When the owners of this 2,900 sq. ft. lake home near Sturgeon Bay, WI decided to build, they knew it would be the last house they ever owned. Naturally, they wanted it to be the home of their dreams. One of the factors that was most important to them was to have a home with a unique appearance and character, different from everything else on the block. They also were determined to select the lasting beauty and value of a maintenance-free masonry exterior. Working closely with County Materials, the homeowners chose County Stone® Old World Masonry Units, a tumbled concrete masonry veneer that meets their long term objectives.
Liebeck Masonry of New Franken, WI, the mason contractor for the home, built a 4’x4’ mockup wall featuring County Stone in White and Smokey Mountain units. This allowed the owners to see and approve the blending of their chosen colors, and pick the right mortar colors to complement the stone. “We thought it was really special they were able to do this for us,” the owners report.
The project’s budget met their expectations too. County Stone Old World Masonry Units are a concrete masonry veneer product engineered to closely resemble the beauty of natural stone. By going with County Stone they achieved the look of natural stone at a price that allowed them to stay within their budget while still cladding the entire 3,500 sq.ft. exterior of their home in masonry. In addition to the beauty of the material, County Stone’s maintenance-free durability is ideal for the exposed lakefront site, offering the ultimate protection from elemental forces such as wind, driving rain and hail – especially welcomed as the couple heads into retirement.
Liebeck Masonry also took care to set the materials off to their best advantage. Each stone in the corners of the single story ranch home was carefully cut to create organic curves where the contrasting colors meet. The decorative panels below each window also required a lot of cutting, and many of the stones in the walls were pulled out slightly to relieve the flatness of the walls. A slightly curving leads down to the lake and echoes the curves of the home.
The owners were delighted with the end result, as well as with the service they received from County Materials. “I can’t find any flaws at all. To me it’s absolutely perfect.” Apparently the neighbors think so, too, because ever since moving into their home in July 2015, the owners report that the complements have been non-stop.