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August 22, 2006
Everybody Must Get Stoned
Last Wednesday, the mason finally showed up to install the stone wall. No joke, I hadn't felt like blogging because the stone wall was unfinished. I know that sounds pretty lame, but it is true. There was something about that wall that felt monumental to me. It felt like the last thing, even though it wasn't--isn't.
Anyway, the guy showed up with two helpers and began prep work. Before laying the stone, he needed to nail chicken wire to the wall and coat it in a primary layer of concrete. It looked like mud.
Now, try keeping two young boys off of a tower of mud in the exact middle of the house. Yeah. Right.
It was a crumbly, dusty mess, but I wasn't the least dismayed. The mason said it would take 24 hours to set, but he'd be back to lay the stone then. I thought, "Hey, we can handle this for 24 hours!"
Thursday passed. So did Friday. On Friday night, we called our contractor and asked what was up with the mason. He called us back. Saturday, he said. The guy would be there on Saturday.
So, while we went to Breakfastland, and made a trip to Target (the thirty-fourth trip that week), and while I napped with the younger set and David took our eldest to piano lessons... they layed the stone. All but the last eight bricks.
They ran out of corner pieces at the end, but returned yesterday evening to finish up. It looks incredible. I told David that the stone wall makes everything, every room, even the stairs, look better. I don't know how or why, but it just gels the whole thing.
I only have one complaint: It may take years to get rid of the dust. As they lay the stone, one guy would spread the mortar, and the other guy would scrape off the bits of concrete and stone around it to make it fit properly. The result was a thin layer of dust over every surface in the entire house. David and I swept, mopped and dusted in a tizzy after they left, trying to clear the air. I am still removing the residue today; it seems to settle when the A/C clicks off.
Posted by Christiane at August 22, 2006 09:37 AM
Comments
It looks SUPER! It's nice that you guys were able to go with real stone instead of the synthetics that you were looking at, even if it meant dealing with the dust.
The dust is temporary. The wall is forever.
Posted by: Paul at August 22, 2006 10:29 AM
Actually, we went with the fake stuff. Probably looks awful to a geologist, but I can't tell the difference.
Posted by: David E. at August 22, 2006 12:05 PM
Well then, aren't I feeling stupid... looks just like Texas limestone to me!
Posted by: Paul at August 22, 2006 03:37 PM
You're right, that wall does make the stairs look better. I was previously thinking the dark wood and dark metal of the stairs looked kind of "heavy" in the middle of the room. But the wood and metal tie in nicely with the weight and texture of the stone. Great choice.
Posted by: Bruce at August 22, 2006 07:05 PM
"In Camera," it looks really good and, yes, does "make the rooms." I wouldn't know real from fake, of course, so that part is inconsequential. It looks "real" to me, too.
Posted by: Grampa Ron at August 22, 2006 08:57 PM
Totally worth it tho (the dust I mean)! It's fabulous! You do get rid of the dust eventually and with kids, something else will take it's place, eh?
Posted by: Mary-Frances Main at August 23, 2006 08:17 AM