Building with stone - techniques by Stonemasons.

Types of Stonewalls: There is various techniques that can be used for constructing stonewalls, when working with 'natural' or rough quarried stone. The most common largely fall into 3 categories.

(a) dry stonewalls
(b) semi-dry
(c) wet / mortared.

All can be either 'single' or 'double', meaning building stone on either one side or both sides.

Dry stone walls: often seen in the west of Ireland along your roads. These can be done using no mortar what so ever, or 'dry', to the semi-wet, ie it looks dry, but mortar is used and hidden on the back of the stone, hence not seen. This has the same effect, but creates a stronger bond and greater weather resistance.

Modern wet and raked: stone bonded using mortar and joint raked/scrapped back about one inch to highlight stone. Most commonly used style in the construction of modern homes and buildings. Offers excellent strength and weather resistance, and when done correctly like its predecessor, will endure the test of time.

Traditional stlye using weathered, raised, raked, brushed, 'V' or birdsbeak joint. Different types of joints can be created, depending on both your choice, and existing buildings.
     
What to consider: Building boundary stonewalls

When deciding on a boundary stonewall, you must consider the surrounding environment, and how the wall will sit or blend in with any existing stonewalls, houses close by. You should research the types of stone which are approved by the local authorities within the area (some insist on using only local stone, but it is quite difficult to define 'local' in this regard - this will vary from Dublin to Wicklow / Galway etc - as your house may sit in an area that has many different types of underlying bedrock with-in close proximity.) Also consider weather you want a single or double sided wall, budget, and overall style and finish.

When considering stone work within your garden, none of the local authority guidelines apply, as long as it is within a certain height etc - One must only concern themselves / their stonemason, with the structural and Aesthetic design of the project.

We at Stone to life have implemented many garden designs over the years, from curved retaining rockery walls, to laid Indian cobble stone paths, raised flower beds , raised and stepped water ponds, sunken garden with circular retaining stonewall / flower bed etc. For inspiration and advice, contact your local exterior designer / landscape company who have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this field, and are always worth consulting.

Alternatively, you can visit your local bookstore and pick up one on Garden design, or contact a designer directly. Here you will find many inspiring ideas, and will be able to tailor make the perfect design for you garden.

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Building with stone: Dublin limestone | Wicklow granite | Various sandstones

Whether or not you can retro fix stone to your house will largely depend on the architectural design of the building. The most important thing to firstly consider is to make sure there is a adequate foundation in place which can support the proposed masonry.

Read more: Dry Stone - Semi Dry - Wet | Types of joints used in Masonry | Building with Lime mortar

Also, one must consider how the thickness of the stone (usually built 9 inches from the outer leaf block work) might effect the over hang of the roof, the look and depth of the existing windows, the in-coming light from these windows, and also, how the colour and texture of the chosen stone will effect the over all aesthetics of the building.

Therefore, before embarking on any such project, one should consult both an Architect, Engineer and suitable Stonemason, along with the local planning authority officer (for Dublin and other counties - click here.)

The process: The stone is laid on the foundation, usually 9 inches/ 23cm from the outer brick / block work, although this can vary according to the thickness of the stone in use, and how it may interact with window frames etc.
     
Securing the Stone: The stone is 'tied' into the house front by using either strips of expanding metal, or ties, which are connected to the wall using steel nails at regular intervals (two for every square meter) . This ensures that the stonework will not slide, or come away from the dwelling.

The stone is then built up, around the doorways, windows, archways etc, continuing up until it reaches the very top of the building - meeting the soffit where it is finished. On certain builds, the stonework is finished level to the top, and capped using something similar to paving stone, sealant, and strong waterproof mortar.

New Build Stone Construction

Building form new: When cladding a newly built house with stone, all the fore mentioned considerations of foundations, planning, correct integration have usually been taken into account by your Architect, engineer and planning officer.

From there, the procedure is largely the same, but with one vital difference, more alterations / specific details can be implemented and applied to the build if discussed with your stone mason before work commences on the project, making for a better custom job.

     
How to choose the type of stone?    

The type of stone you choose is of importance. Where the lighter coloured stone works well on a smaller areas, by not constricting the overall feel of the house, and creating a solid and textured look. Darker stone can work very well on a larger area, by condensing the frontage, especially when used against contrasting sidewalls that are painted white, which excentuates the stonework.

