Stone Fireplace, Stone Staircase, Limestone Fireplaces

What can be more impressive than a set of stone stairs? Whether they’re sweeping up from your hall, (admittedly you need a BIG hall!) or rising from the gravel drive to your front door: Stone stairs always look impressive. They look like they will be there for ever, and have an unrivalled air of solidity and longevity. Although expensive, you don’t actually need a country mansion to be able to have a stone staircase. We can make a beautiful stone staircase to fit into almost any dwelling, although, it’s always better if your property is substantially of brick stone or concrete in the walls, as the stone stairs are very heavy and have to be built into masonry of some sort.

One thing is for sure, you’ll never regret choosing stone for your staircase, and they are sure to add value to your property should you ever want to sell.

There is no limit to the design options, anything from a simple straight flight, to a sweeping and tapering flight. There are equally as many options for banister and hand rails. Wrought iron; contemporary stainless steel perhaps, or if outside, the traditional stone balusters always look good.

So, when you’re sitting there wondering what unique touches you can give to your building project, then consider a stone staircase, and it may just be the best decision you ever make!

The best looking fireplace is one with an open fire in it. After all that is the most traditional sort or fireplace. We would also argue that the best looking fireplace is a stone fireplace, as this is also one of the oldest and most traditional types of fireplace. (Not including your caveman’s fire of course)

If you are going to have an open fire, then you ideally need a fire basket or some firedogs of some sort. For burning just wood, a couple of simple fire dogs will do, as wood needs to lie in its smouldering ash in order to burn efficiently. This is why you’ll often see stone fireplaces in old country houses, with veritable mountains of ash on the hearth: This isn’t because they’re too lazy to clean it out, but because when they place the big logs on the fire that evening, the accumulated ash will ensure that the logs burn well.

If you intend to burn coal, then things are slightly different. Coal ideally needs a draught from under the fire, and thus is more often burned in a basket or a swans’ nest. This means the ash can fall through the grate and the draught can still reach the underside of the fire.

either arrangement is fine for a stone fireplace. We can supply a grate that will not only look in keeping with your stone fireplaces, but will also function well with your chosen fuel

It all depends on your style of house really, but there are few places where a stone fireplace won’t look good. Partly  because natural materials tend to look good where ever they are put, and partly because a stone fireplace is one of the most traditional fixtures a home can have. The stone we use most regularly is a lovely light French limestone. It has a l beautiful, slightly open texture, and is fairly neutral in tone, and so therefore doesn’t ‘clash’ with anything.

You can’t beat stone as a building material. It is strong and can support a lot of weight and can stand the knocks of life. You can see many stone fireplaces in historic houses in England that are hundreds of years old. They will certainly carry the scars of time, but that will only serve to make them even more attractive and functional.

If you have a stone fireplace in your home, then it will still be there in hundreds of years from now, providing some future moderniser doesn’t tear it out! Who knows, open fires may be banned in years to come because of pollution or some other fad of the moment.

For now though, you can have one, and if you send us your design, then we’ll be happy to make it for you.

At last! The sun is out and there isn’t any snow!

The stone blocks are thawing out, and we’re making stone fireplaces today with the workshop doors open and sun streaming in, which is a real pleasant change from the last few months. We’re working on a very large stone fireplace here at the moment. It is a variation on the one shown in our ’special commissions’ page. It is over eight feet wide and will house a massive old fire basket. It really will be the traditional big roaring fire. We’ve had to wait quite a while to do this job as the customer’s restoration of his house has been greatly delayed by all these weeks of freezing weather. He’s as relieved as we are that there are signs that things are going to improve.

He’s also got a large barn at his property, and subject to planning permission, he would like o turn that into a swimming pool and fitness area. If acceptable to the planners, he would like us to build him a stone staircase up to a second level, from which it will be possible to dive into the swimming pool.. if you’re brave enough!

The project is very impressive, and all the work being done there is in complete sympathy with the style and era of the original buildings. It is a big job though, as the buildings have been neglected for many years. Much of the stone detail has been either vandalised or stolen, and it has taken a great deal of research by the current owner to establish the original look.