire in the next few months and you want your fireplace to look the best it can be all season long.

Incorporate Fall Colors

The easiest way you can decorate for fall is by using some traditional fall colors. You should look for decorations that feature some darker and muted oranges, yellow, red, and more. Essentially, fall colors are colors you would see on trees that are changing colors so you should look for items that feature these colors. It should not be very difficult during this time of year as decor featuring these colors will be everywhere you would normally shop for decor.

SHOPPING FOR FALL FIREPLACE DECOR

There’s tons of places you can find beautiful decor for your fireplace this fall. Some of our favorites are listed below:

Amazon! Of course! Amazon has some great deals right now on fireplace decor for the upcoming holidays.

World Market- They have some great finds from all over the world. Priced well, World Market has up to date styles, beautiful unique finds and so much more. If you look in the sidebar of this article, you’ll find a link with a 10% off coupon!

Home Goods – Always a good go-to for home decor items, HomeGoods has just about anything and everything you could ever need. If you don’t mind waiting in line for a while, you can save some serious dough on your new fireplace goodies!

And Last But Not Least:

At Home – There’s one in Schaumburg, and we swear- when you enter this massive home discount store, you will not want to leave. You’ll get sucked into the beautiful, discount vortex of AtHome, and never, ever want to leave. You name it, and they have it. Everything from flowers and floral decor to lighting and pictures, this store literally has everything you would ever need to make your stone fireplace beautiful. Good luck getting out of the store in less than an hour!


Shop World Market

Focus on the Holidays

If you like to celebrate any holidays during the fall and early winter, you may want to try decorating specifically for these holidays. For example, if you celebrate Halloween or Diwali, you may want to put out some holiday specific items during this time. You can easily do this by adding a few small and subtle pumpkins for Halloween or even adding some fake spider webs. It does not have to be overwhelming unless you want it to be. Feel free to go all out if you want to or just add some basic fall colors, as mentioned before, and then a few items that hint towards the holiday.

Bring the Outside In

One of the best things about fall is that there are so many outdoor activities that you can do with your family. You may want to go to a pumpkin patch, through a corn maze, or simply on a nice fall walk through your local nature trails. You may spend a lot of great time in the crisp, fall air but that does not mean that your time outside has to end there. Many people actually bring some outside items inside their home for decoration. Not only is this inexpensive but it can also look great. Some examples of this would be bringing in some pine cones, gourds, pumpkins, and more. You also have options when it comes to these items. You can place them on your fireplace mantel for decoration as is or you can spray paint them a fall color or even a subtle gold for even more of a pop.

Don’t Forget the Stone Fireplace Hearth

When decorating your fireplace, it can be easy to only focus on the mantle at the top but you should not forget about the hearth. You can do something simple and elegant to bring the entire decoration idea together. Whether you want to put a fireplace screen that has some hints of fall design in front of the opening or you want to add some fall vases with plants, real or fake, you can really tie everything together in an elegant and classic fall way.

Your fireplace is a main focal point in your home, especially when the temperatures drop outside. Using these tips, you can ensure it is not an eyesore but an area of your home that you can be proud of.

Regardless of how you decide to decorate your stone fireplace, we can help you make it gorgeous with the addition of new stone veneer for your fireplace. With hundreds of styles and colors to choose from, our stone can breathe new life into your old fireplace. We can often update it in less than 3 days, with very little mess, and incredibly talented masons who will leave you with a gorgeous new fireplace that your friends and family will rave about. Get a free estimate today for updating your fireplace with our custom stone veneer and see how we can help you make your fireplace the focal point of the room it was meant to be!

Favorite Fall Stone Veneer Fireplaces:

Donations & Volunteer Work Help Hurricane Victims Rebuild

Donations & Volunteer Work Help Hurricane Victims Rebuild

by North Star Stone Stone Fireplaces Stone Veneer

Before hurricanes Harvey and Irma this summer, 2005’s Hurricane Katrina was the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history according to CNN Money. Flooding and ripping up the Gulf Coast, CNN reports, Katrina created what would amount to $160 billion in damages today for America alone.

CNN Money notes that financial losses from Harvey and Irma may reach about $200-290 billion dollars. What part of that figure will flow from rebuilding homes, businesses and infrastructure is unknown.

All of us can help minimize damages through donations to charitable organizations helping Houston, the Gulf Coast, Florida and other southeastern states.

What to Give

The logistics of storing construction supplies or other goods — such as clothing, food and water — is challenging following a natural disaster. Relief experts and journalists who have covered many natural disasters say it is best to contribute money in the immediate aftermath of such events.

First-responder charities are on the ground immediately after a disaster. They provide basic emergency and rescue services, including medical care and evacuation. Charities that help with rebuilding structures will arrive later when it is possible to begin work.

If you do plan to donate construction materials or other goods, such as clothing or food, be sure to talk with the charity involved about what is needed. Many non-profits do not accept clothing or shoes because they often get an influx of them and often have a difficult time sorting, cleaning and storing these items. So always call ahead and ask what supplies a non-profit is collecting.

