Stone should always look like part of the foundation. Stone will look awful where you want to put it because it will look stuck on and fake.

See the discussion on honest use of materials.

Stone doesn't float in the air on the second level, supported by vinyl siding below on the first level.

Thanks cpartist for comment. Any advice what else can be used there?

Virgil: the question wasn't about structure; how is supported, so leave that with us. Thanks anyhow for the concern.

I believe Virgil was talking about the stone visually being supported by vinyl.

Make everything under the line stone and everything above the line vinyl.

Ion, what Virgil was saying was basically what I was saying. Putting a heavier material on the top without something below that looks like it's holding up the stone will never look right. It's too heavy to be on top.

Thanks cpartist for comment. Any advice what else can be used there?

I don't think you need anything else there except what is already there. Meaning finish it with the vinyl siding. The porch itself is the star. Don't diminish it with trying to tart it up.

Remember less is more.

The kind of treatment you are considering is what we call "lick-and-stick" stone. It would look positively silly with vinyl siding on the exterior of the foundation below it. If you wanted stone, it should have been installed as per Mark Bischak's visual aid above.

Just to clarify as seems we are diverting from the original question. Our intention is to cover the ICF wall just above the deck as can be seen in below picture. From our vision, having something different then vinyl siding in that area will give a little bit of "flavour" to overall aspect of the house. So we are looking for that something different texture. One of the idea is stone veneer, stucco also crossed my mind.

Vinyl side everything, it will look better than changing the material in that isolated area. The best way to accentuate that area is with lighting.

Ask yourself, does it seem or look logical that vinyl siding could support stone? No!

To have stone in the deck area means that unless you rip off the siding UNDER the deck and stone all the way to the ground, it WILL look silly as it creates cognitive dissonance. It’s referred to as “flying stone.”

Personally, I would spend the money on nice railing and a nice wood ceiling for the porch. Let that be your wow factor.

No one was diverting from the original question. We all understood and what we are telling you that adding a different material there is going to look out of place. Why are you wanting to ruin what is there?

If you really want to do something, do as shead suggested along with beefing up the posts. They are too skinny.

Shead: "Ask yourself, does it seem or look logical that vinyl siding could support stone? No!"

So shead, where you see in this post that I'm planning to support the stone or whatever I'll decide to use, on the vinyl? How do you know the structural design of this house based on a picture?

Cpartist: "No one was diverting from the original question."

See all the comments in the post about stone beeing supported by the vinyl.

Thanks for all the good comments but with all my regrets let's close this discussion as I can see any value in it.

lon lon, sure go ahead. Put the stone there. It's what you want. Let's totally ignore the laws of physics that say that something heavy/dense (like stone) should not be supported by something light/less dense (like wood and plastic).

What ALL of us are trying to explain to you is that although you aren't planning to use a particularly heavy product since you're using FAKE stone (intended to imitate REAL stone), it is going to LOOK stupid. Everyone in their right mind knows that. The use of materials, even fake ones, should be done in an honest way, meaning that they should be used the same way the REAL ones would be. The REAL material (in your case that is stone) would necessitate being supporting underneath it by a material as dense as.......stone. Because you already have vinyl in place under the deck that goes down to the foundation, it would NOT be appropriate to now install "fake" stone above the deck area. It visually has no support.

I probably just wasted 10 minutes of my life trying to type all that out for explanation.

Mark's idea about snazzy lighting is the right answer.

Do the siding all the same.

Hang a really cool ceiling fan. Add a piece of 3D art in the eave at the house. Provide lighting to accentuate the porch structure.

Trust us - that will look WAY better and more professional / expensive / high end than "flying stone". And have a much higher likelihood of success in execution.

Hey shead. Did the OP asked you about how the stone will be supported? No. So why care? Come on..stay in topic. Also, he didn't reject any idea so what's the issue here.

This is on topic. He asked for options and mentioned wanting to use a stone veneer. My answer was explaining why a stone veneer would not be appropriate if only used in that one section.

