We finished up the stonework for highcountryrenovators,com yesterday; the owners said it looked fabulous, and their designer was amazed at how well we matched the style of the original masons. After capping off the wall the final challenge was to weave together the two different surfaces of the original patios and to slope the stones so that the water flows towards the arches. Unfortunately, I neglected to get a picture of the grouted and cleaned patio. Then today we started on a chimney repair in Seven Devils. This chimney is over 30 feet tall, so one of the major challenges is to build a safe and secure scaffold and to get materials up and down. This chimney had major issues due to an almost nonexistent cap. Water got behind the stones and froze, causing a large section to pull away and some stones to fall to the ground. The owner was very concerned about safety and theliability, as this cabin is in a rental program. My solution for this situation is remove all the loose stones and old cap. Then I pour a new, steel reinforced 3" thick overhanging cap. This ensures that no water can get behind the stones. Then we reattach the stones using "Stonehold", and acrylic fortified type S mortar. Coming soon: we pour the cap and reattach the stones!
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After a rocky start to the week, we have made significant progress at our current job. We expanded a patio and faced the challenge of matching some existing stonework, and part of the project was to build arches to allow water to flow away from the patio. Two arches with two sides each and filled solid stone in the middle. The crew has grown with the season and now we have myself, two other masons, Josh and Tom, and a helper, Tyler. One of our other challenges was to source the stone to match the existing. The original masons used Rich Mountain stone, which was usually collected from fields near Howard's Knob or Rich Mtn. With no source for that, I chose to use Black Regency from Blue Ridge Quarries in Marion. The stone has been tumbled, which I think helps it look more weathered. I would challenge anyone to find where the old work ends and the new begins. Tomorrow we will cap off the wall and begin the flagstone part of the project.
Last week we started a project in Blowing Rock for High Country Renovators. The owners of the house wanted to expand a patio by tearing down two walls and rebuilding them to provide access to the patio from the front of the house. We began by removing the existing stonework one piece at a time, being careful to separate the stone from the rubble and save them for when we rebuild the walls. One the demolition was complete, we excavated for footings and built a form for the new section of patio, ensuring we placed lots of steel to reinforce the concrete. Then my concrete truck arrived, we poured the 2 1/2 yards, and now we're ready for stone!
Finally got my truck back today, $1800 later. Tomorrow we have an appointment to clean up at StoneGarden guesthouse because I finished there Thursday. I have also been busy carving, and I am having way too much fun with that (I think Im obsessed).
Thursday I unloaded scaffolding from my truck then it wouldn't go back in gear! Had it towed to a mechanic and it turns out I need a new transmission :( This is a very costly repair, and to find a good part for a good price, I had to order one from TX. However, I managed to get a stone delivery and get back to work on the StoneGarden guesthouse patio today. I'm following a unique design where I am mixing 4 or 5 types of flagstone to achieve a textured, mosaic appearance. Other good news is, I received a package Monday containing new chisels! Its already made a huge difference in my letter carving. I made this for a friend s birthday. Tomorrow I meet with the staff at High Country Home magazine to discuss an article they are planning on outdoor living. I'm hoping they will decide to feature either my business or some of my work. Wish me luck!
Finished the outdoor fireplace yesterday. The owner is very pleased and cant wait for the guests to come and enjoy! My next project is to build a patio where the guests will sit and enjoy the fire. But first I had to excavate for a footing. Next I fill the footing with gravel, which is what I will use to level the stones and provide drainage. Now I just have to get some more stone, and the patio will be well underway!
After a week of good weather, we have made a lot of progress at our current project- an outdoor fireplace for Griner Waters of Stonegarden Guest House in Valle Crucis. The first order of business on Monday was to build the "throat" of the fireplace, which is constructed of brick with a technique called corbeling where the bricks are overhung each course and plastered to narrow the opening to the size of the flue liner. The fireplace was now ready for flue liners, flue block, and-yay!- stone (all this block and brick work is really just a means to an end for me). The owner requested that we leave the stones as natural as possible in this fireplace. He wanted this fireplace to look old, like it had been standing here for 100 years. The way I achieve that look is by minimal trimming of the stone. The overall result is a more natural look and a weathered appearance. I also stepped the footing in from a wide base which started on a natural stone outcrop. Finally, I used a large stone over the firebox, called a lintel, instead of an arch to achieve a more rustic, primitive appearance. Here are some progress photos, finished pics coming soon.
Today we started a new project-building an outdoor fireplace for the Stone Garden Guesthouse of Valle Crucis (http://stonegardenguesthouse.com/). The owner wanted a small outdoor fireplace to enhance a seating area for the guests. First thing we had to do was collect the materials for the masonry core. Next we excavated for the base and poured a concrete footing. Then, after we laid out and planned for the size, we built a pad of block and laid the floor of the fireplace. Our next and final step for the day was to build the walls of the firebox. This is a very precise job with little margin for error, and we had to make sure it was perfect.
Last week I felt like I was all over the place, working at 3 different jobsites, as well as 3 nights patrolling at Sugar Mtn. The projects I did were small, simple repairs, one of which involved synthetic stone. Synthetic stone is not a product I usually work with because I have serious concerns about its durability, on top of the fact that just flat-out prefer natural stone. In this case, however, the owners had a fireplace that was built without a raised hearth, even though the firebox was elevated. So I agreed the build a hearth and ordered a solid stone to top it, which is a significant upgrade. I also recommended my good friends at http://resourcewood.com/# to install a new mantel to replace the ugly generic one. Here is the result:
I have been out of town for almost a week following the death of my beloved grandmother Mimi, but now it is time to pick up the pieces and get back to work. I had to take a break from the walkway project because the ground wouldn't thaw and the owners went out of town, so I worked on some columns in Banner Elk. The strings on each corner are critical to building a square and plumb column. I would be lost without them. Today I went to Boone to acid clean the walkway. We do this when weather or other factors have caused the mortar to stain the stones. A rainy day like today is the perfect time because the stones need to be wet when the acid is applied. The only tools I needed today were a hose, brush, bucket, acid, and a raincoat.
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AuthorWilliam Waller, owner Living Stone Masonry Archives
June 2023
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