At North Star Stone, we are organizing a donation of stone veneer to Habitat for Humanity Lake County. These supplies will likely be used here in the Chicagoland area, but we are looking into other options for donating to help hurricane victims repair and rebuild their homes. Habitat will be able to use our stone veneer to update stone fireplaces and add stone siding on HFH homes locally.

Choosing a Helpful Charity

To make sure your contributions help where intended, access a charity rating service online. CharityWatch, GuideStar and Charity Navigator are organizations that evaluate the efficiency and helpfulness of many kinds of charities based on a wide array of factors. It’s easy to access ratings at the websites of all three.

Habitat for Humanity, SBP USA and All Hands Volunteers are examples of charities that have solid ratings on all three websites.

Habitat allows donors to designate where their cash contributions should be applied. You don’t need to be a construction professional to swing a hammer or help with other rebuilding tasks on Habitat projects. However, check with the branch where you hope to volunteer to find out what openings and skills are needed. Churches often form Habitat teams of including volunteers of varying skill levels. Check with local congregations to see which ones are planning construction mission trips to disaster areas.

All three organizations help train volunteers on the job. But don’t show up at one of their worksites without applying to volunteer and receiving an assignment. Self-deploying to a disaster area can be chaotic and dangerous. It may also slow work teams.

Rebuilding is a slow process. However, SBP USA, which cut its teeth on helping the Gulf Coast rebuild post-Katrina, learned how to speed up its projects from auto manufacturer Toyota. SBP has shared the process with other relief charities, including Habitat.

Lending a Hand Internationally

Late August through mid-September 2017 will be remembered as a time of unparalleled hurricane destruction internationally. Hurricane Irma created tremendous damage throughout the Caribbean before making landfall in Southwest Florida. Hurricane Katia almost simultaneously walloped the east coast of Mexico shortly after a massive earthquake. At publication time, we’re hoping Hurricane Jose will continue winding down away from land in the Atlantic.

Both Habitat and the UK-based All Hands Volunteers help rebuild communities worldwide following calamities as do all the charitable organizations listed in this 2016 ThoughtCo. article about disaster relief organizations. There are also many smaller non-profits that are helping Hurricane victims that may be accepting donations of money and supplies, as well as looking for volunteers to help rescue, clean and rebuild after these disasters. Stay tuned and we will be updating this post with local charities that need help and are providing help to hurricane victims.

So, lend a hand at home or lend a hand internationally. Together we can fix what is broken one nail, one stroke of paint and one piece of stone at a time.

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Sources:

https://www.thoughtco.com/after-disaster-they-rebuild-178385

http://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-earthquake-20170909-story.html

Best Budget Stores For Home Renovation In Chicago

Best Budget Stores For Home Renovation In Chicago

by North Star Stone Home Improvements Stone Fireplaces Stone Veneer

You don’t have to wear a tool belt to be a do-it-yourself home improvement artist. Being great at the logistics of locating discount materials is a crucial skill in completing projects at lower cost. And it leaves room in your budget for hiring pros whether carpenters or stone veneer masons.

Here are some useful local companies for budget renovation in metro Chicago communities. We’ve included store addresses and phone numbers to make shopping easier.

Flooring & Carpet

Home Owners Bargain Outlet

Crest Hill, 1693 South Plainfield Road, (815) 730-8340

Oak Lawn, 8716 South Cicero Avenue, (708) 423-4656

Waukegan, 2650 Belvedere Road, (847) 263-1612

Villa Park, 300 North Avenue, (630) 833-3200

HOBO’s outlet stores offer top deals on solid surface flooring, including tiles from ceramic to granite and hardwoods.  Persist and you can find a great deal.

 

Floor & Decor

Arlington Heights, 600 East Rand Road, (847) 704-7071

Aurora, 307 South Route 59, (630) 449-1255

Lombard, 1000 North Rohlwing Road, (630) 613-1597

Skokie, 3300 Oakton St, (847) 983-2987

Countryside, 1 Countryside Plaza, (708) 937-1325

Gurnee Mills, 6100 West Grand Avenue, (847) 672-2023

Looking for a discount on laminate or vinyl flooring? Do you want to consider good prices on hardwood or many kinds of tile and stone finishes? You’ll find lots of choices here.

 

Rexx Rug

Chicago, 3312 North Lincoln Avenue, (773) 281-8800

Discover area rugs and wall-to-wall carpeting from berbers to plushes at Rexx Rug. Enjoy free cookies as well as hundreds of flooring choices at their warehouse sales. Rexx also sells engineered and solid hardwood flooring.

 

Cabinets

Home Owners Bargain Outlet

 

HOBO sells a broad range of discounted building supplies, including cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms. We listed all the locations above.

 

Builder Supply Outlet

 

Broadview, 2171 West Cermak Road, (708) 343-3900

In addition to in-stock kitchen cabinets at prices up to 60 percent off retail, Builder Supply sells a broad range of construction materials for DIYers, including countertops, doors, windows and flooring.

