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Hello,
Do any masons out there have opinions or information about putting a cobblestone exterior on a house? Specifically, we are wondering:
1. Is this type of masonry easier or harder to lay up than bricks? Would your average mason take this on this type of job?
2. Would most of the cost be in the materials or the labor? (We live in north-central Ohio, where stream cobbles are common naturally and also available at some local wholesalers. We might be able to gather some or all of the materials from nearby properties.) How might the total cost compare to brick or other stone?
3. Will this type of wall do well over the long haul? What are the implications for moisture inside the house, fitting windows and doors, etc. Are there special construction precautions (mortar type, backing, prep, etc.)?
If a whole cobblestone house is a fantasy, we might use this facing selectively, say on a porch foundation.
Thanks,
M. Morss
Replies
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cobble (especially the rounded river rock) was pretty common in the thirties... there are usually examples in every town that had a supply of cobbles...
any good mason could do this.. but i would want them to show me some of their stone work....
as with any masonry veneer.. there has to be a rain screen system and drain behind the veneer.. and good flashing details at all penetrations...
.. this should cost more in both labor and material...
local pricing would be the only pricing of value...
*Martha,This is a very specialised form of masonry and will be much more expensive than ordinary brickwork as it is very labour intensive and your choice of contractors will be limited.A solid stone wall will need sealing against damp penetration, however it may be possible to make the outer skin only of stone, with a cavity and then an inner skin of timber or brick.It is/was the traditional form of wall construction in Surrey, England, using local flints. I can't say how long it would last,-- there are churches, etc., built with the method but they are barely 900 years old.
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Hello,
Do any masons out there have opinions or information about putting a cobblestone exterior on a house? Specifically, we are wondering:
1. Is this type of masonry easier or harder to lay up than bricks? Would your average mason take this on this type of job?
2. Would most of the cost be in the materials or the labor? (We live in north-central Ohio, where stream cobbles are common naturally and also available at some local wholesalers. We might be able to gather some or all of the materials from nearby properties.) How might the total cost compare to brick or other stone?
3. Will this type of wall do well over the long haul? What are the implications for moisture inside the house, fitting windows and doors, etc. Are there special construction precautions (mortar type, backing, prep, etc.)?
If a whole cobblestone house is a fantasy, we might use this facing selectively, say on a porch foundation.
Thanks,
M. Morss