Fieldstone & Log Home Help!

GreenAcresFarm · #1 09/29/05, 10:00 AM

Hi All,

I have come to the many experts on this forum with a problem I know you guys can help me with. We just purchased an 8 year old log home but the bottom exterior of the house is unfinished. Please Click Here for a picture of the House.

The problem I have is the bottom edge of the exterior of the house is unfinished and I would like to gather fieldstones from our 35 acres and finish the bottom with those. Any ideas on how to do that??

Thanks in advanced for your expert advice!

Tracey Aasen

Hammer · #2 09/29/05, 09:51 PM

There is lots of ways to do this...If you are going for a stacked look I would clean off the footer and start there. It is probably easiest to buy mortar and add type S portland cement to it. I would add about one shovel of portland to an 80# bag of pre mixed mortar or about a large coffee can. If you are doing it in such a way that the mortar shows it is best to always use the same brand and ratio per mix. Put down a bed for your first rock and go at it. It is best that the rocks be fairly clean and damp. It makes the mortar stick better. If you feel the mix could be stickier add more portland. If a little too much mortar oozes out at your joints address that in a few hours after it has dried some, when you can rake it off without smearing it all over the place. If you are wanting to face the block with rocks [kinda glue them on the side of the block] then you want to stucco the block with your mortar mixture and let that dry. Its better if the block are damp and you apply the mortar an even thickness, for the most part, and leave it fairly rough. This is a little trickier as you have to allow the lower rock time to dry some to hold the next rock up. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

sidepasser · #3 09/30/05, 05:10 AM

Hammer,

Do you have to dig down at the foundation to lay the first row of rock - sorry I didn't comprehend your explanation? of that part. I am sort of doing the same thing, except I am not stacking the rock, but am "glueing' them to the bottom two feet of my house which is block, above that I intend to stucco and so am confused? Do I lay the rock first or do the stucco first? My house/barn is rectangular and the block is clean (acid washed), I want to have the rock on the bottom 2 feet for looks as well as to prevent splash back on the stucco. Do I have to dig around the bottom of the exterior or can I just start level with the ground?...jeez, this project is gonna be hard with only 2 months to get it done - house is 80 feet long x 40 feet wide on the exterior...I am using pre cut rock, no time to gather up all the rock on the farm, so it will be delivered in pallet loads.

Thanks!
Sidepasser

boxwoods · #4 09/30/05, 07:02 AM

Because of the weight of stone or brick, you have to get down to the footing of the house wall or pour a new footing. Try not to do over a couple feet high at a time giving the lower sections time to set up.

sidepasser · #5 09/30/05, 09:12 AM

Thanks - I may have to rethink the stone thing then as I would have to hire a backhoe to come out to dig down to the footers, I sure can't shovel that much and get this thing done in time.

Oh there is always something that complicates a job!!

Sidepasser

boxwoods · #6 09/30/05, 09:17 AM

You might be able to get that fake brick stuff and cement it on to the outside of blocks. In that case the bricketts are glued to the block instead of the weight down to the ground.

Or maybe a stucco look