 

Furniture

Toms-Price

 

Bloomingdale, 279 Madsen Drive (the company’s outlet location), (630) 529-7600

Lincolnshire, 725 Milwaukee Avenue, (847) 478-1900

Old Orchard, 4999 Old Orchard Center, (847) 675-9400

South Barrington, 100 West Higgins Road, (847) 783-1500

Wheaton, 303 East Front Street, (630) 668-7878

Toms-Price sells furniture at discount for all rooms in your home and for all tastes.

 

Nadeau

 

Chicago, 4433 North Ravenswood Avenue, (773) 728-3497

Nadeau’s motto is “furniture with a soul.” If you are searching for unique tables, seating, shelving and storage from around the world, this is the location for great deals.

 

Décor

 

CB2

Chicago (Lincoln Park), 800 West North Avenue, (312) 787-8329

If you want a hip, modern look at affordable prices, try Crate and Barrel’s CB2. You’ll find everything that is sleek and simple — from tubular outdoor furniture to minimalist dishware designs.

 

Lighting

 

Fox Lighting Galleries

 

Chicago, 4240 West Lawrence Avenue, (773) 282-6300

Whether you’re looking for chandeliers, lighted ceiling fans or floor lamps Fox offers a broad array of choices at budget prices. The company’s website provides prices as well as product details for all its lighting.

 

Stone Veneer

 

North Star Stone

 

Libertyville, 1840 Industrial Drive, (847) 996-6850

Are you in the market for a new stone fireplace or a fireplace update? We offer well-priced materials and installation at North Star Stone, and invite you to make an appointment to visit our Libertyville showrooms. If you want to add distinguished looking stone exterior siding options to your Chicago metro home — from façade to garden walls — we can help you achieve the look you want within a reasonable budget. Contact NorthStar today for the kind of fireplace renovation Chicago residents love or any kind of stone siding project.

5 Tips Your Realtor May Not Tell You About Selling a Home

5 Tips Your Realtor May Not Tell You About Selling a Home

by North Star Stone Stone Exteriors Stone Fireplace

Remember when you were little and had your first tooth pulled? Probably your mom or dad told you that the dentist would make it painless with Novocain. Then you saw the unexpected needle coming and discovered novo-pain.

Daily life is full of surprises that arise because someone fails to tell us something. Thunderbolts of bewilderment may even strike when you are in the process of selling your home, because your realtor fails to share the following tips.

Ask for a Short Contract

One reason why people say “locked in” when forming a contract with a realtor is because it can feel like you are serving time if the relationship sours. This may happen, for example, if your property stays on the market so long you must lower the sale price.

You may begin to doubt whether the realtor priced your property correctly or is doing enough to market it.

Consequently, when your realtor suggests a contract of six months or longer, be brave. Ask for something shorter, such as a standard minimum of 90 days. In tight markets favoring sellers, you may want to ask for even less.

Help Write Your Listing

You know your home and neighborhood best. You may also know how to write better than your realtor. So, offer to help compose or proofread the real estate listing for your home’s sale. This probably isn’t something your realtor would emphasize, but you can put the extra touches on it that your realtor just may not be able to.

Expect Unexpected Costs

No realtor can predict all the costs that will arise when selling your home, such as a bathtub refinishing job that leads to a subcontractor’s pitch for a far more expensive bathroom remodel or any of the hundreds of things that could come up in a home inspection.

Work together with your realtor to estimate how much you can afford to spend on these unexpected costs prior to listing. The budget will depend on a break-even calculation. Beware of anyone who suggests you can break even based on a sale price that meets your equity. To avoid being in the red, the sale price also should cover home improvement expenditures and myriad closing costs.

Invest in Stone Veneer Versus a Bathroom

Now to get back to the bathroom makeover: It’s true that buyers are attracted to homes with new bathrooms. Yet that improvement may not provide the greatest value versus investment.

It’s your wallet, so pay attention to payback. One valuable tool is Remodel magazine’s annual Cost Vs Value Report, which provides statistics about what you can expect to gain financially from investment in a wide range of remodeling projects.

The report divides the nation into regions. Illinois is part of the East North Central Region where payback for a bathroom remodel this year is 57% of cost. In contrast, the addition of stone siding returns 79%. 79%!!!! That’s pretty awesome. We’re a little biased, but we think you should consider updating your fireplace or your home exterior over your bathroom.

Stone veneer exterior siding options are lighter weight than full stone construction yet provide the same distinguished look. Mom was right — first impressions matter.

Don’t Nap Before a Showing

One thing nobody ever tells you is how intensely exhausting it can be to sell a home, which must shine for showing at all times.

Aside from tiring of 24/7 cleaning, you may feel overwhelmed by constantly packing up all evidence of habitation, including your cranky toddler and pets.

Your realtor probably never warned you it is a big, big mistake to set your alarm clock and lay down for a quick catnap even two hours before a showing. You may wake up to strangers who discover you, the baby and Fido snoozing on the couch. No sale!

