Stone House Construction nearing completion

[Heron]

Osh and Mentone in 2012? Where is my passport?
Gee . . .I need to renew my visa . . . it is only good untill november 11.
see you there Inshalla . . .
Heron

 

[Arnie Madsen]

Greg Mitchell

Well done Greg , very nice. I love Stone houses.

I wanted one so badly , I considered building one around 1987. I located a good supply of stone nearby , I took a few introductory lessons on washing them , sorting them , splitting them , matching them , mortaring them , and I was full of enthusiasm. My labor was free , the stone was nearly free , and mortar mix is not expensive.

I was going to build a beautiful house at low cost.

I was very fortunate to receive (free) engineering advice , foundation requirements , and all the other things required before even one stone was cut. I was also advised to build a small outdoor barbecue completely out of stone "just to get me warmed up".

Canadian summers are as hot as Australian summers and by the time I gathered , washed , and sorted enough stone to build a small outdoor barbecue , all of a sudden I figured I would rather be a fisherman out on lake Manitoba drinking ice cold champagne.

To this day , somewhere in my yard is a pile of unused rocks . I never go looking for them again. It takes a tremendous amount of work , skill , and careful planning to build a stone house .

I recognize what you have accomplished Greg , very nice , I admire.

Thanks
Arnie.

 

[All_In]

Stone houses are much like curved stairways, everyone likes them!!!

Really looks good, you should be very proud!

 

[StanFoster]

Mitch- I never will forget years ago while working as a trim carpenter. There were a bunch of stone masons laying up a stone fireplace. They were known for getting a lot of stone laid in a day. Anyway they had been laying up this fireplace for about half a day...I was in the back of the home hanging a door. All of a sudden a large rumble went through the home...it felt like an earthquake. The stone fireplace had progressed faster than the mortar, and there was a big rock avalanche. Just a few bruises....and they had it soon layed back up the next day.


Stan

 

[barnstorm2]

Cheers Tim,

We are booked to return to the USA 2012 for Mentone and Oshkosh, see you again Mate.

Fantastic!!


Are you going to toss another aussie brick with a lemon taped to it at my forehead?

I can never remember what that drink was called..


.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Hey Rob,

Hope you and Dee are well and happy. Next time your down under/Tassie way, come stay. We would love to see you both again. If not hopefully catch you in 2012.

Heron,

God willing, we will meet again old friend.

Cheers John.

Stan's staircases are in a class of there own. I'm just a simple stone pitcher/part-time builder.

Tim

Are you going to toss another aussie brick with a lemon taped to it at my forehead?

Are you referring to the Triple Filtered Bundaburg Rum, affectionately known as 'Square Bear'. Due to the square bottle, with Polar Bear logo and advertising?

I remember we gave it a big nudge one night. Look forward to doing it again.

Hey Stan,

Rule of thumb is not to come up much above 600mm on a 'trick' wet wall. Least till the mud has gone off. Very thick Production Walls are a different story.

When I am double facing a wall, I build upto 600mm both sides, using the occassional tie stone of gal strap ties thru the wall connecting each side. Next day I core fill with concrete blend.

I took a couple more pics last night of the staircase. Good thing I got all the inset lights and walls in the right place for the install of the steel stringers.

The wife and I glued and clamped the treads and installed them ouselves. We also made the full length, triple and double glass doors.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[barnstorm2]

Tim

Are you going to toss another aussie brick with a lemon taped to it at my forehead?

Are you referring to the Triple Filtered Bundaburg Rum, affectionately known as 'Square Bear'. Due to the square bottle, with Polar Bear logo and advertising?

I remember we gave it a big nudge one night. Look forward to doing it again.

Yeah, I know I am a lightweight on the grain but one of those on an empty stomach after a long day of conventioning has the effect of a Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster.


.

 

[StanFoster]

Mitch- You and your wife did a classy job on that stairway. I have never done a tensioned cable balustrade, but came close once, then they changed their design.

That stairway fits in that home perfectly. You two have an excellent eye for architecture. Love the ceiling and the whole package. Very, very beautiful work.

Stan

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Tim,

I'll bring another bottle with me next year.

Stan,

Thankyou. The tensioned cable balustrade is stainless steel supplied by a Co called Rope and Chain. It was expensive. I assisted in the install and later had to install some stand-offs, through posts and the rail upstairs as the post base fixings we not standing up to the punishment dished out by the childeren. You know how kids can be swinging of staircase posts etc.

I thought you'd like to see these two pics. Shows how on the rendered side of the single faced stone wall, locations of stairwell light recess' that I had to plan for when pitching the wall. Also shows a wall light switch install.

You can see some of the top section treads have been installed.

Tas Oak was used extensively throughout including the treads to the stairway. We biscuit glued two sections and sash clamped to make each tread. Then tacked on the Alum Tread edge protectors.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[StanFoster]

Mitch- Whenever I see a nice stairway with different details, I just study the pictures till their worn out. I stow away nice details for possible future need of such information. Thanks for giving me some details to stow away. Very nice. Stan

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Hey Arnie Madsen,

I hear ya! Asked a mate to build me a stone BBQ, once he was up around 400-500mm, I took over and finished it off. My first garden wall was a request from my accountant (she'd seen the BBQ ) to put a wall in front of her Office/Residence......jumped in head first after that.

Appreciate your comments, understanding the process and connecting with the journey, by sharing part of yours. Cheers Arnie.

Stan,

You would create such a staircase with your eyes closed and two hands tied behind your back.

Thanks Stan

Mitch

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Getting closer to having the roof fully flashed.