Sandstone and shale give off a very warm and bright effect, and can create a snug feeling within a room, which is why it works very well for internal masonry. You should also consider the look of the stonework when wet. As the lighter gray limestone's gos darker, while the very dark gray can go black. But its all just preference really.

Also of significant importance and worth mentioning is the lighting that might be used. Both internal and external light, can be used to highlight the stone, and can have the effect of making it seem either warmer or more shaded in certain areas, while also creating intricate shadows and texture on the stone itself. To test before you install permanent light fixtures, you can simply use flashlights creating up lighting , down / recessed lighting, or a combination of both to see what works best. Your experienced stonemason, and interior designer will be able to advise on the best positioning of light and where to use.

Read more: Dry Stone - Semi Dry - Wet | Types of joints used in Masonry | Building with Lime mortar

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FAQ building with stone

Building with stone | Dry Stone - Semi Dry - Wet

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Building with stone | Types of joints used in Masonry

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I can't really put in words how genuinely delighted I'm with the finish.

When you are building your own home, your heart and soul is poured into the entire process. You think about and plan every aspect of the build, and want to get it just right - down to the last detail...

As the masonry was the main feature on my home, it had to be done aesthetically perfect, and I don't use that term lightly.

The house was somewhat of an unusual build, which consisted of a full two story external stone frontage, with stonework continuing internally in to the hallway and making its way through to the rear of the house. As it was going to be one of the first things that I would see in the morning, I really did need it to be built just right.

Along with this, I also decided to get a large 18 foot stone fireplace constructed in the sitting room, which is the predominant feature of the room itself.

In a sentence, I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The photographs here don't do it justice. It is only when you see the end result psychically for yourself, can you appreciate the workmanship and effort gone into it.

I had looked at many other stonemasons past work before deciding on Will. Stone to life just do it better. I highly recommend him.

Adrian - Dublin Rd, Oranmore County Galway.

It was a pleasure to deal with Will from the beginning of the job right to the end. He travelled out to Austria to do this job for me as he was highly recommended to my me by a friend and I am extremely happy that he did.

He put his heart into the project and especially as this was an internal wall in an old alpine farmhouse, how it finished which was excellent meant a lot to me and in keeping with the theme of the house. I would highly recommend him to anybody who wants a competent and well finished stone job done properly.

Richard McHugh
Galway native. Now, Montafon, Austria.

Will at stone to life was an absolute pleasure to deal with. He did an amazing job of my fireplace taking excellent care to detail. He goes the extra mile to make sure you are fully satisfied with project. Very trustworthy friendly person and very highly recommend.

Christopher Doolan
Kildare town

Hi, I was unsure how to go about a project, building a planting area and a small stone building in my garden. I contacted Will at Stone to Life and he helped me with every aspect of how to build these for myself. I was a total novice. he even showed me and helped with every stage of calculations and the creation of foundations. He came back afterwards to check and ensure I had done the job correctly, free of charge.

The result of using Stone to Life to instruct me in traditional stone building is that I have successfully created my own walled designs and now can create anything I want with confidence. I can not recommend Will and Stone to Life enough for helpeful, west-of-Ireland-friendliness and in depth knowledge.

I cannot recommend Stone to Life highly enough.

Brendan Heard. Rathfarmham, Dublin.

Very reliable and excellent work.

J Hickey
Ralelagh Dublin

I had Stone to Life turn my drab boring fireplace into a real thing of beauty. It turned out even better than i hoped and is a real talking point in our home now.

Great to deal with personally and very considerate with out timetable and working hours as we have twin newborn girls.

If i ever need anymore stonework done ill know who to call. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.

William McCann
Enniskerry, Wicklow.

We designed our own garden (south Galway) with a suntrap plastered on the inside to reflect sunlight and with limestone on the outside to give it an authentic look being the focal point in the garden. After an extensive search for afordable but professional stone masons we got in touch with Stone to Life. They showed us how they stand out from the rest by their exceptional high quality of work with great attention for detail very unlike the mass production facades in many housing estates nowadays. The work was finished within the agreed timeframe and, moreover within budget. We and anyone who has seen the walls are very excited about the astonishing result. We highly recommend Stone to Life, 5 stars all the way!

Walter and Laura Verbruggen
South Galway