Think About Staying Put

Once your stone exterior is in place and you’ve further indulged in the kind of equally distinguished stone fireplace renovation Chicago homes deserve, you may want to drop the idea of selling and take a nap without interruptions.

In all seriousness, selling a home can be very stressful. Making sure you’ve taken the time to do your homework, and have an open line of communication with your realtor can really benefit you in the long term. If you’re in the process of getting your home ready to sell, and are looking at making some quick updates that will increase your home’s value, consider adding stone veneer to your home’s exterior or updating your fireplace. That 79% return on updating your siding with stone veneer can really pay off.

If you need an estimate for your stone siding, we’re here for you! Give us a call or send us a message here. And did we mention we’re fast? We can update a fireplace in as little as 2 days! If you’re in a hurry to sell, and still want to make some quick updates to your home’s siding or fireplace, we can work with you to get it done quickly- and beautifully. Our stone helps homes sell!

10 Ways To Give Your Home Some Curb Appeal

10 Ways To Give Your Home Some Curb Appeal

by North Star Stone Stone Exterior Siding Stone Exteriors Stone Veneer

Strolling daily in your neighborhood you may begin noticing improvements that friends and neighbors are making to their homes, including:

  • Repainting house trim
  • Cleaning brick or siding
  • Reroofing due to damaged shingles
  • Repairing or replacing driveways
  • Changing the landscaping in significant ways and
  • Just generally tidying the front yard by mowing, sweeping, trimming trees and bushes, and filling planters with colorful flowers.

As you gradually absorb all this change and note what you like, you may begin to wonder about the curb appeal of your own home. What can you do to make it look better even if you don’t plan on selling anytime soon?

10 Home Makeover Ideas

When you start thinking about improving street appeal, your improvement list may become long. You can avoid feeling overwhelmed by making one change at a time. Here are some suggestions.

1. Photograph your front façade and yard. Analyze what is strong and what needs improvement. Apply a critical eye to tidiness, features obviously needing upkeep or replacement, paint color and possibilities for improvement with new landscaping and hardscaping.

2. Power wash your house but be careful about damaging brick and mortar. High-pressure spraying of a home’s façade makes it sparkle by removing dirt, mildew and moss. High-pressure cleaning is best left to a professional who knows how to avoid moisture damage. But lightly spraying your house with a garden hose before scrubbing off debris may do the trick and is probably best for brick siding. Pressure cleaning can decay mortar and old brick.

3. Clean and repair gutters. Sagging gutters with broken bands and loose downspouts look forlorn. Regular cleanout of leaves and other debris avoids this problem. If you plan to attach a downspout to a rain barrel in the front yard, one topped with a planter may be the best choice.

4. Reroof if necessary. Are shingles coming loose or looking worn, and is the roof visible from the street? Roof damage not only puts the interior of your house at risk but also signals viewers that you aren’t keeping up your property. Spot repairs sometimes are sufficient, but it may be time for a new roof.

5. Decide whether new paint is necessary and what colors would be best. Repainting trim and siding makes a home sparkle. While out walking, look for color combinations that fit your neighborhood and appeal to you. Sometimes just repainting a front door with a stand-out color and adding large, shiny address numbers may be enough to give your home a new look.

6. Improve yard maintenance, including trimming trees, weeding and mowing. A neglected landscape makes viewers think the interior of a home may also need significant repair.

7. Re-landscape. Even if you’re great about maintenance, a boring landscape makes a home look blah. If you can’t afford a landscaper, creative websites may help with planning. Try eGardenGo for suggestions about plant combinations and Paper Garden Workshop for planning tools, including “doodle sheets.”

8. Build a berm or a raised bed with a stone veneer wall. Berms add shape and texture to yards. So do exterior siding options such as a stone fireplace or stone exterior retaining wall.

9. Repair or replace your driveway. Repairing driveway cracks, potholes and heaving adds polish to a home and communicates that you value it.

10. Add exterior stone siding for an upscale, rustic look. According to Remodeling’s 2017 Cost Vs Value Report, stone veneer is one of the top home improvement choices for recouping cost when selling.

The Wow Look

As you plan ways to make your home look sharp and sweet, keep in mind that what looks “wow” in one community may elicit “whoa!” elsewhere. Remodeling magazine seems to indicate that homeowners nationwide think stone looks stylish. Please contact us at North Star Stone for information about how we add wow to homes.

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10 Things to Look for In a Contractor When Remodeling

10 Things to Look for In a Contractor When Remodeling

by North Star Stone Stone Exteriors Stone Fireplaces Stone Veneer

Saving money for a home remodeling takes time and requires restraint in spending. So, when you get ready to launch your project, you don’t want it to turn into a remuddling due to selecting the wrong professionals to guide the work.

Depending on the size and complexity of the project, you may need to begin with an architect who not only can design the project but also provide referrals to reliable contractors.

How to select an architect is a topic for another day. What we’re suggesting here is that you’ll be happier with a remodeling if you ask yourself key questions about what to look for in a contractor and interview at least three before hiring. 

