Stone Fireplace, Stone Staircase, Limestone Fireplaces

We’ve just come back from Spain, having been searching for more suppliers of Stone from which to make our stone fireplaces. Strangely, although spain has a great history of building stunning buildings from stone, it is not so widely used now. In fact we struggled to find quarries that were geared up the fulfill our needs (unlike in France where there are numerous quarries supplying the still very active stone market) It may be of course that we were looking in the wrong areas, and we may have more luck on our next trip, now that we have some more information.

We did  however see some incredible stone buildings. We stayed in several ‘Paradors’: These are state run hotels, that in most cases are situated in ancient buildings or castles, that have been renovated and turned into large hotels. They normally serve local cuisine, and are in spectacular locations.

On this trip we stayed in the ones in Jaen and Caceres, both of which are vast stone buildings containing numerous fine examples of the masons art, from stone fireplaces to  stone staircases to statues and immense tracery windows.

These buildings are hundreds of years old, but due to the Spanish government’s innovative thinking they have been made to ‘pay their way’ and thus ensure that they are well preserved and looked after. There a good guides available that list all the paradors (there are many) and we can only recommend that they are a good option if you are planning a cultural tour of Spain

Woodburning is one of most efficient and economical ways to heat your house. Get a stove… install it in your new stone fireplace get out with your chainsaw and trailer and you’re ready to go. There is no substitute for real flames to make a fireplace look welcoming. Stack a few logs on the hearth to dry out for the next load. Dry would is actually the key to efficient woodburning, and really you should be storing your logs away from wet weather for ideally a year minimum before burning them. If you have a south facing wall somewhere in your garden, then build a big stack, as you collect them, and just put a rainproof roof on it. (old corrugated steel sheet perhaps, or even a sheet of plastic) The sun will then accelerate the drying, and you will be able to burn your logs even sooner.

Dry wood burns more efficiently, because the energy is not all used up evaporating the water that is present is wet logs. It also enables the wood to burn more slowly, with less draught, and therefore last much longer. It also leaves less ash, and an efficient stove, burning dry wood, may only need the ash removing once every two weeks or so.

Not all logs are equal. Oak and ash are best, but any will produce heat if dried correctly. Ask your log supplier for oak and ash if he can get it, as it does produce more heat for your money.

Forget the freemasons. Stonemasons are part of a truly world wide network that is connected by love of an ‘artistic’ trade. Over the years we’ve had masons from all over the world help us to make our stone fireplaces and other stone products. Many come from eastern europe, and have trained with highly skilled masons on prestigious projects all over the globe. It never ceases to amaze me how many have worked on some of the most famous buildings (Normally churchs and cathedrals) in the world: Notre Dame; Canterbury Cathedral; St. Pauls; Florence; and so the list goes on.

By working on these great buildings, initially doing the less skilled tasks, these masons build up an arsenal of experience, and also many  secret ‘tricks of the trade’ are passed on to these apprentice masons. They are always looked after, and can spend many years travelling the world while learning their art.

We have had many young masons come over from Eastern Europe; something that was unimaginable before the wall came down, and democracy rushed in. The young people had previously got there experience in the run down (and still bombed out) old cities of for example E. Germany. They are invariably highly skilled, having had to learn in much harder conditions than in the west.

Many have chosen to stay and live in the UK. Not because of the standard of Living, but because of our thriving construction industry. (not at the moment I know!)

So you’ve decided you want a stone fireplace (good decision!) Now you need to decide what sort of stone you want. There are of course, thousands of choices from thousands of suppliers. Primarily it’s probably the colour of stone that is the main deciding factor: And if a customer already has stone features in their property, then they may want to get a stone that is as close a match to that as possible. Of course, stone does age, whether exposed to the weather or to the wear and tear of life, so a new piece of stone will always take time to acquire a patina that makes it fit in with the existing stone.

So you decide your vaque idea of colour. Dark colours in greys and browns are more likely to be sandstone. Whites; cream and yellow shades, are more often than not limestone. If one is trying to achieve a warm look, (inside your main reception room for instance) then a warmer toned stone is probably preferable, but as ever, personal taste is the deciding and most important factor.

Limestone also tends to have a far more interesting surface texture. It can contain swirls and subtle variations in shade in one piece. It can also contain surprising items. Sea shells, imprints of sea creatures, and many other natural things that were resting in the sediment when the limestone began to form, millions of years ago.

Click on here to see a stone fireplace in warm cream limestone.

The beauty of stone is that every piece is totally unique, and thus makes your house unique too.

Every installation of a fireplace presents its own unique challenges. Some are obviously very straightforward, and if its just a stone fireplace from our standard range, put into a pre-prepared site, then half a day can have it fully installed and ready for a fire.

Some though are incredibly complicated. We’ve had examples where we’ve had to fit large fireplaces in Penthouse flats, where the only suitable access is a small lift! We’ve somehow crammed large, and very heavy stone sections into the lift, along with two of our staff to hold it, and then manouvered it into place, many floors above street level.

We’ve had others where we’ve had to go up numerous flights of stairs and/or narrow alleys ways where there is no room  for mechanical assistance. In circumstances like that, we need just plenty of human sweat and muscle… there is no other way…. and in the end, we always get the job done. Many vast old houses, perhaps surprisingly, are sometimes the worst for access problems, or is it that the fireplaces are just chosen for the hard to get to rooms in which no one else has attempted an installation?

