After four different samples and another trip to the stone supplier, we now have the stone and a masonry technique that we love. It has been a real learning experience. I discovered that my ideal stone wall is actually solid stones that are load-bearing. But that is very expensive on the facade of a house. So the stone instead is a “thin stone” that gives the illusion of being thick and supporting the wall, but is actually more of a veneer. Nonetheless, I wanted it applied in a way that looked like it was supporting the house. Of course, this takes extra $ in materials and labor, but I think it will be worth it.
We finally got enough of a break in the snow for the workmen to start laying the stone on the exterior. They worked through the weekend, catching up on the delays from weather.
Pallettes of stone for the house are on the front yard
A fire heats up the water used to mix the mortar for the stone
Stone being laid on the front of the house
The stone has somewhat of a dry-stack look, yet is robust and rich in color tones
Workmen lug up heavy rock and work high on the roof to complete the stone chimney