In order to design a private residence in Pennsylvania with modern amenities and Old World charm, natural thin stone was deemed an obvious choice. More specifically, over 3,000 square feet of Weathered Edge Thin Veneer fieldstone from Meshoppen Stone Inc. of Meshoppen, PA, was implemented for thick columns, parapet walls and chimneys. In addition, Bluestone was used as paving on the porch and front walkway.

“The goal was to make something brand new look time tested,” said Pat Perih of Pat Perih Group LLC, of Moosic, PA, which served as the builder for the project. According to Perih, they considered other building materials such as brick and cultured stone, but kept coming back to the authenticity of natural stone.

“We were using so much material and we didn’t want there to be repeats in the pattern,” he explained. “There are only so many molds when it comes to manufactured material, but when it’s quarried, there are an infinite number of shapes and sizes available. Also, with other materials, we didn’t get the color or texture that we were looking for. With natural stone, we wouldn’t have to try and make it look authentic, because it would be authentic.”

To clad the 7,000-square-foot home, the fieldstone was cut into 1- to 3-inch-thick pieces. The material was also used for two fireplace surrounds - one indoors and one outside the home. “The house has four chimneys, but some of them are fake,” said Perih. “We did some mock ones for aesthetic reasons to help add to the overall charm of the space.

“For the installation, we used traditional Portland cement mortar mix,” he continued. “The home was put on a weight-bearing stone ledge, and we used corrugated fasteners to adhere the stone to the house, which was laid from the ground up. We used a ‘hybrid’ method, which means that the stone was installed in a similar way to manufactured stone.”

According to Perih, the material was very easy to work with and definitely the right choice in the end. “The homeowners love it,” he said. “In fact, they are thinking of other ways to incorporate the fieldstone into others areas of the home as well as the landscape. They want to add the material for an outdoor cabana and pool area as well as an outdoor fire pit.”