News & Press

Recent News

April 2010: Stone Forest helps celebrate Earth Day

ATLANTA (April 22, 2010)—In honor of Earth Day, Stone Forest shared a little dirt!

Stone Forest partnered with Compassionate Care Hospice to donate top soil to Delmar Gardens of Smyrna. The residents of the assisted living and skilled nursing facility will use the top soil to work with a master gardener to create beautiful potted plants for their rooms.

“Stone Forest Materials is extremely happy to help out in the community, in support of celebrating Earth Day at Delmar Gardens,” said Stone Forest’s Chad Carroll, who oversaw the donation.

About Stone Forest
Stone Forest is dedicated to being an inspiring destination and outdoor lifestyle showcase featuring superior products and customer service. Stone Forest offers the largest and best selection of natural stone and the highest quality hardscape materials available in the Atlanta metro area. Stone Forest carries the top brand names and leading product lines from Belgard, Pavestone, Eldorado and Kichler. The Stone Forest indoor showroom and outdoor showcase are the perfect places to plan any outdoor living project.

March 2010: Mulch Madness at Stone Forest

ATLANTA (March 1, 2010)—Get your landscape ready for spring with great deals on mulch from our March Mulch Madness special!

Ground covers such as mulch can play a tremendously important role in your landscaping. They are weed deterrents, help soil retain moisture for plants and trees, insulate the ground and prevent erosion. Plus, because they come in a wide variety of colors, they can enhance the look of any area.

And spring is the best time to apply ground cover due to new plantings. Because mulch conserves moisture, it is especially helpful around trees and in flowerbeds, making it easier for roots to grow and thrive.

During Mulch Madness at Stone Forest, we are giving away free local delivery of 3 or more yards of bulk mulch or full pallets of bagged mulch all month long!

Types of Mulch
Natural mulch – Shredded cypress and hardwood mulch are both all-natural neutral ground coverings perfect for natural areas such as walkways and wooded areas. Hardwood mulch is a blend of hardwoods that are double ground for increased moisture retention properties. Cypress is known for its durability in outdoor situations.
Color-enhanced mulch – Pieces of shredded hardwood that are dyed red, light brown, dark brown or black. Don’t worry about the dyes; they are vegetable based and FDA approved. Color-enhanced mulch is especially effective and attractive in flowerbeds and landscapes.
Cypress mulch chips – Our Playsafe-certified cypress chips conform to the ASTM and ISO international standards for shock-absorbing properties of playing surfaces. This means you’re getting the best protection possible for your kids. Its natural golden color also looks great in paths, beds and around trees and shrubs.

Keep In Mind:
• We do not recommend delivery of color-enhanced mulch when it’s raining. If freshly dyed, some of the mulch coloring could wash away. In addition, you run the risk of temporarily staining concrete driveways. If you do decide to have color-enhanced mulch delivered when the weather isn’t cooperating, just cover it with a tarp until ready to use.
• Stone Forest also carries bagged mulch which is great when you only need to cover a small area. It can be transported easily and makes working in difficult-to-reach areas much easier.

MULCH CALCULATIONS
• Bulk Mulch will cover ~100 square feet per cubic yard at 3″ deep.
• Bagged Mulch is usually ~2 cubic feet per bag and will cover ~7 square feet at 3″ deep.
• Bagged Mulch comes 70 bags per pallet which is equal to ~5 yards of Bulk Mulch.
If you would like additional help or if you would like us to check your numbers, please see one of our knowledgeable Stone Forest staff members. We are always here to help.

About Stone Forest
Stone Forest is dedicated to being an inspiring destination and outdoor lifestyle showcase featuring superior products and customer service. Stone Forest offers the largest and best selection of natural stone and the highest quality hardscape materials available in the Atlanta metro area. Stone Forest carries the top brand names and leading product lines from Belgard, Pavestone, Eldorado and Aquascape. The Stone Forest indoor showroom and outdoor showcase are the perfect places to plan any outdoor living project.

