The image featured in the previous post, Outdoor BBQ: Living Out of Doors, was taken at a San Diego project Genesis recently completed. Pleased with project, we decided to make a video showcasing the project. I hope this is the first of many “Design Portfolio” slideshows which we feature in our online media.
Enjoy the video below and feel free to check out the project page on houzz.com.
The Rumford Fireplace was invented in 1796 by Count Rumford. He designed them to be the most efficient residential wood burning fireplace in the world, and for 200 years the record still stands.
Count Rumford’s success in this fireplace design, along with several other inventions including a new naval signalling strategy, earned him a knighthood and position as a Count of the Holy Roman Empire.
These beautiful wood burning fireplaces live either inside the home, or as an element of an outdoor entertainment area. Heavily depending on masonry skill for assemblage, Genesis loves installing these fireplaces. Take a look at some of the photos below to see why. It’s a classic style, colonial ingenuity, and expert craftsmanship in a trinity of wood heating.
[Figure 1] Rumford fireplace via rumford.com.[Figure 2] Rumford fireplace closeup via rumford.com.[Figure 3] Rumford fireplace via rumford.com.What makes the fireplace “work” is the idea of increased airflow through the chimney. Conventional fireplaces leave wide open space above the flame, allowing cold air to mix with the hot air from the flame. This creates turbulence and back-flow, and smoke begins to leak from the chimney into the room or living area.
A Rumford fireplace solves this problem by reducing the space above the fire to a narrow opening, which does not open until the top of the chimney. The hot air from the fire heats the clay chimney bricks, creating even more air flow. The shallow base brings the back wall closer to the fireplace, and the radiant heat from the flames disperse into the room more easily. Not only do Rumford fireplaces burn cleaner, they also burn hotter.
Gas burning Rumford’s also work like a charm, capitalizing on the style of the masonry and efficiency of natural gas. The principles behind the wood burning stoves hold true with natural gas, fumes from the fire stream through the efficient chimney system, while heat radiates throughout the space. The only question left is which stone patterns and colors to choose!
Pre-manufactured hearths guarantee that quality standards are met, while also cutting installation costs. Genesis takes pride in the outdoor entertainment area’s we’ve created over the years, and highly recommend the use of pre-manufactured Rumford fireplaces for outdoor heating. Allow us to create a Rumford stove and surprise you with its efficiency and style.
To view more examples of beautiful Rumford fireplaces, visit rumford.com. Jim Buckley is an expert in these stoves. Then come on back and get your free estimate on installation and design by Genesis!
Call us today for a free in-home consultation at 888.389.5533, fill out our free estimate form online, or email us at info at genesisstoneworks.com. We’d love to design your outdoor paradise.
We searched our image database to bring you some of the most interesting patio designs that incorporate natural stone designs. Natural stone, while very beautiful, can also be more expensive than manufactured stone. To provide the best service to our customers, we often suggest natural appearing stone or using natural stone as an accent to concrete pavers.
Take a look at these photos and let us know what you think in the comments section below. Hope you enjoy!
Patio #2, river stone wall-bench combo with grey bull-nose wall cap.Patio #1, incorporates natural stone in garden retaining wall.Patio #4, rustic pavers framed by natural field stone and green shrubs. A stack stone water fall finishes the ensemble.Patio #3, this flagstone patio looks warm and inviting, makes a great evening getaway!Patio #5, neutral hue pavers accented with split face fire-pit. The stone cap of the fire-pit adds a sharp finish!
Genesis is a home remodeling specialist serving Southern California since 1993. For a free in-home consultation call us at 888.389.5533, or visit our free estimate page.
Interlocking concrete pavers are beautiful and dynamic. Well designed outdoor spaces with good color and pattern selection can be absolutely stunning. This home, right, is a great example. Paving stones also endure the elements better than almost any other paving material applied today. They simply last.
However, there is one aspect of pavers that can change with time. As dust, routine traffic, and hard water work on the pavers the original colors can fade and tarnish. A quick power-washing often revitalizes the paving stones by removing embedded dust. What happens when the pavers are stained with oil or rubber? How do you keep dirt from the pavers in the first place?
Enter paver sealant.
A powerful product, solvent based sealant was used for years to protect driveways and patios. The coating enhances the color of the pavers, protects the stones from erosion, and also seals the stones from stains. Oil and rubber marks can simply be wiped away from sealed concrete stone. For years Genesis used this solvent based sealer with stunning results. Paved surfaces were left with a high gloss sheen that have stood the test of time.
However, recent EPA regulations have limited solvent based solutions in California. The VOC, volatile organic compound, rating for the solvent sealer was well above the new environmental standard. The only remaining product is a highly limited water-based sealant. The penetration of this water-based product is far less than the solvent-based sealer, with visibly inferior results. This caused Genesis to shy away from stone sealant altogether.
Developments in recent years, however, have allowed Genesis to offer stone sealant once again, this time water based. This new eco-friendly product reduces VOC, volatile organic compounds, in the air and penetrates deeply enough to bond well and protect the pavers.
Summary of benefits:
Enhance the color of the pavers.
Protect stones from erosion and wear.
Protect stones from stains.
Call us today to get a quote on interlocking paver sealant at 800.287.5400, or visit our contact page.
These vinyl products are engineered at the highest level of durability and beauty, giving your home the most bang for your buck. The experts at Duramax have designed these products specifically to withstand the ultraviolet rays of Southern California, one of the harshest environments for outdoor decorations. Not only do we now carry vinyl fencing, but walls, patio decks, sheds, trimming, and gazebos.
Aestheticaly pleasing, these new products can be ordered as straight vinyl, or foe wood and stone.
In addition to vinyl fencing’s incredible lightness, strength, and durability, it is also less costly than alternative products. Several qualities of vinyl products ease installation and maintenance:
First: of all no trenching is required; the products are engineered hollow to cut down on weight, but also with internal structural supports that increase strength.
Second: repairs to any damaged structures are only a fraction of the expense as to other decorative materials; the low weight decreases the need for bulky footings and supports.
Third: most walls are engineered with drainage systems, but vinyl has no need of this. The bulk of the structure does not rest on the ground, therefore water cannot build up and cause soil erosion. Vinyl products are simply easier to work with.
Give Genesis a toll free call at 888.389.5533 and we’d love to talk you through the new system. We will send a representative to your home to give you a consultation free of charge. No obligations and no regrets. It is your home and it deserves the best. Let us help you on the path to a richer life.
The recurring issue with purchasing a product is that you are never quite sure what you are really getting. There is always that element of risk. We here at Genesis are positive you will be pleased with our results, so we’ve done something novel; we provide an image of your finished product, before we even begin demolition.
Our photo editing software is very precise, able to match the colors and patterns you have envisioned. All you have to do is send us an image of the space, and we will generate an electronic composite. We will eliminate that element of risk and give proof that your home is worth investing in. Send us an image today and see what we can do! You will be impressed with the potential of your home…
Genesis is proud to introduce GenesisWalls.com! This is the newest online tool for customers to use in identifying which look is best for their home. Soon to come on the site are Stone Veneer, Retaining Wall, Garden Wall, and Fence Wall articles that could help customers figure out which wall best fits their needs. Feel free to stop by and take a look at the different property design opportunities!
