Columns are all corners
A column is four outside corners and very little flat wall, which is why we sell corners by the linear foot and let you order them alone.
Stone Veneer Columns, Pillars and Entries
Porch columns, entry pillars, gate piers, monument signs, mailbox posts and storefront pilasters are small in square feet and big in effect. They are also the one stone job where corners outnumber flats: a 16-inch square column 8 feet high has 32 linear feet of corner and only a few square feet of flats between them. We sell corners by the linear foot and do not require a flats minimum on them, so a column order is priced by what it actually needs.
Measuring a column
Count the outside corners, multiply by the height, and order that as linear feet of corners. Each corner piece also covers part of the face on both sides, so figure that every linear foot of corner replaces about three quarters of a square foot of flats. Measure the faces in square feet, and the calculator on each color page subtracts the corners you enter. Add 10 percent to both.
Profiles that suit a column
Larger blocks look right on a pillar. Castle is the first choice: big split-face blocks that make even a slender column look massive. Dimensional gives a dressed, formal pillar for a colonial or a commercial entry. Classic suits a porch on a house with brick or siding. Ledgestone works on wide piers but can look busy on a narrow one.
Building the column
Frame or block the core, wrap it with a weather barrier and lath, scratch coat, then set the corners first at every edge and fill the faces with flats. Cap the column with a cast cap or a stone sill so water does not enter the top. On a monument sign or a mailbox post, keep the stone 4 inches off grade and start on a screed.
Order
Made to order in Lenexa, usually ready in 2 to 4 weeks. A set of columns fits in the back of a pickup. Ask Steve about commercial entries and monument signs, Ben about a porch, at 913-345-8888.
Installed
Retail storefront
Arched stone columns
Retail entry
Stone arch and pilasters
Office entry
Cut stone entry
Mission Farms, Leawood
Entry monument
Retail center, Liberty
Ledgestone pilasters
Bank corner
Stone column on the corner
Questions people ask
Can I order only corners for a column?
Yes. Corners are sold by the linear foot with no minimum, so a column that is mostly corners is priced as corners plus the few square feet of flats between them.
How wide is a corner piece?
It varies by profile. As a rule of thumb, every linear foot of corner replaces about three quarters of a square foot of flats; ask us for the exact return on the profile you choose and we will measure a piece for you.
Can stone veneer wrap a round column?
No. Veneer needs flat faces. For a round column use a square or octagonal core, or a cast cap and base with a square shaft.
What goes on top of a stone column?
A cap. Water entering an open column top is the most common failure. Use a cast concrete cap, a stone sill or a metal cap, and slope it.
Do you make monument signs?
We make the stone. Sign companies and masons build the monument and use our corners and flats; the Mission Farms monument on the projects page is one.
Talk to a person at the plant
Ben answers homeowner questions, Steve handles commercial projects. Call 913-345-8888, Monday through Friday, or send the wall size and we call you back.