Monday, May 29, 2017

Stone, Hinges & Chimney

Progress this week isn't really super visible.  I got the chimney covered in stone and the rest of the wainscoting done and finished with the Delta Ceramcoat Finish.  It requires a full day to dry so that ate up a lot of time.

Originally I was going to keep the inset under the wainscoting and use some of the texture paint to make it look like concrete.  But I felt it would make it look clumsy and unfinished so I added a strip of the flagstone to the bottom.

I do have a few pictures for you.  Here's the chimney covered with stone and the bottom strip of wainscoting added.



I actually like how it looks.  I'm hoping to add the mortar to the flagstones today so that can dry for a few days before I add the finish to it.

But before I got much further with the wainscoting I wanted to get my two walls hinged together.  Maybe I would have had an easier time with that if I'd done it before I added the stone, but I managed to get some channels routed out and the hinges added.  The glue is drying now but the walls fit together at a right angle and that's what I was concerned about.



I've got some tape over the strip wood reinforcing the hinges while everything dries.  I'll take that off and get the raw wood taped off so I can spray some primer on the hinges so they aren't quite so obvious.

The color of the stone should (I think) darken slightly once I get the finish on, at least that's what the pictures show.  Once I know what color the stone will end up I'll have to choose a finish for the woodwork and the paint color for the siding.  I can add the siding though so if I can't do the grout/mortar I might try to start on that for the rest of today.  We'll see.

Either way, I need to make a start on that. 

The other thing I'm working on, (in my head mostly) is a way to make the bathroom something I can slide out so the kitchen isn't too hard to access.  I think a very thin floor, with a paper tile, so that it matches the height of the wood floor for the rest of the house.  Sort of a wooden box I can slide in and out with its own lights. 

I feel like I'm further behind in my progress this year than the same time last year, but I'm trying not to stress over it. 

As someone married to a veteran I'm a little more...cognizant of the meaning of Memorial Day.  So I hope everyone else is having a happy Memorial Day and we keep in our hearts all our absent friends.


14 comments:

  1. It looks great! How much does the house weigh now?! :D

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    1. I haven't weighed it just yet, but the stones are plaster so they're not super heavy thankfully.

      I'm adding mortar so it can set and dry today. I'm hoping it will still be something I can lift after I'm done.

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  2. You have done a Very Neat job laying the stones in place Sheila and they certainly give the personality of a Craftsman Cottage.
    I know the feeling of spending a lot of time and effort yet not having it look like you've done as much as you know you have. Nevertheless, having installed stones myself and NOT as Good as you've done, all I can say is BRAVO!
    Keep up the Great Work :D

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    1. Thank you! I'm grateful that the stones are mostly done I just need the steps, pillars and chimney top. But those will all have to wait for a bit.

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  3. Good job with the hinges. The stone is pretty.

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    1. Thank you! if I'd been thinking I'd have done the hinges before I put the stone on but my brain didn't work well enough.

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  4. sheila, it always happens: we are wll on the way and then realize that logic failed and there were things we should have done first! grrrr... when this happens I usually take time and plan at least 5 steps ahead. that doesn't mean that things then work out without hitches - but usually these are minor ones that are fixable.
    but you seem to have found a way to get your hinges into place - well done!

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    1. And what's hilarious is I thought I had figured it out. I barely kept from putting brick on a corner that would have impeded movement.

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  5. Any progress is good Sheila, and it looks like more than you think. It all looks great, and well done on getting the hinges installed and working properly.

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    1. Thanks! I'm hoping to make a bit more progress this coming weekend.

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  6. The colors on the stone are really beautiful.

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    1. Thanks! I really like them. They'll darken a bit with the grout but not too much I think.

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  7. The stonework looks great. Great colors too. This time consuming task will pay off in the long run - looking forward to seeing your progress.

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    1. Thank you! This weekend I finish the stone and then start on siding

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