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Waterford Stone™ Saves Texas Development Time and Money

Words: Hector KarrmasonryWright’s Landing is an 85-acre community development in Spring, Texas, near the Grand Parkway and the Exxon Mobil headquarters in north Houston. Named after architect Frank Lloyd Wright, Wright’s Landing showcases architecturally detailed home designs, with Craftsman, bungalow and prairie-style elevations creating a diverse, charming streetscape. One of the unique features of home designs is the stone wainscoting, which is a nod to Mr. Wright’s penchant for incorporating stone into his architectural works.

The homebuilder and community developer, Gracepoint Homes, constructed the original model homes using Echelon-supplied natural stone on the wainscoting. When the time arrived to begin construction on additional homes, the project faced a four- to six-week delay due to lack of product availability at the stone quarry. However, Echelon offered a solution with its immediately available Waterford StoneTM veneer. Waterford Stone offers a hand-chiseled texture reminiscent of natural stone. However, unlike natural stone, which can vary in hue, Waterford provides integrated color throughout the entire unit. The product repels water and resists mold, and ultimately performs better than natural stone. While other manufactured stones on the market tend to delaminate or fade over time, Waterford does not. In addition, the modular full-bed depth system and modular format means less cutting and waste, which virtually reduces installation time by half. Waterford is also easy for a traditional brick mason to install because it does not require a specialized stone mason crew to sort, chip and pre-size the product prior to wall installation.

After Gracepoint Homes’ decision to switch to Waterford Stone, Echelon was able to deliver the product for the neighborhood community center, monument signs and homes under construction without delay. This immediate availability, as well as the reduction in installation, led to the completion of these project phases in four weeks instead of the budgeted six and a half for natural stone. In addition, not only did the materials feature a more consistent blend of colors, but also a 30% reduction in cost for a total materials savings of nearly $7,500. With the savings Gracepoint Homes realized by using Waterford, they were able to invest in paver installation on all the homes’ patios to upgrade the outdoor living appeal. The pavers were supplied by Belgard, which like Echelon is manufactured by Oldcastle Architectural.

Product: Waterford StoneTM 12x24, typical

Contractor: Gracepoint Homes

Installer: Ross Masonry

For more information visit www.echelonmasonry.com.
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