If we have the space to use proper lifting gear, then we can  achieve amazing feats. We recently moved and gigantic, and very ornate white limestone gothic fireplace from the 2nd floor of a house in London, down the basement. The owners then decided they didn’t like it down there after all, so we moved it back up again to the first floor.

It was a major operation, and the lifting gear we used looked like a Heath-Robinson drawing!

So, you’ve bought your new house, or are in the process of renovating or face-lifting your current one. You’ve planned the new kitchen, and the bathrooms and the wet rooms, and now you’re looking to make your living space something special.

It’s hard to deny, that as a focal point, a fireplace is hard to beat. In the winter, the warm glow of flames helps to lift the gloom of our long dreary and grey winters. The actual type of fire isn’t really important: You can for gas-fired log or coal effect (more decorative than functional) or you can go for a wood stove, which has the benefit of being a ‘real’ fire, and also of being a very efficient provider of heat. If you can secure a supply of good dry logs, then it can also be very easy on your pocket too. Finally, you can go the whole way, and have a proper, fully open fire, perhaps in a cast iron dog basket, or even in true medieval style, and burning straight on the hearth. There is no doubt that the open fire is the ultimate centre piece to a living room, but it does have the disadvantage of being less efficient than the wood stove, and of course a bit more messy. It’s your choice.

The choice of surrounds for your fireplace is even more complex. You can have a contemporary hole in the wall type, or you could go for an old English style inglenook. A timeless stone fireplace surround does take some beating. It is timeless and ageless; goes well in houses old or new, and never fails to impress, as a focal point in your room

Stone is a beautiful natural material. There are 1000s of different types, and every piece is unique. Stone can be used in almost every aspect of building. Floors; walls; roofs; stairs; windows; door surrounds; fireplaces; the list is endless. It can be used in its natural form, unworked, as in random stone walling, and large block foundations, or it can be used simply split from a larger block as in the case of riven flagstones or riven roof stones. Or of course, it can be used when worked by masons. Simply shaped or smoothed perhaps, or intricately carved and moulded.

Some of the very finest houses in the world are made in stone. Often from a quarry near to where the house is located. The beautiful Bath stone for example, comes from mines deep under the city itself.

Stone also weathers beautifully. Even a new dwelling will soon take on a mellow patina, as the weather and nature leave their mark on the surface of the stone. Sometimes when older stone houses are repaired, various materials are painted on to the surface of the new sections in order to accelerate the aging process, and make the new sections less obvious. Such simple everyday products as yoghurt, are used for this purpose, as they attract  bacteria, and this is what encourages growth of organisms on the stone surface which in turn gives it the aged look.

Aging can also be done to stone fireplaces. Just rubbing a used tea bag into the corners of a new fireplace can help to give it an antique appearance if that is what you are looking for.

Almost any stone can be carved, but obviously some are easier than others. It all depends on what you are making from that stone. If you’re making something that is going to get a lot of wear and tear, then a hard wearing stone is required: Hard limestone; hard sandstone; granite; york stone…. all these can stand many years of hard use and abuse.

If your stone is required for something more decorative and not subject to so much wear, then you can use a softer stone. Stone Fireplaces; architectural carving and detail; window heads and mullions can all be made from softer limestone.

The beauty of a softer limestone, is that it can be worked much easier, and therefore faster. This can obviously offer some savings in labour costs without any compromise in quality.

Our stone fireplaces are made largely from Limestone quarried in Northern France. We use only the most attractive and figured limestones and these are particulary suitable for an imposing stone fireplace that is to go into a traditional or period building. Once carved from solid blocks, the limestone will gradually harden with exposure to air as it dries out. Every piece is different and unique. Some pieces contain sea shells from when the sediment settled and was compressed into stone many millions of years ago.

We never know what a piece of stone contains until we cut it, and that is part of the magic of such a beautiful natural material.

In the current housing market, it can be nearly impossible to sell any home for a good price. Mortgage lending is at an all time low, with the banks and building societies imposing such strict criteria for loans, that only those with a substantial cash deposit are likely to get a mortgage. Add to that all the bad press about falling prices, and uncertainty in the market, and you have a very stagnant housing market overall. There are however, still buyers out there, and the trick is to make your house stand out from the others in the same bracket. You don’t want to give a potential buyer ANY negative thoughts about your particular property. So, if you think that hall wants a lick of fresh paint, or the front garden needs mowing and the edges trimming, then get out and do it. First impressions are everything, and if your house looks good when people pull up outside, then you’re already one step ahead.

It’s well documented of course which things add value and appeal to a property and which don’t. Kitchens and bathrooms are always a  big yes, but of course can be expensive if they need a major re-fit. Swimming pools and other more luxury stuff can actually be more of a put-off than a positive.

Simpler, cheaper things can also be a great help. A downstairs loo, if you can find room, and nicely landscaped garden (rather than a jungle!) and of course a new fireplace. Our range of Stone Fireplaces include designs to suit every type of property, and can be installed very economically. They are suitable for all types of fire: Open; wood stove; gas-log etc. etc.

Give us a call, and we’ll send you a brochure, or just browse our website. A stone fireplace could be just the little addition that gets your house sold!

Thinking of upgrading or renovating your house to make some dosh rather than trying to trade up? Well one of the best features that add value (after of course kitchens and bathrooms) is a good looking stone fireplace in your main reception or living room. Manorhouse Stone make some of the best stone fireplaces available. There all made in England from solid stone, and are very reasonably priced despite being hand-made by highly skilled stone masons