Monthly Archives: March 2018

by

2 Advantages of Using Natural Stone Moldings

There are many ways to enhance the beauty and value of a home with architectural elements.  Architectural design elements add visual interest and draw attention to architectural features that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.  Regardless of your home’s architectural style, molding and trim make a great addition to any home.  While there are many different materials used for molding, we would argue that natural stone molding is the best option.  Types of molding include chair rails, crown molding, baseboards, wainscoting, picture rail, and casing so there are many ways in which to incorporate natural stone molding in your home. Below are 2 advantages of using natural stone molding’s in your home.

2 Advantages of Using Natural Stone Moldings

  • Stone Moldings Add Beauty
    • Stone moldings are one of the most beautiful additions you can make to your home. They help smooth transitions from wall to floor or ceiling, accentuate features of your home, add elegance, and so much more! Additionally, if you have incorporated other natural stone elements into your home’s architectural design it can help smooth the transitions with other natural stone elements as well.  When you opt to use natural stone rather than manufactured stone you get to enjoy all of the unique beauty that natural stone has.  No two pieces of natural stone are identical, they vary in color, texture, pattern and more.  Natural stone adds unique, one-of-a-kind beauty to a home that no other type of molding can achieve.
  • Stone Moldings Add Value
    • Not only do natural stone moldings add beauty to your home but they add value as well. Natural stone molding’s can be hand carved from materials including limestone, marble, travertine, granite, and slate and all of these beautiful stones are also quite valuable so when you install them into your home you instantly enhance it’s value. Use Natural Stone elaborates on the value natural stone adds to your home in whatever application in which it is used (including moldings!), “While limestone may be more expensive than brick or other common materials, it will always add more value and more than pay for itself, according to Derek DiSera, a real estate broker with @Properties in Chicago. He recommends using limestone pavers to create walkways and steps, or adding limestone to windowsills, crown moldings, or front stairs. “All of these have a timeless appeal and a much wider appeal to most buyers,” he says.”

 

by

Introduction to Stone Columns and Pilasters

When it comes to architectural stone elements, you are probably familiar with columns but you may not be quite as familiar with pilasters.  Or, at least, you do not know that you are.  Both columns and pilasters have been around for centuries.  Columns and pilasters have a relatively similar appearance but there are some unique features that set them apart.

One of the primary differences between a column and a pilaster is that a column is generally rounded while a pilaster are generally flat and rectangular in nature.  Columns are round supports that provide a structural element that supports the weight of architecture such as beams or arches in residential or commercial settings.

Unlike a pillar which is a rectangular, non-curved structural element, a pilaster is a rectangular, non-curved architectural stone element that is most often installed into or against the surface of a wall.  Pilasters can serve the purpose of being either an ornamental or structural column.  Architectural stone pilasters can be carved and custom crafted to provide any style or aesthetic appearance that you want so that it seamlessly integrates into the style of your home.

In addition to a freestanding, curved column, and a rectangular pilaster installed against the wall, there are engaged columns as well.  Study.com elaborates on the difference between engaged columns and pilasters for further clarification, “An engaged column is a curved shaft that is built directly into a wall. It’s just like any other column but is physically connected to and part of the wall itself. This is an aesthetic way to break up the monotony of the flat surface, but also an important structural element. Engaged columns are load bearing, holding weight from the ceiling as well as acting as buttresses that reinforce and support the actual wall.

Now let’s look at pilasters, which are also features that are built into or attached to a wall. Pilasters have bases and capitals just like columns, but they’re rectilinear, shaped like elongated rectangles, and not shafts. That’s difference number one. The most important difference, however, is that modern pilasters are almost completely ornamental. Some may add some structural support to the ceiling, but they do not reinforce the wall at all. Their attachment to the wall is decorative, imitating the engaged column and breaking up the monotony of the flat surface but not filling the same structural role. So, it’s a very different kind of architectural feature.”  Whether you want to install a stone engaged column, traditional column, or pilaster, Architectural Stone Elements can custom carve any stone element to your unique specifications and needs.