What a Contractor Does

Contractors generally aren’t designer although construction companies may have in-house designers. Instead, your contractor is the overall supervisors for your project. Their duties include:

  • Selecting sub-contractors, such as carpenters, electricians and plumbers
  • Overseeing all aspects of construction
  • Maintaining the work schedule you have approved
  • Handling payouts for materials and labor
  • Being responsible for meeting deadlines and
  • Ensuring that worksites are safe and tidy at the end of the day (especially important if you continue to live in the house during construction).

You may decide that you also want your architect to provide project management (an extra fee beyond design) aimed at making sure work proceeds correctly based on the design and materials specified in the design plans.

10 Key Questions to Consider

Here are some important issues to think about before selecting a contractor.

1. Are you hiring the contractor to be a designer as well as a project supervisor? If so, research the contractor’s design credentials and experience.

2. Do you have friends, neighbors or coworkers who can recommend contractors? Praise from someone you trust is valuable. Ask them specific questions about what went right or wrong with their projects. Negative feedback may help you to avoid hiring the wrong person or construction company.   

3. If you are relying on online recommendations, how trustworthy are these testimonials? Consider whether you or someone you know has found reliable help for other projects through these sources.

4. If an architect has designed your project, does the architect recommend any of your favored contractors? A contractor your designer respects is likely to be one on whom you can rely.

5. Does a contractor have a reputation for meeting deadlines and keeping the worksite safe?  This is a question to ask whoever provides referrals.

6. Is the contractor bonded, licensed and known for providing a well-detailed contract? Once again, ask those who provide referrals and then verify with the contractor. Also, insist on a detailed contract.

7. During the interview process, does a contractor answer your questions in an authoritative (not authoritarian) way? Your contractor should be able to answer your questions without forcing opinions on you.

8. Is a contractor able to provide referrals from former customers? If not, check the contractor off your list.

9. Is a contractor comfortable knowing that you will be interviewing others as well? If a contractor is experienced and knowledgeable, he or she will also be confident enough to accept competition.

10. Does a contractor have experience specific to your project, such as stone veneer work? A stone veneer contractor in the Chicago metro area will have experience with these kinds of projects:

The “Click Factor”

Finally, after each contractor interview, there is a certain gut-feeling factor to consider. You have to ask yourself how comfortable you were. Did the two of you “click” by communicating well? Do you think the contractor understands your project needs and can fulfill them?

Interviewing shouldn’t be rushed. You need to be patient and so does each interviewee. A prospective contractor who is willing to answer all your questions so you can make a well-informed decision is one who is likely to be a good communicator during construction.

North Star Stone is proud to say we meet all of these qualifications as a stone veneer contractor. We value our customers, their homes and their business and are always happy to explain the process and answer any questions you have. If you have questions you’d like to ask about stone veneer design for your stone fireplace or exterior stone siding, call us at (847) 996-6850 or contact us here and get a FREE estimate.

Considering Siding Options For Your Home? Here’s Why Stone Veneer is a Great Choice for A Home’s Exterior Siding

Considering Siding Options For Your Home? Here’s Why Stone Veneer is a Great Choice for A Home’s Exterior Siding

by North Star Stone Home Improvements Stone Exterior Siding Stone Exteriors Stone Veneer

When it’s time to improve the outside of your home, stone veneer siding may be one of the best exterior siding options available. Thinner and lighter than natural stone, it is easier to install and less stressful for your home’s structure. It’s also less expensive than real stone, doesn’t disrupt the environment through quarrying, and is recyclable too!

Quality stone exterior siding that is correctly installed, offers many other advantages, including excellent payback, distinguished appearance, a wide range of natural colors and low to no maintenance.

Also, it’s a sturdy solution to solve the problem many homeowners face when renovating the exteriors of homes constructed with lightweight Dryvit siding — a foam product with a faux stucco-like veneer that is vulnerable to moisture and woodpecker damage- amongst other issues. After the Dryvit is removed, these homes can support a manufactured stone veneer that offers a safe, beautiful and long lasting exterior home siding.

READ MORE ABOUT THE DANGERS OF DRYVIT AND WHAT TO DO IF YOUR HOME WAS CONSTRUCTED WITH DRYVIT

Stone Veneer vs. Stone

Stone veneer is made of Portland cement, aggregate and natural pigments (for stone color). Mixed together, we then pour the mixture into casts designed to provide the look and texture of real stone.

Unlike natural stone, which is typically extremely thick and heavy, stone veneer siding may range from slightly less than 2 inches to about 3 inches thick depending on the texture applied to the stone veneer. Natural stone often requires a brick ledge for installation. Windows also often need to be reset due to the change in depth of the siding. Both necessities slow project completion and make it much more expensive than using thin stone veneer on a home’s exterior. Being heavier, natural stone is also more expensive to deliver/ship to job sites.

Overall, installation of stone veneer per square foot often costs about one-third to one-half less than that of natural stone! That’s a big difference!

Get A Free Estimate For Your Home’s Stone Veneer Siding

Payback: Cost Vs. Value Report

Nationwide, stone veneer for exterior home siding has been one of the best home improvement choices for money spent, according to Remodeling Magazine.

