One of the stone arched window openings in the “undecagon”. In my eyes, it’s as good as it gets… elegant, wonderfully made, with a great deal of physical effort, and it will be there for all to enjoy… for centuries, if not millennia to come.
I encourage everyone to leave behind a legacy when they work or build, whether that is a quilt, a table, or a home.
Originally posted 2015-01-30 15:32:53.
It’s an “Undecagon”… an eleven sided object. Built of solid stone, near the top of a mountain, and under construction in this photo. Notice the arched doorway, and there are two arched windows. I think the most impressive detail are all the cornerstones, each cut by hand and chisel to create a 127 degree angle corner (inside and out).
Originally posted 2015-01-29 15:40:38.
We restored this Middleburg area stone home a few years ago. Vintage mid-1800’s, the home was built by a traveling crew of stone home builders and was put together in a remarkable two weeks!
And you could tell it… the house was a mess. The builders clearly gave a fixed bid on the project and put it together as quickly and cheaply as possible. They likely used some kind of slip form method where the outside rocks were laid with a good face showing and then the rest of the thickness of the wall was poured in ruble held together with a lime mix and a plastered interior surface. Once the roof was neglected and the rain started getting to the outside walls she just started to crumble down.
Originally posted 2015-01-16 15:11:30.
I have never built a home without at least one good masonry chimney. Often, it’s been more than one.
Let me be clear I’m not talking about those prefab kits that are so often found in most new homes, you know, the ones that are “installed” by a technician with a screwdriver and a set of instructions written in multiple languages. That process continues with a carpenter building the chimney out of plywood. Yes, a carpenter builds the chimney… with plywood. How wrong is that? If the house is a luxury home then a mason is brought in to cover up some of the plywood with a veneer to give the appearance that the home owner has a real chimney. Oh my.
How often have I driven the roads of this great State, and those of our neighboring states, and have seen a sole chimney standing in a field as a testament to a home that has long ago been lost to the ages? Perhaps I should have written “soul chimney” as the chimney is the soul of a home, the heart, the focus of a home… or at least it should be.
I’ve often made the comment that a log cabin, or any home for that matter, without a fireplace is like a canoe with a paddle. It is an essential component of the experience of being home. A fireplace unites a family with its warm glow and crackling sounds of a well tended fire. There is no greater source of entertainment… it much better than any electronic device. Gazing at a fire can be a soul searching experience, just watch your stress and worries wash away as you sit in front of a fire!
Of course, let’s not forget the warmth that a fireplace gives out, and the feeling of control and security that one feels when they have no fear of the cold regardless of what ill winds blow in this uncertain world.
Well, it’s time for me to go throw another log onto the fire. (the fireplace is calling)
One final thought… it was Henry David Thoreau that stated a fire warms you twice, once in the cutting of the wood and once in its burning. Keeping a fire is good source of healthy exercise.
So please, enjoy your fireplace. Count your blessings. And if you are contemplating building a home in the near future make sure and build a quality masonry chimney. Hire an artistic mason, one that will build a fireplace that will throw out heat… and make sure and have him build a beautiful fireplace, one that will be focal point of your home. I’ll expand upon this topic in the future with more details of features to look for in having a good fireplace/chimney.
Originally posted 2015-01-08 17:51:30.
We use a lot of stone in our projects. We find that quality stone work can add so much to the beauty of home. Most of the stone that we use has been salvaged from previous structures for a variety of reasons; from the fact that early structures were built using the first and thus best pickings that were available, to the hand workmanship of previous craftsmen who originally shaped these stones, to the aged patina from decades of exposure to the elements. The stones pictured here were salvaged from a old stone bridge in Pennsylvania. Each was hand shaped, some measuring up to nine feet in length. We used them all on our Moriah project to build the chimneys and landscaping elements.
Originally posted 2014-12-14 18:55:46.
There is something wonderful when brick and stone come together.
Originally posted 2014-12-13 14:48:12.
Here’s “before and after” images of a stone arch that we made years ago.
It’s a simple process, you just create a form out of scrap lumber, and then you carefully, and patiently, shape each stone.
And then, once done, you have created something useful and attractive (that will last for centuries).
Originally posted 2016-08-19 12:45:02.
It’s easy to lose focus when it comes to gaining our dream home.
Life is busy and full of distractions.
Our thoughts turn away from the dream, and then the “how’s” start to move in to destroy all hope.
Our greatest weapon?
Just start, gain momentum, take small steps, like laying stone, one at a time. Setting stone is easy enough that anyone can do it. And, with a little bit of progress every week, eventually the home is complete.
Originally posted 2016-06-13 16:11:10.
Today I’d like to share with you a very important design issue with regard to the construction of chimneys and fireplaces.
99% of home builders and masons get this wrong… and the shameful part is that it does not increase the cost, nor does it take any more effort, to get it right.
It’s all about “fresh air vents”. You see, a few years back, the government in it’s infinite wisdom decided to make it mandatory that all fireplaces be supplied with a fresh air vent to the outside… in other words… a hole poked through a fireplace and out the chimney.
We don’t need to get into the merits of “should there be one or not?”. It’s not like we have a choice. It’s the law.
There are pros to having these vents… Some say new homes are so airtight that fresh air is needed to keep a fire going and not smoke up a house, and others say it’s better to draw in outside air and throw it up the chimney than it is to pull heated air out of the house. Both are valid points.
The negative aspects of fresh air vents are many… most people fail to either open the little door to the vent when burning a fire (and thus they are useless) or they fail to close them when a fire is not burning which allows in cold air and all kinds of creatures who decide to crawl through the vent piping. Plus, I have witnessed strong winds blow smoke and ashes out of fireplace into the room (not good at all).
But, my biggest peeve (besides the government once again feeling it has the right to force me to build a home the way they want it to be) is that for some odd reason 99% of builders and masons feel the need to install these vents front and center… as if this piece of hardware is a decorative element.
It’s not! It’s an eyesore. It’s a visual distraction. It’s a pimple on a gorgeous face… why put it on the tip of the nose?
If you go to the trouble of building a beautiful chimney why mess it up with a modern vent sticking out of the face of it? You might as well hang a few hubcaps on it while you’re at it. lol And when you come inside, and you see the gorgeous fireplace that you’ve put so much effort into building… why have a vent cover staring back at you?
You will never find an old chimney with a fresh air vent… at least I’ve never seen one. And, you will never see a fresh air vent sticking out the face of one my new chimneys. Remember, it’s all about the details. So you may ask… “How do I get away with having an unspoiled fireplace and chimney, and yet keep Big Brother happy as well?”
It’s SO simple… so simple in fact that I am stumped why no one else does it. Well yes, I do know… it’s because so few bother to consider all the options when building a house, failing to always strive to build a home as attractive as it can be. The simple solution to not spoiling fine masonry?… install the vent on the side of the chimney… on the side of the fireplace… where it is hardly noticed or seen!
Often I’ll even go one step further… on the exterior of the chimney, I’ll install the vent recessed and then shape a stone that can be put into place to cover it over during those times the chimney is not being used (as I did on the one seen in the photo at the top of this posting).
There you have it folks… if you want it done right, you either need to do it yourself, or be prepared to tell others how you like it.
Originally posted 2016-05-21 17:25:20.
Most new homes today are so comfortable… are so distracting… that we miss out on what is truly important.
In some ways a modest cottage can hold more blessings for us than a McMansion could ever hope to provide.
Originally posted 2016-05-12 17:04:52.
