Coolstone

Coolstone is a product that we use to simulate a limestone look for fireplaces, hood vents, outside accents, etc. The examples that you see here saved thousands of dollars and most importantly, weight and structural support. These hood vents were first made with OSB plywood, wrapped in lathe and felt, then applied with a stucco product that dries to look and feel like stone. One trick that we do is hand grind the finished product to give it a smooth, natural look and feel. I've seen some who don't grind and I don't really like it because it looks more synthetic and pitted. You can then leave it a natural grey finish, as shown with the off-white color, or tint it with a glaze that gives it a more antiqued look. You can see how beautiful they turn out if you have a skilled stucco person. The floral details you see were all done by hand, which is amazing to witness. The more linear bands and corbels can be purchased at a foam specialty store to give a more detailed look. These products were drawn on paper, then brought to life so the possibilities are literally endless. Because they don't require much in the way of structural support, you can apply this type of process to sheetrocked columns, display walls, niches or whatever else you can think of.

K Stone Diamond Polishing

At the 2009 Parade of Homes this year we used a product in the garage known as diamond concrete polishing. There is a fantastic company here in San Antonio called K Stone www.kstoneinc.com . Rick, the owner has a crew that will come in and use progressively lighter abrasion wheels to finish the color to a mirror-like finish. This is quite different than acid-stain concrete applications that you may be use to. In the past, companies such as Bass Pro Shop and HEB have utilized products like this because it is very low maintenance and friendly on the budget when compared to tile or wood options. It is also becoming more and more mainstream in general living areas of the home. The price point is around $6 per square foot and can go up from there, which is a little higher than traditional acid stain. However, the long term maintenance costs are quite less. As stained concrete becomes more accepted in residential construction, it is a great option to consider when planning a flooring surface for your next home.

Water Feature

Previous to deciding on a pool for the 2009 Parade of Homes, the big debate was, do we get a hot tub or not. There are those who think that the absence of a hot tub can kill a sale, and others who think that the costs associated with energy output for heating it make it a less desired option. What we did was decide against it, mainly due to budget concerns. We decided instead to put a water feature that didn't necessarily create a lot of noise, but was cool to look at. If you'll notice in the picture, the water feature we chose was clean lined and had an oozing water effect. This was created by Liquid Assets, the pool company we chose for the project. The water creates a continual shine over the black glass we chose for the structure, and makes it look like an art piece. In addition, the water carries the light with it and illuminates the top most part of the feature. The light can be changed to any color you want with the pool remote, or can rotate between the different spectrums if you choose that setting. The water sound was still addressed though by deck jets which rooster tail into the pool from the outside most coping. It was a different look, but one that we received a lot of compliments on.