Further, the issue is that although he’s not going to actually support the stone on the vinyl, it’s going to look that way visually when viewed from the angle he took the pic, which creates cognitive dissonance (hence, the term “flying stone“). If he wants to use stone in that area, he needs to take the stone all the way down under the deck to the foundation. If he doesn’t do that, he needs to just use vinyl in that area to keep it cohesive and change other elements of the deck for his “wow”.

OMG. You really take this in the hard way. Let him/she figure out how to support the stone or whatever. Is his/her responsability not ours.

So shead, where you see in this post that I'm planning to support the stone or whatever I'll decide to use, on the vinyl? How do you know the structural design of this house based on a picture?

We know you're not going to support the stone. However the fact that you're going to glue stone to the second floor will make the house look top heavy in that area because stone (real or fake) looks heavier than vinyl siding.

This has nothing to do with the structural design and everything to do with what works visually and how we as humans perceive what we see. Putting stone on the second floor will "feel" like it's going to crush the first floor siding.

Thanks for all the good comments but with all my regrets let's close this discussion as I can see any value in it.

So what you're saying is you only wanted all of us to agree with you that stone on the second floor would be a wonderful idea. Sorry but it won't be. It will look stuck on and fake.

Cpartist's is correct. Structurally supporting stone and visually supporting it are two entirely different things. We're talking about the latter. The "lick and stick" stone used nowadays needs no other structural support other than the wall it's glued to.

OMG. You really take this in the hard way. Let him/she figure out how to support the stone or whatever. Is his/her responsability not ours.

You must be misinterpreting what we are all saying. No one is talking about how he's ACTUALLY going to support the stone. That's not the point. CP's explanation above is as good as it gets.

I think the image below is a good example of stone being physically supported by something other than what is visually seen.

@Mark, is this to suggest there is no room for faith?

Always room for faith, less of a chance for miracles.

Just a piece of mind for the pros here which are concerning about how the stone is holded in place if I have to. As I mentioned, this is an ICF construction and has a 2" step poured behinde the deck ledger as shown in below sketch. Based on this, the wall structure is taking the load of the stone and the deck if required. I'm so fustrated that I tought my question was very clear in a simple recomendation of a brand for stone veneer or any other recomendation for a finish wall above the deck and nothing related how this will be installed or supported.

If you really want to add something there for a change of materials and texture, what about wood shingle look panels? It wouldn't be as unreasonable as hanging stone-look panels on a second floor and might give you the accent you desire? Having something different there as an accent isn't something most of us would do, but maybe, since you're convinced you do want something, perhaps shingle panels would work for you?

It's clear you are misunderstanding what folks are trying to tell you. The stone could be secure where you want to put it, but no one ever puts stone just on the second floor because it looks like it shouldn't be there. It should at least start at ground level and be continued up to the 2nd floor, but that would also look bad on your home because of the porch.

Once again. It is not how the stone is applied. It can definitely be applied on the second floor where you think you want to put it. It will look awful though.

"I'm so fustrated that I tought my question was very clear in a simple recomendation of a brand for stone veneer or any other recomendation for a finish wall above the deck and nothing related how this will be installed or supported."

In that case, any brand of brick, real or fake, no matter how it is supported, will look like crap.

Omg reading this thread was painful.

Ion Ion,

As others have tried to communicate, the objection to installing stone veneer is an aesthetic one. While it would meet your intent to introduce a different material and texture, it will call attention to itself, and, owing to the fact that vinyl siding is installed on the foundation below, it will scream "fake."

Your attempt to provide some "piece of mind" for the pros regarding the support for a stone veneer provides no peace of mind for this one. A stone veneer--either natural or manufactured--would not be supported on a ledge of the type you showed in the wall section view. Stone veneers are adhered to the wall-- typically over metal lathe fastened through the foam to the concrete. If you are planning to install 4" thick full building stone, it would be supported on a stone ledge, but that would requires a 5" or 6" ledge not the 2" you described. Proceed with caution.