This summer we have began a very large project on an un-named “Beautiful Island” off of the coast of Maine. We are building 10 fireplaces in 4 chimneys and all the fireboxes have herringbone firebrick. We used high duty soaps (split firebrick). Many of the second floor fireplaces are off set so we pour bridge [...]
Archive for Residential
STONE MURAL
We started a new project at Lon’s house. Our tasks: to design and construct a stone mural for Lon’s entry to his house on the lake. For this, we required the craftsmanship of Jane Burke, a local artist. This was a long, laborious process requiring many steps, but the end result shows just how intricate [...]
Lon’s Lakeside House
We are winding up at Lons. The landscaping is almost finished. We cut perfect circles out of square bluestone to make a stepping stone path. We cut the first stone into the patio to make a transition to the walkway. The stepping stones lead to the round patio, which is squared and rectangular bluestone. The [...]
Stonework Patio
We built a new patio for Emily with tightly fit stone, trying to match the old. The old has a patina of moss between the rocks that takes years to grow. We use a mash of moss, manure tea, buttermilk and coffee grounds to give it a head start.
Labyrinth in another
We completed Barbara Moss labyrinth and liked building it so much that we build our own. We used the same format, finding the center, layout a grid with landscape nails, stiff hoses and digging rough trenches. We prepare a base of compacted sand for a mix of left over pavers, which blended well together. The [...]