January 2010: High-Tech Hide and Seek at Stone Forest

ATLANTA (Jan.14, 2010)—Congratulations, all you treasure-seekers! Backyard Oasis, Stone Forest’s geocache, has just celebrated its 100^th find.

If you’re new to the geocaching craze, here’s the scoop. Geocaching is a high-tech game of hide and seek using GPSs to find hidden geocaches or “caches.” People search for hidden containers filled with fun items and a logbook. Once they find them, they go to www.geocaching.com and log their visit, telling about the discovery.

At Stone Forest, we have hidden our geocache somewhere in our beautiful Outdoor Display Gardens. Click here to read all of the logs and reviews for our cache and start exploring!

January 2010: Keep Your Pond Safe in Winter

ATLANTA (Jan.14, 2010)—With recent frigid temps, we’ve had lots of people calling Stone Forest with winter pond questions. Here’s what you need to know to keep your pond (and your fish) safe.

Q: Do I need to turn my pump off when the temperature drops below freezing?

A: No. As long as there is enough water to operate the pump safely, leave it running. However, watch for any “ice dams” that form in the stream/waterfall that could divert water out of your pond. If an ice dam forms, just break it to allow the water to flow as normal.

Q: Will my fish freeze if the water freezes?

A: No. The fish hibernate at the bottom of the pond and do not move much when it is cold. However, they do need a hole in the ice for oxygen exchange. The waterfall should take care of this. If you have turned your waterfall off, then a small, bubbling pump set just under the surface of the water will keep the pond from completely freezing over.

Q: If I turn off my pump, should I wait until the temperature is above freezing to turn it back on?

A: Yes. If the pump has been turned off for an extended period of time, then wait. The fittings that are in the piping system may be frozen and you do not want to run the risk of breaking something when the water is turned back on. Disconnect any check valves so that the pipe will drain.

Check out www.watergardening.com, a great blog site for pond owners with lots of great questions and answers.

Be sure to stop by Stone Forest with all your pond questions and needs. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be able to help keep your pond (and fish) healthy all year long.

September 2009: Stone Forest Sponsors Inaugural Education Program To Grow Hardscape Business

ATLANTA (Aug. 27, 2009)—Stone Forest Materials, LLC is an official sponsor of the Pavestone Institute of Hardscape Technology, an inaugural education program designed to grow the hardscape industry through strategic management classes and best business practices.

The event kicks off the evening of September 21 with a meet and greet social at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel. The following two days host a line-up of educational courses focusing on strategy, tools, knowledge and new ideas to assist professional hardscape contractors in setting and attaining strategic business goals.

Specific courses offered include: customer relationship management, creating a marketing plan, permeable paver design, construction and installation, financial management, business rules for growth and prosperity, setting the building blocks for a successful company and strategic management among others.

Professionals may reserve a place by contacting Dan Kalar at (678) 592-0416.

About Stone Forest
Stone Forest is dedicated to being an inspiring destination and outdoor living showcase featuring superior products and customer service. Stone Forest offers the largest and best selection of natural stone and the highest quality hardscape materials available in the Atlanta metro area, including water gardening and concrete paving products. Stone Forest carries the top brand names and leading product lines from Belgard, Pavestone, Eldorado and Kichler. The Stone Forest indoor and outdoor showroom is the perfect place to plan any outdoor living project. Visit www.stoneforest.net for more information.

August 2009: Stone Forest Celebrates Sixth Anniversary

ATLANTA (Aug. 4, 2009)–Stone Forest Materials in Kennesaw celebrated its sixth anniversary on August 4. Since its founding in 2003, Stone Forest has been an inspiring destination for Atlanta area residents as well as the premier provider of natural stone, concrete pavers, architectural veneer, water gardening products, masonry supplies and bulk materials.

In an effort to continuously promote innovative outdoor living solutions for homeowners, Stone Forest has created an outdoor lifestyle showcase. The Stone Forest showcase displays multiple outdoor retreats featuring water gardens, flagstone patios, fireplaces, recreational amenities and a full outdoor kitchen. The newest addition to the outdoor lifestyle showcase is an environmentally friendly 528 square foot permeable paver basketball court featuring a 72-inch Spalding Arena View basketball goal.

