The Sullivan County Stone Mason Blog

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Proper Planning For Your Stone Project

Proper project planning isn’t something that is performed occasionally by Kelly Masonry & Design….It’s always performed!  It’s a service that all clients receive for their stone masonry project, large or small.

Outdoor living spaces easily become the most popular area of your home and will yield one of the highest returns on investment compared to other improvements you could do to your home’s exterior.  Understanding why you want an outdoor living space for you and your family depends on its intended use of that space.  Choosing the right company that has construction knowledge about how a project should be properly built from beginning, middle, and end is of the utmost importance.  The use and placement of structural components must be properly planned for to last a lifetime.  Outdoor living spaces such as the project illustrated below, cannot be hastily designed without the proper tools or knowledge.

Kelly Masonry & Design prides itself in being as thorough as possible when all projects, large or small, are first optioned.  We utilize both manual and computerized means of designing a project from concept through to construction.  Often, hand sketches and annotated photographs are helpful to get the project started, and sometimes computerized 3-dimensional modeling is used to assist in this task.  This helps both the client and Kelly Masonry & Design visualize the project and determine all goals and objectives.

Side-by-side hand sketches showing patio design alternatives. Real photo imagery is sometimes used to enhance the sketches and communicate the design intent to the client.
Side-by-side hand sketches showing patio design alternatives. Real photo imagery is sometimes used to enhance the sketches and communicate the design intent to the client.
Hand-drawn sketches are useful during client meetings. Here is a sketch drawn early in the design process, and the completed fireplace.
Hand-drawn sketches are useful during client meetings. Here is a sketch drawn early in the design process, and the completed fireplace.

With some projects, more technical drawings prepared by a licensed civil engineer or other licensed professional, are required and created to ensure the proper structural integrity of the project and that specific materials are properly quantified.  The size, scale, and aesthetic may be determined by local building code…Kelly Masonry & Design always adheres to local building codes and aesthetics!  The consultation of a licensed civil engineer with the client may be needed on projects that require building permits and this is done to protect the client and ensure that their project is designed to known current building standards.  To the untrained eye these elements usually aren’t appreciated until they’re used.

Our Clients are amazed at the quality of craftsmanship and how amazing their new space looks.  Our clients thank us for the special attention given to the initial design and exploratory budgeting.  Careful thought and planning that went into making the outdoor living space seen below was successful because it was designed with the perfect mix of utility and style.  Upon the project’s completion, the client recognized the value in the initial project planning by stating that the early detail…“paid off”!

The completed project, photographed after a fresh snow fall.
The completed project, photographed after a fresh snow fall.

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