Stonework and flagstone in Sarasota

How slippery flagstone is around a pool depends on the finish of its surface more than on the kind of stone. Honed, flamed or tumbled faces grip better, according to the Natural Stone Institute. Wet a sample and stand on it barefoot before you choose.

A saltwater pool can damage soft, porous stone around it. Salt water soaks into the stone, and when it dries the salt crystallizes and slowly pits the surface. A penetrating sealer slows how much water the stone takes in (Natural Stone Institute). Tell us if your pool is salt when we talk about which stone to use.

Sealing helps natural stone resist stains, but it does not make the stone stain-proof (Natural Stone Institute). It slows how fast oil, rust and leaf stains soak in, which gives you time to clean them off. How often it needs redoing depends on the stone and the sealer.

Stone veneer can usually go over a block or stucco wall, and what the wall is made of decides the preparation. Manufactured stone veneer can be set straight onto clean, uncoated masonry such as bare block. Any other surface gets a weather barrier, metal lath and a scratch coat first, according to the Masonry Veneer Manufacturers Association installation guide filed with Florida product approval FL5625. Send a photo of the wall.

A white haze on stone is most likely efflorescence. Moisture moving through the stone or the mortar behind it carries dissolved salts to the surface and leaves them there as a white film when it dries (source: Norstone). Good drainage and a breathable sealer help keep it from coming back. Planning new stonework? Send photos of the spot with the form, or call 941-879-4777.

It depends on what is under the stone. In Manatee County a "Non-structural concrete/paver patio" does not need a permit, while "Masonry fences/walls and columns" and a "Concrete slab with footers" do (Manatee County Building Division). Holmes Beach lists "Concrete slab with footers" and "Swimming pools and spas" among the work that needs a permit (City of Holmes Beach permit list). Neither list names stone veneer, but both list siding ("New/Replacement of siding" in Manatee County, "siding/cladding" in Holmes Beach), so ask your office whether veneer on your wall counts; the island or fireplace it faces may also need a permit for its gas or electrical work. On the barrier islands the flood rules matter too: in FEMA's V zones, "Attaching seats, benches, tables, planters, or similar features will cause a deck or patio to lose its deemed-to-comply low-profile classification" (FEMA Technical Bulletin 5), so a stone seat wall on a patio in a V zone is a flood question as well as a permit one. Florida's exemption for work valued at less than $7,500 does not apply to structural work or to "Work on a property that is partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area" (s. 553.79, F.S.). Our outdoor kitchen permit guide lists each office in the area. Confirm with the office for your address before you build.

The price of stonework depends most on the area to cover and the stone you choose. Curves, corners and cutouts add fitting time, and so does preparing whatever the stone goes onto. Call 941-879-4777 or send the form with photos and rough measurements, and we will talk through yours.