How to Create a Fieldstone Facade With Foundation Slate

Choosing Fieldstone

• Most regions have a unique and distinctive stone, so textures and colors can normally be sourced that blend in with, or artfully contrast, pre-existing features, accents and embellishments. If the facade project is to be carried out on a building where nearby structures, such as barns or walls, are made from local stone, then matching the pre-existing style by using similar material may be the best idea. If the plan is to create accents that reflect and build upon existing features, such as a terra cotta-tiled roof, then ordering from an area where the fieldstone is a dusty red could create an interesting effect.

Slate

• According to the experts at Marble.com, the use of slate lends “The home a more rustic feel.” Slate is expensive as building materials go, but its inherent strength and defiance of weathering and accidental damage has made it a popular material for centuries. Its denseness and resistance to cracking makes it an ideal foundation stone.

Installation

• Decide on a style of installation. Normally large, heavy blocks are used to construct corners, then intermediate areas are filled in with what appears to be a random selection of oddly shaped stones; in fact, careful inspection usually reveals a repeating pattern used by the mason that minimizes gaps and waste. To ensure you get what you expect from your investment, have the mason lay out a “dry run” of slates on the floor, arranged as he envisions them going on the wall.

Finishing Touches

• Do not underestimate the importance of the grout -- the cement-based filler between the slates. Too contrasting a color can make the entire effect seem fake and even ugly; a grout that too closely matches the stone could make the wall appear featureless and prison-like from a distance. The facade project could be set off by using contrasting fieldstone pavers for the drive and walkways, the patio or around the pool deck.