We recently decided to update the look of and around our 30 year old fireplace that started with the seemingly innocuous task of removing, sanding and spraying the brass trim to metallic silver (if you do this use heat rated spray paint). It was a bit of work especially the sanding part but when it was said and done they looked awesome.
So good in fact it was difficult to put them back into their place without changing the area around the fireplace that originally had some marble tile below the wood mantle and with nothing above. We decided to install rock between some marble pillars around the fireplace and above the mantle and shopped around several Calgary stone retail stores.
The last one we went to was Stone Source and they had this particular travertine ledgestone we liked and when we joined their mailing list and committed to writing a review they gave us a big discount from a price that was already lower than everybody else. When we questioned the quality of the product we learned they actually supplied other retail stores so proved to us the product was one in the same.
The next issue was placement of the rock. Because we wanted to retain the hearth and pillars covered with nice marble we were challenged how to incorporate this new rock around the fireplace box and above the mantle without it looking like a jigsaw puzzle of new meeting old design. We struggled with this for a while but when I brought in a picture to manager Danny it was like a big stressful weight was taken off our shoulders because in very short order Danny being the experienced caring guy he is suggested a resolution that we quickly realized was the answer and was what went with.
Danny helped us recognize the marble was valuable and worth incorporating in the design – he even knew the name of the marble - and basically advised us we would end up with a special and original and interesting look if we incorporated portions of the marble with the travertine and conversely would end up with a safe but boring wall of travertine if we took all the marble tiles off. And to tie in the area of the fireplace below the mantle to that above effectively from floor to ceiling Danny suggested we simply extend the rock a foot on either side of the mantle to join upper and lower portions.
So outside of the first step painting of the metal grills I got help from Stone Source along the way. From the selection of a rock we liked and at a great price to the specific formation of the rock and last but arguably most important step was the installation. This too we struggled with as we had two masonry guys give us quotes ranging from 1000 to 5000 dollars for installation only as I was buying the rock and up to three days to install.
Again Stone Source to the rescue because when I asked about what they thought it was like another revelation where I learned that you don’t need masonry guys to install this real rock, that tile guys do it too. Not only do tile guys do it but they do it well as I found out by installer ‘Mind Grab” and most incredibly do it in a shorter period – one day vs three- and with less labor time at a much lower cost. That’s not to say this whole process was quick because when I tried to re-stain the mantle – only doing so six separate times- until I finally got a real painter to help finish it properly this project would have been done a month sooner with tons of less stress if I wasn’t so stubborn and hired a real painter/stainer – hey look it wasn’t cost it was pride…
So in closing I rated Stone Source the best because they helped me with a project that started out small and got bigger and a little more complicated. But in the end Danny and his team assisted me to get the best result for the cheapest cost and I felt because they cared more than simply selling product they were a huge resource in providing knowledgeable advice that ultimately made this experience easier and my goal achievable notwithstanding it took a month longer than it needed to. Not only that but my wife likes it a lot too and is equally grateful it’s finally done...
Thanks Danny and Stone Source
