Fireplaces & feature walls

Stone fireplace & surround in Calgary

A stone fireplace is the focal point of the room. We build them to sit flat, plumb, and tight from the hearth all the way to the ceiling.

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What people come to us with

Fireplace projects almost always start from one of a few places:

  • A brass-and-brick fireplace from the 90s that dates the whole room
  • Blank drywall above the mantel you want in stone, floor to ceiling
  • A new build where the fireplace wall is still bare framing, waiting for a finish
  • Stone or tile coming loose on an existing surround

You probably don't need to tear it out

The assumption most homeowners walk in with is demolition — jackhammering out masonry, dust through the house, a structural bill before anything pretty happens.

Usually there's a better path: if the existing brick is sound, it's a good substrate, and we reface directly over it with natural or manufactured stone. You get a completely different fireplace without paying to remove the old one. Full tear-out is for when the structure demands it — not the default.

If you've already been told everything has to come out, it's worth a second opinion before you pay for demolition.

What makes a stone wall read as one plane

Stone is unforgiving of a bad base. We build the substrate and backing first — flat, plumb, and strong enough for the weight of the material — because a full-height wall that waves or leans reads wrong from across the room.

Then we dry-lay the stone before setting it: how the rows stack, joint sizes, colour distribution, and how the stone wraps each corner — all decided on the floor, not improvised on the wall. That's why the finished wall looks like one deliberate plane instead of a patchwork.

Around the firebox

The clearances around a firebox aren't ours to invent — the unit's installation manual specifies them, and we build to it. Anything in the heat zone gets non-combustible backing, not wood or drywall. Safe first, then good-looking.

What's included

  • Natural stone, manufactured veneer, or Rundle stone
  • Refacing over sound existing brick — or full builds from framing
  • Floor-to-ceiling feature walls
  • Substrate and backing built for the weight of the stone
  • Dry-laid layout before a single stone is set
  • Clearances and heat-appropriate materials at the firebox

Common questions

Usually, yes. Sound brick is a good substrate, and refacing over it with natural or manufactured stone gives you a completely different fireplace at a fraction of the disruption of a tear-out. We only recommend demolition when the structure actually requires it.
Yes — with the right backing. Drywall alone isn't built for the weight, so we fasten cement board through it into the studs first; the stone hangs on that structure, not on the drywall. That's what keeps a full-height wall flat and permanently attached.
Natural stone, manufactured stone veneer, and local Rundle stone. They differ in weight, cost, and look — manufactured veneer is lighter and more uniform, natural and Rundle stone carry more character. We help you weigh the trade-offs for your room.
Stone work is dusty by nature, so containment is part of the job — we protect flooring, seal off the work area, and clean up daily. Refacing without demolition keeps the mess to a minimum.
Scope drives it more than anything — a surround reface is a much shorter job than a full-height wall that needs new backing built first. Your written estimate pins the schedule for your project, and if anything would move it, you hear about it before it happens.
Yes — when it's built to the unit's installation manual, which spells out exact clearances for anything near the firebox. We build to the manual and use non-combustible backing in the heat zone. If an installer can't show you the clearance page for your unit, that tells you something.

Get your free estimate

Tell us about your project. We'll get back to you within 24 hours to schedule a visit, measure, and give you a written quote.

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No-obligation written quote
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We visit and measure before quoting
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Every line itemized — demo, prep, materials, labour

We respond within 24 hours. Your info stays with us.

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