Stone Forest also offers a number of do-it-yourself projects and interactive learning experiences through its monthly workshops and online project guides. And to help homeowners connect with qualified professionals, Stone Forest provides complimentary ProMatch™ Contractor Program services.

As Stone Forest looks to the future, it will continue to expand its offerings of innovative outdoor living solutions. Recently, Stone Forest launched a green tips section on its web site, highlighting sustainable solutions for outdoor environments.

July 2009: Basketball’s “Green” Team: Stone Forest, Spalding & Pavestone Join to Create Eco-Friendly Basketball Court

ATLANTA (July 17, 2009)—Forming an unlikely partnership, sports giant Spalding has joined forces with Stone Forest Materials in Kennesaw to create an eco-friendly basketball court using Pavestone interlocking concrete pavers.

Permeable interlocking pavers are concrete pavers that provide a strong, durable surface for vehicular and foot traffic yet allow for the infiltration of water. Instead of using mortar to join the interlocking pavers, permeable surfaces use gravel or sand. This allows the water to permeate the surface and then be filtered and captured in a rain harvesting system or allowed to return to the water table.

Pavestone literally laid the groundwork for the project, commissioning GP Hardscapes of Atlanta to install the 528 square foot (24’ x 22’) half court. To create a pattern consistent with traditional basketball court lines, two different types of pavers were used. The majority of the court is Uni-Eco Priora in Oldtown Blend, while court lines were created using Uni-Eco Stone in Pewter.

“Interlocking pavers provide eco-friendly alternatives to traditional asphalt and solid concrete which allows homeowners an environmentally friendly solution to rainwater runoff and pooling,” said Chad Carroll, sales manager of Stone Forest.

The finishing touch, a 72-inch Spalding Arena View basketball goal will be installed in two sessions beginning July 18. “We see this as an exciting opportunity to extend our products into a new market,” said Mike Thomas, Spalding national account executive.

The permeable basketball court is the latest outdoor living environment Stone Forest adds to its outdoor showcase. Featuring more than eight outdoor living environments, including a putting green and full outdoor kitchen, Stone Forest has created an intricate display of landscape solutions for homeowners to peruse for inspiration.

June 2009: Stone Forest promotes eco-friendly home projects at Kennesaw showroom & GreenHaven home

ATLANTA (June 12, 2009)–Stone Forest is proud to promote environmental responsibility and eco-friendly home projects, showcasing rainwater harvesting and permeable pavers at both its showroom in Kennesaw and at Greenhaven Home, Atlanta’s newest model for green building and sustainable design.

Stone Forest created a rainwater harvesting system at its Kennesaw showroom earlier in the year. Rainwater harvesting is the act of collecting rainwater from rooftops, paved and unpaved surfaces for multiple uses. Stone Forest used the technology to create an active water feature that continually cycles harvested rainwater from the showroom roof.

Rainwater harvesting is also being used at Greenhaven Home, located in East Cobb’s first eco-friendly neighborhood, Chelsea Landing. Stone Forest partnered with its landscape contractor Iris Blade to create a beautiful water feature which recycles rainwater and uses energy efficient pumps to contribute to Greenhaven Home’s LEED certification and sustainable design.

In addition to rainwater harvesting, Stone Forest helped Greenhaven developers create a permeable driveway using Pavestone permeable pavers which allow rainwater to soak into the ground and return to the natural water table unlike traditional concrete driveways.

Stone Forest utilizes several different styles of Pavestone permeable pavers at its Kennesaw showroom. The newest addition to the outdoor showroom uses permeable pavers to create an eco-friendly and yet aesthetically pleasing basketball court.

Permeable pavers are open-celled concrete pavers, also called grid pavers or grasstones, which are made with an open-void or lattice design. The pavers provide a flat surface that forms a continuous pattern and reinforces grassy areas subject to pedestrian or automobile traffic while allowing natural water filtration into the ground.