For three years running, the magazine’s annual Cost Vs. Value Report has placed stone veneer close to the top of its list for payback value. According to Remodeling Magazine, the only items that have exceed payback value in 2016, other than stone veneer, are fiberglass attic insulation and installation of a steel front door.

The magazine’s data indicates that in the East-North Central Region (which includes Illinois) the payback on manufactured stone veneer siding is second to attic insulation. That’s a good sign for home owners looking to update their home’s exterior with stone! If you’re planning to sell soon, your stone veneer can add real value to your home!

Distinguished Natural Look

A rustic stone look increases the curb appeal and value of a home. It is extremely difficult- if not, impossible, to differentiate between manufactured and natural stone. Our stone looks just like real stone!

Customers select the natural colors and textures they want in their stone veneer siding. This makes it super easy to match other design aspects of a home. It’s easy to match or blend in new stone veneer with existing stone, siding and even landscaping. If you’re looking to use real stone, shortages can occur in the natural stone market and make it difficult to meet preferences and match an existing stone. With stone veneer, you can match the color and most often, the styles of existing stone. Stone veneer will not only save you money, it can also save you time! No more searching through endless places on line and in person to try to match stone!

Low Maintenance & Safety

Maintenance of stone veneer primarily involves hosing it down occasionally. Yep- that’s about it! Painting touch-ups aren’t necessary with stone veneer.

Even Hardie Board — a product our customers and builders often combine with stone veneer to create a beautiful home siding option — doesn’t require repainting. Hardie Board is a fire-resistant material made to look like wood but comprised mainly of sand and cement.

LEARN MORE ABOUT USING STONE VENEER AND HARDIE BOARD ON YOUR HOME’S EXTERIOR

Installation

Professional installation ensures that proper construction techniques are used to avoid moisture from getting behind siding and causing structural damage, If you choose to install the stone veneer yourself, we’re happy to provide installation instructions and answer any questions you have. If you prefer professional installation and are in the Chicagoland area, we have some very talented masons who will work diligently to make your home’s exterior shine.

Stone veneer, no matter what color or style you choose, is a perfect choice for updating your home’s exterior. With the many colors and styles North Star Stone offers to choose from, choosing stone veneer will help your home stand out as one of the best homes on the block!

Want to see some examples of the stone veneer that North Star Stone creates? Stop by our Libertyville, Illinois showroom. Call us today at (847) 996-6850 to schedule an appointment! *Please note- our showroom is open by appointment only.

Living In Your Home During A Renovation Project: How To Survive With Your Sanity

Living In Your Home During A Renovation Project: How To Survive With Your Sanity

by North Star Stone Uncategorized

Even renovation of a single room in your home or changes to the building’s exterior façade — such as installing stone veneer — may disrupt daily life for weeks or months. This is especially true if you choose to live at home during the project.

Remodeling can be noisy, dusty and intrusive no matter how well you and your contractor seal off rooms and set boundaries. It can also be hazardous, particularly if the remodeling crew doesn’t tidy up properly at the end of each day.

However, there are major benefits to being on-site during remodeling, including:

Being around daily to monitor project progress and site cleanup

Avoiding construction delays by being more available to answer contractor questions and

Saving money on alternative housing and restaurant dining.

Aside from those, sometimes moving out to a hotel or temporary home just isn’t an option, and can be extremely difficult, especially if you have children and pets! Here are some tips for living at home safely and sanely during renovation:

Setting Construction Schedule & Boundaries

Aside from setting start and completion dates in the project contract, you need to set a daily schedule identifying when construction workers will be on the premises.

The contract should also specify boundaries within which workers may be present. Furthermore, safety requires that children stay out of the work area, so you need to explain and stress boundaries. Children in particular could have a hard time enduring a renovation, so explaining to them how things work, where they can or cannot be, and how to protect themselves is very important. That in mind, it can be a fun thing for kids to switch things up a little during a home renovation project- dinner in the bedroom or taking baths in the sink are probably going to be more fun for them than the adults! 🙂

Isolating the Work Area & Protecting HVAC

The work area needs to be separated from living areas with heavy plastic sheeting hung in doorways and plastic wall systems. You also need to limit access to your home’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning system during construction. This includes covering or closing air supply and return registers.

A small renovation, such as installation of a stone fireplace surround, may take less than a week to finish. Yet minimizing ambient stone dust during that time is important and may even require air scrubber equipment if you have asthmatics in your family. Here is a detailed explanation about controlling stone veneer dust. (Take a look at our article on controlling dust here!)

Clearing & Protecting the Project Area

Before construction begins, remove objects from the work area including art and decorations, carpets, drapery, floor rugs and furniture. Cover floors and walls — and any furniture too unwieldy to remove — with drop cloths and other sturdy materials. This process makes final cleanup easier and protects against a hidden buildup of dust that could migrate through your home’s HVAC system following project completion.

