Traditional Masonry.... Stonework.. pic update page 2

[magicmistertea]

pic updates

thought id update this thread with a few of my recent jobs..... anyone else interested ?
sorry a bit pic heavy...

comments appreciated good or bad

the long wall is now capped in granite, with granite quoins and 9ft granite steps... ( the steps weighed 3/4 ton each !!!- nightmate to lay !!!) i will get a pic posted sometimeof the finished wall..... Its also got to have cast iron railings fitted yet...
this wall cost a lot of money... the granite alone cost a smalll deposit on a house, nice job to work on..

 

[magicmistertea]

another private developmet built with granite...

 

[magicmistertea]

more granite.........

 

[magicmistertea]

last few pics.............. :roll:

Its all quite "rustic"... but i think it turned out okay ?

 

[cyfa2809]

niiiicee house!

 

[peanut]

beautiful work !
I notice that you have no expansion joints in the long wall ,which visually of course would ruin the venacular aesthetic. What mortar mix did you use with the granite ?

 

[longun]

awsome dude

 

[mattbrown]

gorgeous

 

[drystonepaul]

As a qualified Drystone waller I'll pass comment on the free standing walls rather than the buildings.

So... I'm not sure whereabouts you're building so I can't comment on how well it fits in with the local style. I'm guessing you're in Cornwall though in which case a 'Herring-Bone' style could've been an option.

I'm not keen on the final appearance of the faced concrete block boundary wall. As a rule all your bigger and taller stones should be near the bottom, with each course getting progressively smaller until you achieve your final height. Having the mortar flush with your stone face also doesn't look great in my opinion.

Your other smaller walls amongst which happen to incorporate the brick pillars are a big improvement. Some of you're coursing is still a bit random as in there are some big blocks near to the top, with some irregularity to your coursing. In appearance it's kind of somewhere between random limestone and coursed gritstone walling.

That granite is fairly uniform in shape so it should be relatively easy to keep each course pretty even and horizontal, which helps to ensure you cross all your joins too. You've a few running joins but nothing to worry about, particularly as you've used mortar. Running joins in a drystone wall would be a major structural problem.

I do like the double row cobbled capping you've done, and that buttress is quite neat.

 

[peanut]

As a qualified Drystone waller I'll pass comment on the free standing walls rather than the buildings.

So... I'm not sure whereabouts you're building so I can't comment on how well it fits in with the local style. I'm guessing you're in Cornwall though in which case a 'Herring-Bone' style could've been an option.

.

not sure that I would agree herringbone being a viable option.

Herringbone in regular sized brick is difficult enough and would take considerably longer to construct than horizontal, coursed or semi coursed brickwork. particularly when you are using completly irregularly sized flint/granite
The major drawback with herringbone is it has a very poor structural integrity compared with coursed or semi coursed material due to poor bonding.
In order to use a herringbone pattern it would be necessary to frame it top and bottom and ends with some coursed flints adding to the work and considerably increasing the cost to the client.

Whilst it is considered sound practice to start with larger blocks at the bottom and reduce size as work proceeds up I think Andy has created something aesethically very pleasing