Engineered stone is a very popular option for people looking for a low-maintenance and natural look for their homes. Stone Veneer is a beautiful alternative to natural stone siding and is manufactured in a way that is easy to install with minimal maintenance. As we discuss engineered stone veneer with our customers we get a lot of questions about the manufacturing process and how it handles the elements.
We choose to use Provia Engineered Stone Veneer which has a tremendous reputation in the industry for durable and beautiful stone veneer. Let’s take a look at how they rigorously design and craft their engineered stone veneer.
The first step in Provia’s manufacturing process is finding stones in nature. All of Provia’s engineered stones are based on the real thing, and their team is constantly searching for new stones to bring back to their manufacturing facility.
The second step in the process is making casts of natural stones, which Provia uses to make molds for all of their engineered stone. Using natural stones to mold their engineered stone gives Provia’s products shadow and detail that isn’t possible with typical stone veneer manufacturing.
Provia molds are also different because each engineered stone is molded and crafted by a stone mason to create a realistic, handcrafted master mold.
To finish their stones, Provia uses high-quality aggregates, Portland cement, and oxides to create the most realistic character and feel of natural stone. Most stone manufacturers use cheap fillers like sand to emulate the feel of stone but Provia goes above and beyond, using only the best quality aggregates and oxides.
Another huge benefit of Provia’s manufacturing process is that the back of each stone is perfectly flat, allowing for quick and easy installation. This cuts down on cost and allows for a nice, even finish.
The color of the engineered stone plays an important role in the authenticity of the veneer and the appearance of your home. Provia’s stone veneer colors come in two options that are all inspired by natural stones, including shale, glacier, timber, copper, and more. Their Enhanced Colors include multiple stages of layering on their handcrafted veneers, ensuring that each stone perfectly resembles stones found in nature. Their Premium Enhanced Colors take this process a step further for even deeper colors in each stone, offering unparalleled vibrance and style.
Once you have chosen your stone color and style, it’s time to choose your grout color. Your grout color heavily influences the look of your home; complementary grout colors will soften the contrast of your home while contrasting grout colors will give the stone more pop and create a more dramatic siding.
Are you ready to talk about adding engineered stone to your home? Contact us today for a complimentary estimate, our experienced team would love to speak with you.
As siding technology continues to evolve the options may seem endless to homeowners looking for an upgrade. As dozens of materials and styles have become available in the last few decades, how can you decide which is right for your home? At E&E Contracting we have been installing siding for almost 30 years, and use dozens of different siding materials to meet our customers’ needs. In recent years we have found Diamond Kote Siding to be one of the most durable and attractive options on the market, and have used it to help numerous homeowners in the Lancaster County area.
Diamond Kote Siding is a siding finish that is built on LP SmartSide, a trusted name in the vinyl siding industry. It is a specially formulated finish that consists of pure metal oxide coolants that have been extracted from rocks. The result is a finish that is less porous than other paints and stains, allowing it to better repel dirt, moisture, and grime.
Diamond Kote is producing this finish and applying it to LP boards in-house using a process that ensures the finish sticks to the board. Each board is deep cleaned before Diamond Kote is sprayed on, providing a perfectly even finish across the board.
Diamond Kote Siding has gained popularity so quickly because their process has made the already durable LP SmartSide even more weather resistant. Other prefinishers apply standard exterior house paints or stains to the boards, which will require regular maintenance and recoating to maintain its look. Diamond Kote finishes come with a 30-year no fade warranty that covers peeling, chalking, and fading. This warranty is unprecedented, and means that your home’s exterior will be essentially maintenance-free for 30 years.
Diamond Kote also manufactures a protective trim system that is designed to conceal nail heads and reduce visible seams. This trim system uses the same technology used on the siding, and is also backed by the same 30-year no fade warranty. They manufacture nail fins and trims in-house to provide your home with a flawless finish.
Diamond Kote color matches all of these products to the siding, and even color matches caulk to provide your home with a seamless finish.
Diamond Kote’s team of color experts are continuously developing color options to keep up with trends. Their color collections pull inspiration from landscapes and moods, and offer unique and traditional vinyl siding color options to fit any homeowner’s preferences.
Want to think outside of the box with a custom color? No problem! They also offer custom color matching services to get the perfect color for a customer’s home.
Diamond Kote’s Weatherproofing Package takes the durable siding technology to the next level. Drip caps, flashing, h-molding, and more prevent moisture from the ground up, ensuring your home stays dry even in the most vulnerable areas. All pieces of the weatherproofing package are color-matched, and covered by the 30 year no fade guarantee.
As siding contractors we love working with Diamond Kote. They manufacture their products with contractors in mind, and we have found that we can install Diamond Kote 33% faster than other siding options. Also, because it is built on LP SmartSide we are able to use 16 foot boards which means less seams and cutting, and shorter installation times.