Maintaining a Temporary Kitchen

If your kitchen is part of the renovation project or is open to the work area, clear it of food and appliances. Then you’ll need a temporary kitchen area, such as a utility room, with a sink, coffee maker and microwave oven. There are also some great, inexpensive products you can buy and use to help make life a little easier- hot plates and electric griddles are AMAZING for kitchen renovations! And don’t forget to stock up on paper plates and silverware. Washing dishes in the bathroom can get pretty old, pretty quickly. As much as paper plates and plastic silverware aren’t great for the environment, they sure can help you maintain your sanity.

Wearing Protective Footwear

Finally, wearing shoes (not flip flops) when walking anywhere in or outside your home is crucial during remodeling. Dust isn’t the only thing that migrates. Nails or shards of other materials can accidentally slip past barriers or land on grass and driveways during a remodeling.

Protecting Pets During A Renovation

Your pets are some of the more at risk creatures in the home during a renovation project. Make sure your contractor is aware that you have pets, and depending on the kind of pets you have and their personality and needs, you may have to take special precautions. Some contractors (like us!) love animals, but others (or their laborers) may not be as comfortable with animals. Make sure your pets have a safe place to be in the home during the construction.

Talk with your contractor to know if there will be days when there is going to be significant noise. Those days you may want to consider sending your pet to a neighbor or friend, or boarding your pet for the day. Construction noise can be really stressful for pets! Make sure you are cautious of where your pets go in the home during the reno- their paws are subject to nails and glass/wood shards to!

Choosing a Safety-Minded Contractor

Choosing a contractor known for work-site safety is one of the most important steps to take in preparing to live in your home during remodeling. For projects involving fireplace design and exterior stone veneer work, please contact North Star Stone for top attention to detail.

Source

http://www.safewise.com/blog/how-to-safely-live-in-your-house-during-a-major-renovation/

https://www.bobvila.com/articles/416-live-in-or-move-out-the-remodeling-dilemma/

What’s New Is Old: Fireplaces and Stone Veneer History

What’s New Is Old: Fireplaces and Stone Veneer History

by North Star Stone Stone Colors Stone Fireplace Stone Fireplaces Stone Interior Stone Veneer

Today’s thin cut stone veneer looks like the real thing.  However, it is manufactured from concrete, a combination of Portland cement and aggregate molded in rubber casts that capture the texture of real stone. Ground pigments provide its natural looking colors.

Lightweight fireplace stone veneer weighs far less than real stone, so it’s possible to construct rustic, historical looking surrounds that may even reach from floor to ceiling. It is a modern miracle that can give homes a historical look.

But dig deep enough into the past, and you discover that what seems new started in ancient times.

Ancient Synthetic Basalt

Many articles have commented on the strange trifecta of chance that an archeologist with the last name of “Stone” representing the State University of New York at Stony Brook, discovered the first evidence of artificial stone.

In 1998, The New York Times reported that Dr. Elizabeth C. Stone had identified slabs found a decade earlier in southern Iraq as being artificial basalt. Her team uncovered the find in the ruins of Mashkan-shapir, a Mesopotamian city that existed 4,000 years ago and had no basalt quarries.

Although real stone was scarce, basaltic river silt was plentiful in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Dr. Stone theorizes that artisans melted the silt to create material for construction and stones used in grinding grain.

Historical Uses of Stone Veneer

Concrete was an invention of the Roman Empire. The ancient conquerors used it as the underlying structural material supporting more attractive brick and stone veneers in buildings such as the Coliseum. The art of making concrete disappeared at the fall of the Roman Empire after 400 AD.

About 1,300 years later, a British engineer devised a new formula. Thin stone veneer construction with real, hand-tooled stone reappeared in the late 19th century.

By the early 20th century, most natural stone veneer work was limited to building interiors, but the exterior of the Empire State Building is an example of heavy limestone veneer over brick and steel.

Arrival of Manufactured Thin Veneer

Natural stone veneer is about four times the weight of thin veneer product. This makes it more difficult to support on walls and more expensive to ship and to purchase.

RELATED: Control Dust & Dirt During A Home Remodeling Project

In contrast, today’s concrete stone fireplace veneer is affordable and supportable for many kinds of construction projects from commercial to residential.

Thin veneer manufactured stones vary in thickness from about 1 to 3 inches depending on the stone on which they are styled. They have become increasingly durable and realistic looking since introduction in the early 1960s.

The color of some manufactured thin veneer may fade faster than others due to being spray painted with pigment. However, at North Star Stone, we infuse the pigment during the curing process so it permeates the stones and looks natural.

North Star also hand assembles fireplace walls and smaller surrounds to avoid repetitive patterns. We strive for the highest craftsmanship while also making a luxurious look affordable.

For more information about the many kinds of fireplace veneer and designs available for your project, please contact us at North Star Stone. Let’s make it an important moment in the history of your home.

