Decision needed within a day -walkway stone & front steps
We are replacing our front steps and ( very small)walkway with new stone. Thought it would be another week or 2, but nope, our guy called today and he can start tomorrow! Eek!
All material by Unilock.
The 2 steps will be stone slab. (Banas stone... Either Slate Grey, antique black or koto black)
For walkway, he suggested Brussels stone in sandstone. A lot of it in our neighbourhood. I'm not convinced...
Note: The bushes on the side are being removed. Walkway & steps will be @ 6ft wide.
I like the pavers in the 3rd pic below ( Copthorne or Town Hall) in a blend of reds done in a herringbone pattern. We're only talking about 30 sq ft max here...will it be too busy?
Should I stick with red to match the house, or a much lighter colour? Pattern??
As always, thanks for any help!
1st 2 pics- our house
3rd pic- Copthorne paver laid in herringbone pattern and 4th pic, Brussels pavers in a more neutral color.
Comments (30)
Related Discussions
front steps design and material question
Comments (2)Hi Bmh4796, I have no idea if you would be interested in a different option, but solid stone steps can be had from some quarries at a reasonable cost. They are very durable and beautiful. We were going to do the thin stone clad look, and Renovator8 from GW suggested we go for full stone steps. We had to drive 3 hours to an area noted for beautiful stone and made a deal with the quarry to cut down the slab and steps we needed. I have seen places that sell stone steps that are semi-circles too (probably more the landscape yards). Here is one link, but probably not your cheapest option unless you are far from a stone quarry. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: possible granite steps...See MoreNeed help choosing a reliable washer within next couple of days
Comments (24)Thanks. I just checked the hoses and I think they may have actually changed it. My wife may have mistaken a different hose, but I'm not 100% sure. On the hose it has a date of March 2016. If that indicates when the hoses were made then they definitely switched it out. If it indicates a 'use before' date than it's probably the old one. They look in great condition so I'm guessing they are new. Anyway so far did 3 cycles. In terms of potential water hammering issues I'm not sure what I would have to listen for and when, but so far I haven't heard anything suspicious....See MoreList of Home Building Decisions? Next Steps?
Comments (23)All good feedback but if your heart is set on new then focus, learn and be prepared for mistakes. Personally I prefer older homes. I like the charm and character(aka flaws) an older home frequently offers. I am a commercial, high-rise demolition contractor and perform all of my renovations myself, so much as I can. I can't stand the residential contracting business. There's way too many "deadbeats" including an relative of mine. I haven't taken on the challenge your about to but I can offer some advise from a contractor's perspective. Many contractor's take on more than they can handle, It's the nature of the business. They rarely hit deadlines and will drag out your build while focusing on another project that is further behind schedule, or has a higher profit margin. Your best leverage is money. Negotiate into your contract(s) that you will not pay in advance for ANYTHING. If the contractor refuses to fund the purchase of materials then you should get the invoice from the supplier and issue a check to the supplier. You should be provided a Schedule of Values(SOV) upon selection of a contractor. This SOV is how you determine what is completed and how much the contractor is entitled to be paid. Be careful, many contractors will "front-load" the SOV to get most of their profit out in the 1st few tasks. For example, they will over-price the excavation, which is usually the easiest task so if the relationship sours, or you lose your financing, or whatever, he has made his money before anything happens. This is when ALL leverage is lost. It's also wise to negotiate that you will withhold "retainage". This is typically 10% of all progress payments and is intended to be your assurance that the work will get done properly, any damages will be fixed, all vendors will be paid and not lien your home. It will also give you time to see the little details that may be done poorly that need to be re-done. You WILL miss the little details from time to time. Upon 100% completion you will walk the entire home, flip every switch, test every outlet, flush each toilet, open & close each door and decide if you are satisfied. When satisfied and provided proper lien releases you can release the retainage. A "good" contractor will not be afraid to accept those terms. A "less than reliable" contractor likely will not. If you have little or no experience with contracting, building, etc. you would be wise to hire the architect or someone with the experience to manage this stuff for you or at least consult with you periodically to assist. Some contractors have mastered the art of the "change order". Fending this off is where someone with experience will help greatly. Things will come up that will cost the contractor additional money, you need to understand why it should cost YOU extra money before you agree to pay. For example, you choose a stove that requires 220 rather than 110 but the drawings show a 110 service in this location. This you pay for. While excavating they find bedrock that needs to be chopped out. This too you pay for unless the contractor was provided geotechnical reports showing the rock elevations. If the contractor has to reframe a floor to accommodate the toilet flange, this should not be your problem. Contractors will frequently use bully tactics to get their way. They will yell and berate unsuspecting homeowners to get paid when they are not entitled or to get the client to agree to pay for extra work which was really a result of their poor planning. Don't fall victim to these