Diamond Kote Vinyl Siding is the perfect option for homeowners looking for a weather resistant, maintenance-free, and beautiful option for their new home or remodel. If you have any questions or would like a complimentary quote contact E&E today, our team of experts would love to speak with you.
With the evolution of engineered and synthetic siding materials, homeowners are presented with more durable alternatives to traditional wood siding. If you’re considering replacing your siding, you should know all your options. In this blog post we will cover two of our favorite wood siding alternatives, fiber cement siding and engineered wood siding.
Before we get into the comparison, let’s take a look at what makes up these two materials.
Fiber Cement Siding is a unique blend of water, wood pulp, fly ash, and cement. The wood pulp improves the flexibility and resilience of the siding, the fly ash acts as a filler, and the cement binds all of the ingredients. The water dissolves the wood pulp, and activates and hardens the cement for the final product.
Fiber Cement Siding is built to withstand extreme weather conditions, and maintains its color and structure better than almost any other material. It is also resistant to insects like termites that can be destructive to traditional siding materials. Most fiber cement sidings come with a long-term warranty, which can help offset the initial investment.
Unlike most siding options, fiber cement siding offers you lots of installation options to bring different looks to your home. Lap siding, shingles, and panels that can be installed for a board and batten look are just a few of the unique ways your home can be customized with fiber cement siding. There are also different textures to choose from, from stucco to realistic wood grain patterns.
Engineered wood is typically made of treated wood strands or fibers that are combined with adhesive resins to create a composite material. Special water-resistant waxes and zinc borate are also added to resist decay even in the harshest conditions. We use LP Smartside engineered wood siding and they have a great guide on their site that outlines the intricacies of engineered wood siding.
Engineered wood is installed in the same way as traditional wood siding. Unlike fiber cement siding, it does not require special tools to install. LP Smartside comes in longer boards so there are less seams which can speed up the installation process. It also contains little to no silica dust, making installation not only easier but safer.
Engineered wood is often tested in extreme hot and cold scenarios, and the process in which it is built protects it from insect and fungal decay. The resins and waxes used to bind the fibers together also give it a protective layer that prevents damage from hail, wayward baseballs, and other impact based damage. Engineered wood siding also requires little maintenance and comes with long-term warranty making it a smart choice for homeowners.
Fiber cement and engineered wood siding are both durable and attractive options, so how do you choose the right material for your home? When we are working with our clients we like to ask a few questions to decide which siding material would best fit their home.
The weather conditions of your hometown should play a huge role in your decision. If you live in an area with salt in the air or heavy storms, fiber cement siding may be your best bet. It was developed to withstand extreme weather conditions, and resists warping from moisture and salt exposure.
Engineered wood siding also holds up very well in a variety of climates. It is equipped to withstand all types of weather, including wind, hail, and moisture which suits most homeowners, especially with its warranty.
Another important factor to consider when comparing fiber cement and engineered wood siding is your budget. While both options are more affordable than traditional wood siding, concrete fiber will cost you a little more per square foot than engineered wood. The cost of concrete fiber siding ranges from $5-$13.50 per square foot, while engineered wood siding comes in at $3.50-$8 per square foot.
Both fiber cement and engineered wood siding are beautiful options that provide the look of traditional wood with added durability. At E&E, we work closely with our clients to ensure that their home renovation needs are met and exceeded. Take a look at some of our previous siding projects to learn more about our process, and contact us for a complimentary quote!
If there are two agenda items that seem to be on everyone’s to-do-list this summer, they are home improvement and beautification! As we spend more time outdoors to enjoy the warmer weather and get away from the television between now and October, many of us are beginning to notice outdated housing exteriors, particularly masonry.
If you’ve been considering investing in either natural stone panels or stone veneer siding, read on to learn the ins and outs of each prior to making a final investment.
Although our staff at E&E Contracting is proud to specialize in natural stone for housing exteriors, we still believe in understanding how this is different from what you might expect from manufactured selections. Each material requires different care and planning throughout each stage of the buying, installation, and maintenance processes.
Here are some strategies you and your family can use to ensure that your natural or engineered stone exteriors stay clean and safe over time.
First, you should select a process based on whether you are working with natural stone or synthetics materials. If the former, soap and water are among the best ingredients you can use to sanitize surface areas. Although it may be tempting, steer clear of everyday household cleaners such as vinegar, which can ultimately decrease finish and shine. We recommend this for our own natural stone exterior options, which come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
If you have chosen to go with manufactured stone veneers, you should plan to use a similar process as the one outlined above, but minus the soap! Using a soft, bristle-based brush, you can simply dip the tool in water and work through with a gentle scrubbing motion to rid the surface of any unsightly stains. In this case, ammonia, vinegar or any non-abrasive solution will do the trick without causing damage to your exterior.
