Questions & Answers
1. What is so special about your fireplace mantels?
2. Why should I use stone for my mantel and not some other material?
3. How do stone mantels compare to cast stone, concrete or wood?
4. How do your prices compare?
5. Where does your stone come from?
6. Where is your stone carved?
7. How about delivery times?
8. Are there any additional costs involved?
9. What forms of payment do you accept?
10. I have an idea of what I want, but am not sure how to proceed.
11. How do I get from my vision to the finished installation?
12. What kinds of finishes are available?
13. What needs to be done in preparing for a stone mantel?
14. Who can install my mantel?
15. Tell me about your architectural stone.
16. What about your other decorative stonework?
17. Are your stone pieces suitable for use outside?
18. How long have you been in business?
1. What is so special about your fireplace mantels?
Since all our mantels are custom made, every piece is unique. It can be made exactly the way you want it. They are finished by hand, which make the look, touch and feel of the stone very special.
2. Why should I use stone for my mantel and not some other material?
A fireplace is the heart of your home. Carved stone has a weight, permanence and beauty that is unequaled and therefore makes it very suitable for this central part of a house. It lends an elegance and focus to a room unmatched by any other material.
3. How do stone mantels compare to cast stone, concrete or wood?
The difference between natural and cast stone is like that between a granite and a Corian countertop. Cast stone materials are very uniform and have no grain, color variation or patina. They are often finished to look like stone, but they don’t. They also age poorly, whereas stone gets more beautiful over time. Concrete is… well, it’s concrete.
Wooden mantels constitute a fire hazard, even when installed to code. They require an additional interior surround and homeowners often aren’t aware of the considerable cost involved in a quality paint or finishing job for a wooden mantel.
Finally, real stone can be used both inside and outside, where it will age naturally and become more beautiful over time.
4. How do your prices compare?
Our products are very competitively priced. Considering what you get, they are hard to beat in terms of quality and price. Of course wood and cast materials are cheaper. You get what you pay for.
5. Where does your stone come from?
We have a large variety of stone to choose from. The raw stone is quarried all over the world. Some of the most popular are Turkish travertine, Chinese marble and granite, as well as marbles from Italy, Portugal, Spain and Egypt.
6. Where is your stone carved?
Our studio is in China, where they have an age-old tradition of some of the world’s finest stone carving, in addition to very fine limestone and marble quarries. Chinese marble and jade carvings, some thousands of years old, are in museum collections all over the world.
7. How about delivery times?
Considering the fact that your mantel is custom-made, our turn-around time of 7-10 weeks is surprisingly short and comparable to many North American suppliers of off-the-shelf products.
8. Are there any additional costs involved?
All packaging, shipping and handling costs are included in your price quotation. Installation is extra. Dimensional drawings by an interior designer or Dancing Stone (credited against purchase) are an additional cost.
9. What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept checks, VISA, MasterCard and PayPal.
10. I have an idea of what I want, but am not sure how to proceed.
We’ll show you how to get what you want. We’ll help you with the design process and with picking out the material and finish that best fit your needs. Once you’re that far, our technical drawing will show you every detail to ensure that we execute your wishes to your exact specifications.
11. How do I get from my vision to the finished installation?
Here is the process in brief:
a. Sketch, photo, magazine clipping from homeowner or designer
b. Possible dimensional design drawing by interior designer or Dancing Stone (credited against purchase)
c. Selection of material and measurements
d. Price quote by Dancing Stone
e. Signed purchase order & deposit
f. Manufacturer’s technical drawing & customer sign-off
g. Manufacturing, shipping & delivery to home site
h. Installation (by contractor or tradesman)
12. What kinds of finishes are available?
The stone of your mantel can be open, honed or polished. An open finish is used mostly in limestone and gives it a very natural appearance. The honed finish is often used with the more open pored and pitted travertine, which is partly filled. Marble is most often finished to a semi-gloss polish. All finishes are smooth to the touch.
13. What needs to be done in preparing for a stone mantel?
For installations into new homes, adequate structural support needs to be planned in from the beginning. In renovations, your heating contractor will install the gas insert to the local building code. There need to be structural provisions in the floor to support the weight of a stone mantel, which can reach 1,000 pounds or more. It’s best to consult with a builder or engineer.
14. Who can install my mantel?
On Southern Vancouver Island, Dancing Stone has experienced personnel to recommend, who have installed its products in the past. Elsewhere, your designer or builder can often make recommendations.
15. Tell me about your architectural stone.
Our carved stone is also used for columns, lintels, railings, stairs as well as interior and exterior facings.
16. What about your other decorative stonework?
Our decorative pieces include classical sculptural work, from statues and busts to fountains and relief carvings.
17. Are your stone pieces suitable for use outside?
Since our pieces are all made of solid stone, they are very suitable for exterior use. They will hold up well in all kinds of weather and are not prone to deterioration in the same way cast or concrete products are. Stone ages beautifully and will continue to look natural and attractive over time.
18. How long have you been in business?
Dancing Stone started operating in British Columbia, Canada, in 2005. Our factory in China has been manufacturing carved stone products for more than fifteen years and has been selling them in North America for the past eight.