tactics. Your money is your money and not theirs. A friend used to just pay anytime a contractor claimed it was legit. After I yelled at him and explained he was being "taken" he let his wife handle it and they found that pushing back and not being accepting saved them thousands. Also remember, this is YOUR house and YOUR project, not theirs. If you don't like the way something is coming out, tell them to stop. Notify them in writing to stop, take pictures(MANY pictures) and document everything. If you tell them to stop installing the kitchen cabinets but they do so anyway, then when they request a change order for dismantling them and rehanging them you can reject it. It's YOUR house, it should be done to your satisfaction, not theirs. Moral of my long story... YOUR money is your only leverage. The more you hold back the more satisfaction your likely to get. Contractors can't be profitable if they cant get paid. Good luck....See MoreFront step/landing material
Comments (12)Agree with Weil. Think porch not deck. With overhanging roof you could use a tongue and grooved 1x6 ipe ( this project in Burlington, KY is 5/4x4 Ipe but you'll get the idea https://www.houzz.com/projects/2745609/5-4x4-tongue-and-grooved-ipe-burlington-ky ) or just a regular 1x6 deckboard. Tropicals are not as cost prohibitive as some think. 1) given the depth of the porch if you run your joists in the right direction you can use ipe "shorts" pieces shorter than 8' and that will save you a lot of money. 2) using random length boards if using longer lengths will save you a lot of money. 3) look at more inexpensive alternative tropical species like Cumaru and Garapa that similar lifespans (all the various species on our website will weather to the same basic grey color so if you're going to do that then color of wood is irrelevant) 4) ipe left to weather grey is about as maintenance free and long lasting of a product as you will find. Arguably will outlast the pointing in the brick facade and in the long run it will absolutely be a cheaper product not to mention more environmentally friendly....See Morelisa_mocha
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agolisa_mocha
8 years agolisa_mocha
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoThe concrete front stoop will stay as is until next Spring. At that time, color will be changed...
We have to replace the stones now as they are a little wobbly...don't want anyone tripping.
The 2 new Banas stone steps replace the stones you see in this pic.
The Banas slate grey is very neutral vs the koto black and antique black which are actually more of a gray/ charcoal grey color)
The other stone for the walkway will be straight from the sidewalk to the steps. (6ft wide & @4-5ft to the step...small space!)
He said he'll pull the bushes....but yes, I'm concerned about the roofs.
He won't like me too much with changes and questions, lol
theclose
8 years agoI think with the Banas stone steps, there will be a division from your house to the brick walkway, so I think doing brick will be fine. For me, I only wanted brick or bluestone/flagstone. Obviously that is all subjective, and as viola pointed out, do what makes you happy. We didn't go with bluestone because it was cost prohibitive, so we did the brick. I think that a brick walkway would look great with your house! It is classic/timeless and goes well with the Banas stone.
Did you go to a stoneyard and look at the different options? We did and wow, best thing. We saw the bluestone look alikes in Unilock and Cambridge and even though we liked it online and thought we would go with it, we didn't like it in person at all. Hence we went with the variegated red brick pavers. I really am pleased with it - we used bluestone for the steps and around the window wells. Works great with the brick.
lisa_mocha thanked theclosepatty_cakes42
8 years agoI think I would do the edging of the stairs w/brick, placed vertically, but the step itself in cement. The biggest thing I would change is the shape of the step, rounded rather than squared off. It's just something a little different.
lisa_mocha thanked patty_cakes42lisa_mocha
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
rebeccamomof123
8 years agoI'm sorry, did you say something about steps? I'm way too districted by those gorgeous peonies, planters, window box, dentil molding, etc. Your entrance is so lovely I don't think you could go wrong no matter what you choose.
I am partial to granite steps and grey tumbled pavers similar to those in your third pic. FWIW we just did ours and went with a natural field stone to match a retaining wall we have across the front of the house. Unfortunately, we have a 40 foot red brick walkway that we'll now have to match up at some point, but that will be a phase 2 project in the spring.
lisa_mocha thanked rebeccamomof123lisa_mocha
8 years agolisa_mocha
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoSo...the new steps & small walkway are done( kind of....phase 2 next Spring)
The bushes were removed and wider steps were put in which does open up the entrance to the door. The stone is not quite the color we thought it would be, but it's fine... Such a small space. ( as much as I would've loved herringbone had we more space...)
Anyhow...Issue now is the actual front porch. With the bushes removed, you can see where the front surface of the porch is a little grotty looking/crumbling.
Next Spring, we'll do something, not sure what, to cover/ blend the porch with the steps and plant boxwood (or something ) on each side of steps....just not so large/ overgrown as before.
Question...does anyone know of an 'easy' fix to conceal the actual porch front to make it not look so 'rough'/ crumbly in the absence of landscaping till Spring? Regardless, we need to fix the porch and landscaping will add back that greenery I'm missing now....
Thank you for any suggestions!
BEFORE:( older pic- last year)
NOW:
lisa_mocha
8 years agolisa_mocha
8 years agolisa_mocha
8 years ago
OutsidePlaying