With respect to installation and maintenance, expenses come to mind. Let’s take a look at whether engineered options require more effort, and cost, to add to your home as compared to natural stone options.
One rule of thumb to consider when it comes to cost: if you are planning on a low-end natural stone selection, you may well consider a high-end manufactured stone by comparison. While natural stone is in the higher price range upfront on average, the durability is well worth the cost.
When it comes to installation, a few of the options you can look into typically include:
Regardless of what you select, remember that E&E Contracting offers financing options through Synchrony Bank to make it simple. Our easy application process and fast credit decisions can have you matched with your perfect housing exterior in no time! Our professional staff can help you decide which offerings make sense for your plans, vision and budget.
Why wait? Weigh your options while discovering what our clients have to say about their quality engineered and natural stone veneers. Check out our featured testimonials at the bottom of our gallery page, where you can also view our range of natural stone selections.
Contact us today to learn more about our stone veneer services.
From start to finish, stucco remediation is an extensive process. As a homeowner whose house is built with stucco, it is important to understand when and why it is necessary for your stucco to be remediated so that lasting damage to your home doesn’t occur.
If you begin to notice any leaks, mold, or moisture in your home’s interior walls and ceilings as well as cracks in the stucco itself, it might be time to contact a stucco remediation specialist in order to determine what the best course of action is.
When you start looking into getting work done on your stucco, you’ll typically see two types of services being offered: repair and remediation. The difference between the two is important when considering what is needed in your case.
When it comes to stucco repair, the process involves targeting specific areas of concern, replacing damaged spots with fresh stucco, and conducting simple repairs including resealing cracks and tears.
While stucco repair doesn’t always get to the root of the issue, it is good practice to do so as part of regular home maintenance. The upfront cost of simple stucco repairs is typically much lower than remediation because it only involves treating specific areas and less labor.
Remediation, on the other hand, is an incredibly thorough and extensive process that aims to completely repair and replace your stucco so that all underlying issues that wouldn’t be visible from the exterior are fixed.
This type of work requires highly skilled workers to ensure the job is completed correctly.
Stucco remediation does cost more money due to increased time and labor. but in some cases, it is worth paying more to have the stucco replaced so you don’t have to continuously pay for small repairs that don’t entirely fix the core problems with your stucco.
If you are looking for a long-term solution to stucco damage, remediation is the best option. If the damage to your stucco is widespread and unable to be patched up with a quick repair, then remediation is the only solution that will provide you with a long-term solution.
With remediation, you can have peace of mind knowing people with extensive knowledge of stucco are taking all of the proper steps to restore and replace your stucco in a way that provides renewed structural integrity to your home.
By choosing remediation when appropriate, you are prioritizing the safety of your home and protecting those that live in it.
Before making any big decisions, it’s good to understand the process of stucco remediation so that you know what to expect.
The first step in the stucco remediation process is having an expert assess your home by doing a complete inspection and then run moisture tests on the exterior of your home. In this assessment, several areas will be inspected, including the roof and gutters, vents, exhaust pipes, windows, and doors. This will allow them to evaluate the extent of the damage and which areas of the house are being affected.
If remediation is deemed as the best course of action for your stucco, then the next step is to remove the damaged sheathing, framing, and insulation that is water-damaged and moldy. This will all be replaced and reinstalled.
Essentially, you are stripping your walls down to its innermost layer and rebuilding it with new materials. It is a lengthy process that, when done correctly by skilled specialists, is guaranteed to fix all underlying problems with your stucco, no matter how big.
In some cases, if it is determined that remediation is necessary, the entire stucco system needs to be replaced and not just large portions throughout your home’s exterior.
If it has been determined by an expert that remediation is necessary to maintain the integrity of your home, it is highly recommended that you heed their advice. While it may be hard to justify the cost of remediation for budgetary or financial reasons, in many cases it is your only option to ensure that your home does not suffer from lasting damage.
Time can also be a factor that impacts your stucco. Stucco doesn’t last forever and as time goes on, the higher the risk of your stucco being damaged. If your home is older and you haven’t had your stucco inspected, it would be a smart idea to have annual evaluations in order to determine if and when remediation is necessary.
It is unfortunate when costly damage occurs in your home, especially when it was not your fault, but sometimes the best option can cost more. If your home needs remediation and you settle for several smaller repairs to patch up surface-level problems, you might save money short-term, but down the line, it could end up costing you more in extra repairs and untreated damage.
Just because the damage to your stucco appears minor, does not mean that it can be ignored or mitigated with small repair jobs. Treat stucco repair as regular maintenance and stucco remediation as a way to effectively deal with extensive damage that has been determined by an expert.
For all of your stucco needs, whether it be patching up a small crack or replacing an entire section of your stucco, E&E Contracting has the experience and know-how to tackle any project. Contact us today to request an estimate or get more information about our services.
