Such an attractive chimney.

Likely built by someone who was not a professional mason, using ruble stones that were picked up out of nearby fields, laid without the benefit of cement, and yet, it has stood for centuries.

Cement, one of the great wonders of the world, has been a curse with regard to the creation of attractive stonework. All masons should lay stone as if their cement was not there.

Originally posted 2015-04-25 21:38:15.

I like this chimney. I really do. It will still be around long after I’m gone.

It was made from the stone that we salvaged from the cabin’s original chimney (that is, where she once stood), plus we had to scrounge around on this farm’s rock piles for the “extras” that we always seem to need.

I’m not certain why that is, but it’s a rule… there is never enough stone from a chimney to rebuild the same chimney back. Go figure.

The original builders of this chimney had “first picks” when it came time to select the best stones laying around in the surrounding area, which meant that we had some nice stones to work with. And, fortunately for us, those same builders did not have access to our modern cement, so disassembling the chimney was easy.

We rebuilt the chimney using the same techniques that were used when it was originally built (which also matched the other chimney on this house). We carefully laid each stone flat and in a horizontal pattern. No stick-on stones here.

I did not add any flare to the top of the chimney. I normally like to add a simple decorative touch… some people call it a crown… but here we chose to match the other chimney on this house which didn’t have one.

Originally posted 2015-04-19 13:31:25.

The life a stonemason… part 3

Eventually all those carpenter bees leave and peace once again returns to the mason’s life as he returns to his stonework.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Originally posted 2015-04-15 11:13:17.

No one can make a stone mason more miserable than a carpenter. With their loud saws they often encroach about the mason, often driving him off and even endangering his life by working overhead.

Originally posted 2015-04-15 11:02:38.

The life of a stone mason… part 1

A stone mason is happiest when he has a stone that he can chip away at until it suits him. He loves to swing his hammer, and to hold his chisel, and to see the stone conform to his vision.

Now if you give that mason a huge pile of really nice stone, you know, one’s that will shape well, one’s that have existing corners and one’s in which many of the stones are already rectangular in shape, well, you just might find that mason whistling an Irish tune on occasion.

If you want to make him even happier, throw in a helper, one that will mix his cement, and sort his stones into neat little piles… all is now right with the world. At lunch he might break out his corn cob pipe and tell you a story about his younger days.

But on the other hand… (to be continued)…

Originally posted 2015-04-14 21:47:11.

And here’s the third local entrance wall…

These folks hired an architectural firm to precisely design their entrance wall.

Clearly all this architect had was a straight edge. A very crisp structure. Institutional. It doesn’t really blend into the environment does it? I wonder did he ever visit the property?

So plans were drawn, with exacting details given. The mason who was hired performed his work with great precision according to the plans that he was supplied with, so that he would get further work from this firm in the future.

The mason was never allowed to express his own artistic abilities and I would imagine after years of working under such conformity that any artistic stirrings within this man would be squelched.

This stone wall was also by far the most expensive of the three that I have shared today, with the architect profiting more from the adventure than the mason who built it.

All three of these walls will be around for centuries if left undisturbed. Over that long of a span of time any cost differences between them is insignificant. So to me, it all comes down to our legacy, what are we leaving for others to view countless times in the years to come?

Originally posted 2015-03-30 15:32:56.

The second entrance wall that I wanted to share was built with “How much?” being the driving factor.

These folks saw no importance in stone selection, nor did they have any appreciation for quality workmanship. All they cared about was the lowest bid. You know… “Rock is rock, I’m not paying any more than I have too”

And so now there is an eyesore for everyone to see until this mess is one day torn down.

Originally posted 2015-03-30 15:04:25.

There are three entrance stone walls located within ten miles of my home. Each was built using a different path.

I did not play a part in any of them. But, I think there is a lesson that can be learned by each.

The first one seen here was contracted out to a local stone artisan. He had a reputation of being a “unique character” with a known history of creating some beautiful stone structures.

He was asked to come in and “build something nice” by the folks that hired him. And, that is what he did.

This is how I build houses. Hire the best, and let them practice their art.

Originally posted 2015-03-30 14:47:34.

I was always amazed at the stone foundations that I would see over in West Virginia.

Either the folks over there were blessed with naturally occurring perfect cubes of stone, or the men over there were some of the most gifted stone masons on God’s green Earth.

I finally encountered an old country gentlemen who showed me the secret. He grabbed an axe and placed it in the back of his pickup truck and invited me to go for a ride. We later stopped up in a holler where an ancient rock formation was exposed.

It turns out that the sandstone over there that has remained wet in the ground shapes with an axe easier than any piece of wood does. And, once that same stone is left in the sun for a couple of weeks, it hardens right up into… well… solid stone.

Mystery solved.

What an incredible resource they have over there.

Originally posted 2015-03-22 22:03:53.

One last photo of the log and stone cabin to share. This is of the finished chimney… made out of solid stone. Pretty nice isn’t it?

Our small city offers a tour of new homes each year and I normally go out to see what is being built by the other area builders. This last time I don’t recall seeing a single house that had a real masonry chimney. A few of them had wood sided chimneys, and one had a chimney that was brick veneered to look like a real chimney. Geez.

I never thought I’d see the day that ANY home came without a real chimney. And now NONE of them do. The transition was quick… over the course of a decade… and now no one questions how we have lost a central feature of all homes going back centuries in time.

I guess it’s all about priorities.

I did see some pretty floors… even though they were a sixteenth of an inch thick veneer. And there was some mighty fancy trim work… even though it was foam. And look! here’s a remote for the fireplace!

So sad.

Originally posted 2015-03-22 10:39:55.