If Stones Could Talk

Here is a picture we just received of our Big Dig cobblestones being installed for a cobblestone driveway in Rowayton, CT.  We will be back within the next few weeks on this topic with some great photos of the finished project and tips from the installer on the process of installing reclaimed cobbles.

Stone Farm is happy to assist with everything you need to know regarding the planning process of a cobblestone driveway install.

The Most Famous Indoor Fireplace gets back to Nature….

With warmer weather finally here, we are starting to think about what the outdoor patio may be lacking. If its the charm and character of an outdoor fireplace,  we can indulge you a little bit on the traditional charm and character of the famed Rumford Outdoor Fireplace.

A little about Rumford:

The Rumford fireplace is a tall, shallow fireplace designed by Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford, an Anglo-American physicist who was known for his investigations of heat.

Rumford applied his knowledge of heat to the improvement of fireplaces. He made them smaller and shallower with widely angled covings so they would radiate better. By streamlining the throat, or in his words “rounding off the breast” so as to “remove those local hindrances which forcibly prevent the smoke from following its natural tendency to go up the chimney…” a true clean-burning stove was created.

As a result, the Rumford fireplace became famed almost immediately during the 1790′s, eventually becoming state of the art worldwide. With the resurgence of historic home renovations, Rumford fireplaces are truly enjoying a comeback.

Rumford  Moves Outside:

A Rumford outdoor fireplace is built just like an indoor fireplace except you don’t need a damper, you do however, need to use a hydraulic-setting, and a non water soluble refractory mortar. The clearance-to-combustibles and other code issues are then much easier to follow.

Any outdoor fireplace may smoke a bit in a breeze. The fireplace should be sheltered from the wind with the chimney built as tall as possible and the opening positioned a little lower to improve the draft. Additionally, a chimney pot can be added to increase the effective height of the chimney itself.

Rumford Fireplace–Internal View

Completed Rumford Outdoor Fireplace

General Recommendations:

Here are some important points to remember when considering a Rumford Outdoor Fireplace:

• Shelter the fireplace from the wind
• Build the chimney as tall as you can
• Build the fireplace opening a little lower
• Don’t build it too near the house or other tall obstructions–or build the chimney taller than these obstructions
• Add a screen in front of the fireplace when its breezy or even glass doors when its really windy
• If you build the surround out more than 4″ to make the fireplace deeper, don’t come straight out as it seems to direct any breeze into the fireplace. Rather, build the surround out in two or three steps to discourage the breeze.
• If the fireplace is built within an enclosure or porch, make sure there is a way for any smoke that does escape to get out of the enclosure through a skylight or leeward window.
• Of course seasoned wood, and the realization that it is an outdoor fireplace after all and will probably smoke occasionally, all help too!

It’s time to move the party outside!

Having trouble heading back inside as sunny spring days turn cold at sunset? An outdoor fireplace is a great way to extend the livability of your outdoor space into the evening. While fire pits and fire as art are all the rage, the traditional fireplace offers so much more than physical warmth. One product to consider is our fireplace kit as part of your backyard setting. It will add an instant element of light, warmth and character.

Building with our outdoor fireplace kits:

With old fashioned masonry fireplaces becoming a lost art, and the industry sacrificing quality and longevity, Stone Age has developed a product that offers a customizable  natural stone fireplace product! By using masonry construction, these fireplace kits offer both easy assembly and affordable pricing, while at the same time standing up to the harsh elements of any outdoor climate. Once the kit is assembled and in place you simply need to add your natural stone veneer of choice and you have a beautiful look customized to your own style and surrounding elements.

Stone Age fireplaces are composed of specially engineered materials that will give owners many years of low-maintenance, worry-free use. These fireplaces are UL-127 tested and approved to provide homeowners with the satisfaction that they have a durable product that will last, add value to their home, and instantly create that missing element in an outdoor living space–the ambience of FIRE.

Our fireplace kits come packaged in three different sizes: 24, 36, and 48 inch designations in the following styles:

Standard Series: 

Standard Series Outdoor Fireplace kit comes complete with everything needed to construct the fireplace unit, except mortar and finishing materials. Chimney sections, firebrick, hearth and support legs are all part of the package, simplifying your preparation and installation. Arched lintels are also standard items.

Contractor Series:

The Contractor Series Fireplace Kit is distilled down to its essential components of fireplace and chimney leaving for a custom base and hearth to be built.

Fireplace Kit Talking Points:

• Use of temperature resistant, refractory concrete with solid wall construction and reinforcements.
• Well designed draft, allowing for minimal smoke spillage
• Easy assembly in 3 to 4 hours (not including adhering of veneer)
• Usage –  as an outdoor fireplace does not radiate a ton of heat, it is usually a ‘show-piece’ or focal point of a landscape.
• All units are tested to meet UL-127 & UL-103.

See Photo examples below:                               

Standard Kit Design

Standard Kit-Pre Veneer Phase

Standard Series Fireplace Kit

Standard Series Fireplace Kit

Are you ready to enjoy your new outdoor fireplace this summer? Give us a call and we can assist you in the process–start to finish!

Please contact Stone Farm at:

Belgian Sandstone

Reclaiming OLD Stone for
NEW Design

One of our favorite things about being in the RECLAIMED STONE business is product sourcing.  Since we deal in reclaimed stone we have to go and find the stuff out in the field, literally. So that means following miles upon miles of back-country roads, often unpaved, to way-up-north Vermont farms, the rocky coastal woodlands of Maine or the deep forested areas of Pennsylvania. Sometimes we even find ourselves overseas in historical European cities. All because we understand the feeling and sense of design that old, weathered stone represents; the patinas, natural staining from the elements or the historical significance of preserving a piece of old society for today’s designs. It’s what creates a statement only achievable through reclaimed stone.

The blog, Architects and Artisans captured our enthusiasm for stone at the recent Architectural Digest Home Show. Writer, J. Michael Welton did a post on STONE FARM for his blog which highlights the use of Stone Farm's reclaimed stone in new design.  You can check out the post here: Architects and Artisans Blog

New England Reclaimed Granite Wall

Belgian Porphyry Cobble Driveway

We at Stone Farm had the pleasure of attending the Architectural Digest show this past weekend at Pier 94 in NYC. As a result we were able to interact with an eclectic mix of architects as well as homeowners over the course of four days and talk stone—in the reclaimed sense!

By exclusively featuring our reclaimed product line, including our European cobbles, reclaimed curbstone, Big Dig Cobbles and antique brick thin veneer, we were able to get a great sense of feedback as to what our hot stone trends are as we rapidly move into Spring/Summer 2013.

Three of our standouts for 2013:

Stone Farm Booth-Architectural Digest Show

Our reclaimed stone product line

Reclaimed junior curbstone sample

We are happy to answer any additional questions or queries regarding your stone project. Please contact Stone Farm at:

Tel: 877-977-0004