It was time to lay stone.
I love stone. I can’t get enough of it. Every time I build, I try to incorporate it. And every time, it blows my budget. But, it’s worth it.
For the Madison House I bought salvage rights to an old bank-barn’s foundation. The barn that had sat upon that foundation had been removed years before by someone else. The farmers were glad to get the remaining unsightly danger removed. And I was excited to get such fine stone for my home. West Virginia sandstone, oh yeah!
It took twelve dump truck loads to deliver it to the site… that’s 240 tons of stone… and I used every stone to build the foundation, chimney, and two massive retaining walls.
Folks are always asking me how would it cost for you to build that house for me? This is just one of many, many reasons I can never answer the question. If I had to buy this rock at the local retail rock center it would likely cost $70,000. On the other hand, I might be able to find an old foundation that a farmer might sell to me at a price much less… but how much will he want for it? and how much will it cost to get it delivered?
Originally posted 2015-03-25 16:14:23.