The link has more pics and a blurb on what I'm doing with the flashings.

http://www.asra.org.au/smf/index.php?topic=783.150

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Flashing Parapett wall

Flashing Parapett wall

More Pics and blurb on how I'm flashing the parapett and end sections.

http://www.asra.org.au/smf/index.php?topic=783.150

Mitch

 

[Graeme Monro]

Are we there yet?

Are we there yet?

I think the whole house looks pretty Flash to me Mitch.

Graeme.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

http://www.asra.org.au/smf/index.php?topic=783.150

Are we there yet. Geez how many times did my kids make me watch that with them.
Cheers Gra Gra.

It'll be even flasher next time you get down this way for a visit. You wont have to worry about Waddles snoring his box off all night or tripping over Muzza sleeping on the lounge room floor. You and your Lady are always welcome Gra Gra

Anywho, we got abit in today. Ole mate Nudge who I fly with turned up as Malcolm and I were trying to thread the wall flashing thru a cut I put in the curved section, so we could simply slide her in.
Not to be...there were some sections where the sidings were a tad tight up against a batton or strapping some similar type of obstruction

With shear determination a 6'4" flying buddy weilding a lumpy hammer, went tap, tap on the end. At the same time as I counted 1.2.3. Pull, Malcolm and I would 'pull' and Nudge would keep in sink with the tapping. Like I said lots of measuring and planning but the forces of friction ( the sidings still being in close contact or on a batton or similar ) and the odd splinter or snagged damp course, gave us no end of grief. I couldn't have been happier.......because at one point she was stuck firm, with about 4 feet left to travel and would not budge in either direction. Worried..you bet. But not beaten.

more pics at the link, been updated now.

Looks like I cant get help till Tuesday now, mind you I can have the next flashing notched and ready to install. Lack of an extra set of hands and forecast rain comming I might get do some other chores about the place

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Finished all the head/dripsill flashings and siliconed the hip part of the roof profile.

I have some issues with this wall and water migration after 3 solid days of rain on it.

Will have to chemically treat the wall and copping material to avoid water migration.

A bloke from Rainguard Australia is sending me some test product to try.

These treatments are not films or coverings they enter thru the porosity of the cement and stone.

I have to decide whether I will por my own conc capping stones or buy some in.

http://www.asra.org.au/smf/index.php?topic=783.165

Few more pics.

Cheers,

Mitch.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

I did not have any detail on the plans of the house, as I did a deal with the architect. We got a cheaper rate from him and I had to effectively work out all the finer details.

I have consulted with many different 'tradie' specialist and installers over the last 10-11 years on this house and had a few tradies and a couple of 'builders' onsite for short periods.

The walls are all mine. So I have to take responsibility for not anticipating an age old problem with stone and concrete walls. Thought mine would be at 18"-20" thick on the larger exterior southern and western walls, thick enough to do the job.
As in gyro building and learning about stress risers etc, I,ve learnt more about rock wall building.

I'd probably reverse my lay-up process on a weather exposed wall, use a lime mortar and treat the conc blend back fill. I'd use fewer tradies, download more tech and spec sheets (did'nt have a PC back when I started). I would have paid more attention than I did, to builder mates I worked with over the years.
I would have started younger, when my back was strong. As I come to the end of this build, I find the work much harder, the detail more important. The laying of the coping stones will be the most physically demanding. Crazy.

The flashings and drip sills I have designed to help keep water off and out of the walls, once the copping stones are set.

There is a bloke over there in the USA name of Michael Olding (Cincinatti Sp?) here is his website link. I cant tell you just how much help he has
been in the last few weeks, with suggestions and advice based on his extensive experience.
http://www.cincihomepro.com/


The wife loves it, one day the kids will appreciate it and I get to go to 2 flyins with my Blue Monarch this year, Easter and June. Excellent.eace:

Casement windows and glass panels go in next week.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[birdy]

Bloodyell Mitch, you still workn on ya cave?
Geez,iv rebuilt a moo farm in less time, and im a lazey slob.

 

[Greg Mitchell]

Talked to Gra Gra tonight he asked what I'd change about the lay-up and mentioned something about Birdy rebuilding the moo farm.

My part of the cave has been finished for a while Mate. Its the kids bedrooms comming on. Jakes 10, Danielle is 7. The room they have shared will be the PC room/rec room for them. Also double as a guest room. You know you're welcome any time.

There is still so much left to do and I got to get the gyro back here do the mods tidy up the tail, install the throttle quadrant, prep the trailer for the trip.
Why is it everytime you go to use a trailer, the lights never work and you end up dickin around for hrs trying to sort it.
Looking forward to both flyins.

Birdy, heard you were thinkin of going to Quobba Station. What's you plans.

Cheers,

Mitch

 

[Arnie Madsen]

Greg

For a stone house builder you do a pretty good job of flashing and final trim. I know that for a fact because I put my magnifying glass on, pushed all the snowbanks out of the way , and examined your pictures . Your house is looking good Greg. Very nice.

This is March 31st in Canada , and I still have 10 foot snowbanks in my yard. No kidding. I have my row boat tied to a snowbank for when the snow melts. I type this quickly so that everybody knows it is not an April fools joke or something. April fools starts tomorrow. This is still today. At least on the top of the world. I am on the top of the world. (smile)

You have obviously done a lot of work over a period of time. You never once mentioned anxious kids or nagging wives wondering when ...........

..... never mind. Send them to my place in Canada and they can shovel 10 feet of snow to find my pile of rocks that was going to be a house some day. After three days they will beg for a flight back home to tell dad what a wonderful guy he is. Tell them I said that With love from Canada. We men have to stick together. Stone age men too.

Tell them 10 feet of snow is three meters plus a little bit.

Final trim , odds and ends , are the hard part after a man builds a stone house. I find it much easier to shovel snow and type. So I did.