Bringing stone to life
By ANDREA BOYARSKY
STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE
A visit to Pamela J. Carlton's back yard is like taking a brief detour through the streets of Rome. The granite cobblestones arranged in a symmetrical, arched design that distinguish the area are modeled after the sanpietrini, traditional square cobblestones that line the streets of Rome.
"It is absolutely gorgeous," the Brighton Heights homeowner said recently. "I had not planned on doing this; I had planned just on concrete," she said of the home improvement project to replace the asphalt that previously defined the space. Now the back yard looks so nice, she said, she has a reason to buy new patio furniture.
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When a contractor introduced her to the handiwork of Francesco Lella, Ms. Carlton knew her back yard was going to look different from anything she'd imagined.
Lella, of Lella Masonry, Rossville, is from Bari, Italy. There, he attended a trade school where he picked up the technique he used to give an otherwise pedestrian area romantic appeal.
Lella constructed a concrete base for the grey cobblestones, then set them in mortar, before filling the spaces between them with cement. He used 10,000 stones -- 20 tons -- to create the swirled design in the back yard and driveway. Several days later, he returned to seal the stone to give it a shine and help protect it from water damage.
The craftsman also constructed a driveway of brick pavers for Ms. Carlton and her neighbor that leads from the front sidewalk to her back yard and the neighbor's garage. Altogether, the area encompassed around 1,000 square feet. Combined, the projects took around two weeks to complete.
LONGLASTING BEAUTY
The price for such handiwork can run the homeowner from between $16 to $20 a square foot, depending on the size of the project. Lella was quick to note that since granite is a natural stone, it will not wear out over time, as opposed to concrete, which can crack.
"The more time you have it (the cobblestones), the nicer they get," the contractor said. "They get shiny and you will see the design better."
Ms. Carlton's project was Lella's first on the Island. In the past, he has worked in Germany, where he said he learned other designs and shapes into which to transform stone.
"My motto is that the stone is dead, but it is my job to bring it to life," he said.
Andrea Boyarsky is a features reporter for the Advance.
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