6 Ways to Increase Your Home’s Curb Appeal Using Natural Stone

Curb appeal is essential if you plan to sell your home, as it creates a positive first impression and encourages potential buyers to step inside. Your home's curb appeal is also important even if you have no plans to sell. Enhancing your home's exterior can boost the home’s value, create a welcoming environment to return to after work, and make your home the envy of the neighborhood.

Natural stone is an easy way to add elegance and style to the outside of your home, and natural-stone care is easy to manage as long as you know how to care for it properly. Here are some tips to boost your curb appeal using natural stone.

1. Consider a Stone Veneer for Siding

Natural stone is a great replacement for your existing siding that adds visual appeal and architectural interest. Exterior stone products weigh very little and are easy to install, allowing you to get the benefits of stone without complicated changes to the existing exterior. Natural-stone veneer comes in many varieties, including granite, limestone, and sandstone, and in dozens of colors, cuts, and profits.

2. Add a Stone Base to Columns and Entryways

If your home has columns near the entryway or other architectural elements you'd like to highlight, consider installing natural stone around the base. Stone columns have been used in construction for thousands of years, although they have been largely replaced in favor of more cost-effective materials like brick, steel, and concrete. Stone veneer can add the old-world charm your home is missing without the high cost.

3. Add a Water Feature

There's nothing like a soothing water feature to make your home stand out from the crowd. Natural stone is a popular material for fountains that blend in with landscaping and add visual interest. Slate and granite are good choices for understated beauty and may be installed vertically or at ground level for a bubbling water feature in the front yard.

4. Install a Paver Driveway

A paver driveway is one of the more costly but dramatic ways to incorporate natural stone in a front yard. Paver driveways also offer other advantages, including the ability to last a lifetime and an impressive return on investment. Stone driveway pavers come in several varieties, including granite, flagstone, bluestone, and travertine. In addition to customizing your driveway with the stone of your choice, you can also choose from dozens of patterns like herringbone and running bond. 

5. Use Stone for a Border

Natural-stone pavers are a great choice for adding visual interest to walkways and flower beds in a front yard. Whether you have existing paver walkways or concrete, stone pavers are easy to install as edging. You can also add stone edging around landscaping to make mowing easier for the perfect manicured appearance.

6. Choose a Stone Profile and Color to Match Your Home

When adding natural stone to your exterior, keep in mind there are a few characteristics you should consider to match the style and color of your home. If you're covering a large area with stone, a large profile stone like fieldstone works well. A ledgestone profile works best for smaller areas.

You may also want to choose a stone that complements the color of your siding. Try to stick with either cool colors such as shades of blue, black, and grey or warm colors like tan, orange, and brown. If you want to properly maintain stone on the outside of your home, make sure to use a specially formulated outdoor stone cleaner. Granite Gold Outdoor Stone Cleaner® is safe to use on granite, slate, travertine and other types of stone used in outdoor spaces such as walkways, driveways, and patios.

Call the Stone Care Experts at Granite Gold® today at 1-800-475-STONE if you’d like to learn more about our stone-safe products.