To view these eco-friendly and easy to install home projects, visit the Stone Forest showroom in Kennesaw or the Greenhaven Home. For more information, visit www.stoneforest.net or www.greenhavenhome.com.

About Greenhaven Home
Greenhaven Home is Atlanta’s newest model for green building and sustainable design. Located in East Cobb’s first eco-friendly neighborhood, Chelsea Landing, Greenhaven will carry the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes certification as well as showcase the latest in green building techniques, sustainable design, state-of-the-art-technology and energy efficiency. Stone Forest supports Greenhaven through its expertise, service and product donations. The Greenhaven showhome will be open for public tours July 10 through August 9. Please visit www.greenhavenhome.com for more information.

Febuary 2009 Stone Forest is now home to a new Geocache

Stone Forest is now home to a new geocache. What in the world is that? Goecaching is a hi-tech game of hide and seek using GPS’s to find hidden geocaches or “caches.” People hide containers with a logbook and some fun items, then other people look for them. Once they find it, they go to a website and log their visit telling all their friends about the find. We have hidden ours somewhere in our Beautiful Outdoor Display Gardens. Check out www.geocaching.com for more information on geocaching.

Febuary 2009: Stone Forest Expands Outdoor Showcase

New Additions Stone Forest is expanding our display gardens! We have several new projects already completed within the last month and numerous more under construction now. We have added amphitheater seating to our instructional “sandbox” made with Belgard paver and wall systems, and a basketball half court constructed entirely out of Pavestone’s new permeable paver system. We have added a short dry set retaining wall made with Crab Orchard Quarried Stack. There is a new set of steps created out of huge chunks of Crab Orchard Quarried Stack that lead to a unique display of decorative gravels and stone benches. There is also a new bar showcasing giant boulders , flagstone slabs and river rock . Not to mention the fire pit and new water feature under construction now. Do we have your attention yet? You have to stop in to see all the new inspirational displays before spring gets here.

January 2009: Stone Forest Invited to Speak at 2009 Hardscape North America Convention

The 2009 Hardscape North America Convention is one of the largest educational hardscaping events held in the United States. This event consists of four days of training and educational seminars and a two day trade show dedicated to hardscaping contractors and hardscaping distributors.

Stone Forest has been invited to speak on the topic of: “Hardscape Distributors: How to Thrive in Challenging Times.” Jon Levy will be joining other leaders in hardscape product distribution from across the US to discuss the most effective ways of operating in a down economy. This four hour seminar is geared towards owners, managers and staff of hardscaping distribution companies.

Show dates:

January 14th -17, 2009 Certifications programs and seminars
January 16th-17th, 2009 Indoor and outdoor trade show with demonstrations

Session 7: Hardscape Distributors: How to Thrive in Challenging Times

January 16th, 2009 8:00 am to 12:00 pm

Location: Cobb Galleria Center – Marietta, Georgia
For more information Visit the 2009 Hardscape North America Website

December 2008: Stone Forest Named Pavestone’s “South East Distributor of the Year” for 2008

Pavestone Company, one of the nation’s largest producers of quality concrete pavestones and retaining wall products, announced on December 28th, 2008, that Stone Forest Materials has earned the “South East Distributor of the Year” award for 2008. The award is presented to a single Pavestone Distributor that has continually excelled in the areas of customer service, sales growth, and product training for their employees, contractors, designers, and local homeowners.

“This award is evidence of Stone Forest Material’s total commitment to the Hardscape and Outdoor Living Area industries”, said Dan Kalar, Pavestone Company. “Their high-quality displays, large inventory of products and focus on customer service has set the example for every distributor in the southeast.”

“It is truly a pleasure to partner with a company like this,” said Elvis DeArman, General Manager, Pavestone’s Tyrone, Georgia plant.