How to Control Dust During Indoor Stone Veneer Fireplace Remodeling

How to Control Dust During Indoor Stone Veneer Fireplace Remodeling

by North Star Stone Stone Fireplace Stone Fireplaces Stone Veneer

When plentiful, dust can make anyone sneeze and cover mouth and nose to avoid inhaling it. Construction sites are well known for powdery particulate. Architects and builders often refer to clients who stay in their homes during a remodeling project as “living in the dust.”

But home during indoor remodeling, such as construction of a stone veneer fireplace surround, there are several ways to control dust. This is especially important if family members have asthma.

Here are some practical measures you can handle or negotiate with your contractor to minimize construction dust.

Create Dust Barriers & Isolate Work Area

The first step in limiting the spread of construction dust is to erect clear, plastic dust barriers closing off openings from the work area to other parts of the house. This task may be as simple as hanging heavy mil plastic sheeting over doors or separating spaces with plastic wall systems, such as ZipWalls.

If there is furniture in the work space that can’t be moved elsewhere, it should also be covered to avoid dust from polluting upholstery.

Furthermore, isolating a stone fireplace work area includes moving any sawing outdoors if weather allows. It also requires delivering building materials to the remodeling space via a route that minimizes spreading dust to other parts of the home.

Construction dust clings to work clothing, so another wise step is to ask your contractor to limit worker access to other parts of your home.

Cover Walls, Flooring & Furniture

Next, you need to make sure your floors in the remodeling area — whether carpeted or bare — are covered wall to wall with rosin paper (a recyclable paper building product), thick plastic or drop cloths. Final cleanup will be much easier if walls in the remodeling area are covered floor to ceiling.

Prepping Your HVAC System

Not all homes have forced-air heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, but if yours does, precautions during construction projects include limiting the amount of dust that gets into ducts.

If your project occurs when temperatures are moderate, it’s a good idea to shut down your HVAC system for a few days during the stone veneer fireplace remodel. This includes closing or covering the work area’s air supply and return registers in the walls and floor. However, workers still need air circulation, so open a window for fresh air.

Stone veneer fireplace projects generally take less than a week to complete. During winter installation, it may be best to keep the HVAC running even if you aren’t staying at home. It keeps the house warm for your return and helps any moist construction materials, such as grout, to dry more quickly.

In cold weather, the registers in the work area can be closed, and the contractor can bring in a portable electric heater. Or the register grills can be partially closed and covered with high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) furnace filters. To further capture any fine dust in ducts on return flow, install a HEPA filter in place of your regular furnace filter.

Capture Dust with HEPA Air Scrubbers

At any time of year, a portable HEPA air scrubber may be the best solution for keeping indoor construction dust from drifting through your house. It also captures any gases and airborne chemicals released by construction materials.

No ducting is attached to the air scrubber, which is placed in the center of the work space. It sucks in dirty air, then releases clean air. This is particularly important in older homes that may contain asbestos or lead in old construction materials removed during stone veneer remodeling.

HEPA air scrubbers contain a series of filters. The first stage of filtration is handled by a pre-filter that absorbs larger particles. Frequent replacement of the pre-filter protects the efficiency of the primary filter. If you add a carbon filter, it can absorb smelly gases and vapors.

As the Proud Green Home website notes, HEPA air scrubbers “meet standards that remove 99.97% of airborne particles down to the size of 0.3 microns.” A micron is a millionth of a meter or about .00004 inches wide. Due to their filtering power, air scrubbers are expensive. Yet home improvement stores make access to them more affordable through rental.

Specify & Share Cleanup

At the end of each work day, contractors for any indoor construction project should minimally vacuum up dust. (Sweeping with a broom sends much of the dust flying.) Then careful removal and disposal of floor and wall coverings, as well as dust barriers, follows at the end of the project.

The next step, generally handled by the homeowner or a house cleaner you hire, is to damp mop walls and hard flooring and deep vacuum carpeting. Finally, to avoid circulating any construction dust that remains in your home, continue to use a HEPA filter for your furnace for about two weeks, changing the filter at least three times.

Seek More Information

For any questions you may have about stone veneer fireplaces, please contact us at North Star Stone. You’ll also find answers to frequently asked questions at our website. We want to help you and your family breathe easy about home improvement.

In the meantime, check out our stone veneer fireplace galleries for some great ideas and see how other families updated their fireplaces with North Star Stone veneer.

Sources:

http://www .hou zz.co m/ideabooks/46866556/list/what-to-know-about-controlling-dust-during-remodeling

https://www .angieslist.com/articles/8-ways-protect-your-hvac-during-remodeling.htm

http://buildc lean.com/images/Best-Practices.pdf

http://www.aconco  rdcarpenter.com/how-to-protect-vents-from-remodeling-dust.html

http://www6 .hom edepot.com/tool-truck-rental/Hepa_Air_Scrubber_with_Filters/F284/

http://www.jondo n.com/flood-restoration/air-scrubber

https://www.drie az.c om/Uploads/DECA/GTAS.pdf

http://www.bacteria- world.co m/how-big-micron.htm

http://answers.angi eslist.com/Do-contractors-typically-clean-remove-dust-installing-drywall-skim-coating-walls-q54293.aspx