Stone Forest Materials experienced the highest percentage of sales growth in 2008, compared to the same period in 2007, for the entire east coast. “Considering we are operating in a sagging economy, Stone Forest has proved that their plan to focus on the customer in 2008, would overcome even the worst economies,” said Jason Forster, Regional Sales Manager, Pavestone Company. The entire team at Pavestone sends out their warmest thanks for a job well done.

October 2008: Stone Forest Becomes Large Stocking Distributer of Eldorado Stone Veneer

Always looking to expand our product line and provide our customers with high quality material, we now stock Eldorado Stone Veneer. We have several thousand square feet of material in stock with more to come. There are many choices when it comes to architectural veneers and we are proud to offer the best.

Eldorado – The Most Believable Architectural Stone Veneer in the World^TM See more…

October 2008: Stone Forest Carries Bagged Mulches and Soils

NEW Bagged Material is great for purchasing in smaller amounts, can be transported easily, and makes working in difficult to reach areas much easier. The Bagged Mulch we now carry includes Hardwood, Cypress, Red Flower, Black Velvet and Walnut Brown Mulch as well as Pine Nuggets and Mini Pine Nuggets. Our Bagged Soils include Top Soil, Organic Planting Soil and Soil Conditioner.

September 2008: Stone Forest Joins Local Contractor To Help Our Community

Stone Forest Materials LLC and IrisBlade Pond & Patio LLC partnered together to create an ecosystem pond for the residents of Carestone Assisted Living on September 10, 2008. Rebecca Lafferty from IrisBlade was contacted by Carestone to see if the company could ‘adopt’ their pond, which was in need of some maintenance and care. “After meeting with the staff and looking at the current condition of their pond, I felt it was best if we built them a more aesthetically pleasing pond in a better area for the residents so they could truly enjoy it” said Rebecca Lafferty. The conditions of the pond did not allow residents the ability to see the fish or relax to the sound of waterfalls. Both of these issues have been remedied with the new pond and waterfall.

By donating labor and materials, Stone Forest and IrisBlade were able to give back to the community and the residents of the assisted living center. The residents now have a beautiful water garden in their courtyard where they can go to for peace and tranquility. “We hope the residents will benefit greatly from this and have many happy moments as they spend more time outside with Mother Nature,” noted Andre Theriot, Designer at IrisBlade.

The new water garden is an 8 x 11 pond with a pond side waterfall. Terrestrial plantings were also added to the landscape. Carestone staff hosted an Open house in celebration of their new pond on September 20, 2008. Events included a fishing game for the residents to win prizes and concluded with a decorated water garden cake for everyone to enjoy.

For more information please contact Stone Forest at (770) 590-1700 or log on to www.stoneforest.biz. Iris Blade and Rebecca Lafferty can be reached at (678) 521-7178 or log on to www.irisblade.com.

August 2008: Stone Forest Turns 5 Years Old

On August 4th, 2008 Stone Forest celebrated 5 years in business. This is a big milestone for any business startup and it would not have been possible without the support of our many business partners, associates, family, and friends. Most importantly though we owe a debt of gratitude to the thousands of customers we have served and to all of you we give our heartfelt thanks. We look forward to serving the Metro Atlanta market (and beyond) for many more years to come.

August 2008: We are leading the industry with our NEW Web site

Stone Forest has been a leader in the Southeast in providing the best service and knowledge to its customers. We strive to have the most comprehensive content available and information that will be unparalleled. Our goal is to continue to update that information on a regular basis so that our customers and users find it to be a valuable resource. Continue to check back to our site and watch it grow.

March 2008: Stone Forest just got Bigger

After months of hard work and planning, in April we were finally able to unveil our newly expanded property of nearly 12 acres. This additional yard space will allow us the opportunity to expand our inventory and increase our selection of the best stone and landscape materials in the Southeast. In addition to the larger array of products and stone we will be carrying, this also allows us more space and opportunity to host hands-on educational events. We are in the process of planning more events for industry professionals and homeowners.

We encourage you to stop by and check out the best and largest stocked stone yard around.