Building A Stone Shed - Page 2

[Mounted Madness]

I'm playing catch up on how I was going to post this thread, so here goes...

After getting the cloth (to keep the gravel from sinking into the clay) and then the stone, I had to get the spoil out of the way. It is amazing how much dirt comes out of a hole you dig - it always seems like lot more then what the hole could hold - hmmmmmm

Anyway, after the gravel was tamped down, I layed down some rebar and re-mesh and forms for the eventual pour. Now, the rebar looks a little 'used' and in fact it is. I scrounged the waste from all the house building sites in the neighbourhood with the result that I saved a few bucks on rebar...plus I was overly generous in adding the stuff to the slab. I talked with an engineer friend with respect to the slab and at 5 inches thick throughout, with the rebar and modest size overall - there was no need for a thickened edge.

I bought ready mix concrete on sale at $3/60lb bag and that was at least a 50% saving, though a neighbour 'borrowed' 15 bags this summer - but that's a whole other story. I completed the slab and frankly, though it is far from perfect, for a one man job and done on a hot day, with multiple mixes and pours, it turned out okay. I'm striving for the rustic look, so the less then perfect handiwork is fine with me. I'm also trying to use all of the materials I've been accumulating over the last couple of years as left overs from other projects.

Following the slab, I started preparing for the walls. I've read quite a bit about slip form stone buildings, and planned on employing that method with this build. Basically inner/outer forms sandwiching the concrete and stone until it's set. Too much work and a pain in the butt for a one man operation, and from my perspective, lacks the rustic handbuilt look I'm working towards.

As can be seen in the pics, I used an inner form, walls will be 7 inches thick, vertical rebar was welded to the rebar in the slab and spacers above. I'll be using rebar at 16inch centres horizontally as well. I built the frame for the door with new pressure treated lumber.

Finally, I broke out the mixer again, started humping stone from my trailer to the back yard and laid down my first row of stone. Also, I'm using fine grit concrete rather then mortar, since the original plan was slip form and that is what is used there. I'm mixing it a little dryer then normal, and it works very well given that the first row of stone is well affixed to the slab and won't give up any of the stone that I've laid down - so it works.

As required, I've thrown together some pics as I have progressed...:thumbsup:

 

[Egon]

Consider adding a little lime to the concrete mix. It will make the mix a little more sticky.

Are you going to split any of the stones?

 

[two_bit_score]

Don't you already have a thread goin on this?

 

[Mounted Madness]

Consider adding a little lime to the concrete mix. It will make the mix a little more sticky.

Are you going to split any of the stones?

Okay, I'll give it a try. I was going to put up another row today, but there's rain/thunderstorms predicted, plus its Sunday, plus my back is sore, so I'll do it tomorrow.

As for splitting stones, they all run from 2inch to 6inch, well within the size I need for these 7inch walls.

I told my wife it'd be 2 weeks to gitterdone...so I'm still in the ballpark...:thumbsup:

 

[Mounted Madness]

Don't you already have a thread goin on this?

Yeah, it was page one - I'm still learning the posting methods and was having a tough time uploading the pics for page 2...thus the confusion?

I just realized what your saying .

If I go into my thread - how do I 'continue' without starting a whole new thread...?????

 

[Western]

Yeah, it was page one - I'm still learning the posting methods and was having a tough time uploading the pics for page 2...thus the confusion?

I just realized what your saying .

If I go into my thread - how do I 'continue' without starting a whole new thread...?????

Just go to your old post and continue by clicking the "reply" button like you do when you respond to someones question or comment.

For photo's, While in the reply screen, scroll down to "manage attachments" upload your photo, then click the submit button at the bottom.

 

[two_bit_score]

Yeah, it was page one - I'm still learning the posting methods and was having a tough time uploading the pics for page 2...thus the confusion?

I just realized what your saying .

If I go into my thread - how do I 'continue' without starting a whole new thread...?????

Western pointed you to the right track.

Looking forward to reading about your project. Good pics too!

 

[Egon]

Just dawned on me; that shed will make a good smoke house!:thumbsup:

 

[NormL]

Okay, I'll give it a try. I was going to put up another row today, but there's rain/thunderstorms predicted, plus its Sunday, plus my back is sore, so I'll do it tomorrow.

As for splitting stones, they all run from 2inch to 6inch, well within the size I need for these 7inch walls.

I told my wife it'd be 2 weeks to gitterdone...so I'm still in the ballpark...:thumbsup:

Just had some rain come through south west of where you are a few minutes ago. Not enough to run and hide from though!:laughing:

That looks like it's going to be a real fortress of a shed!:thumbsup: Looking good!

 

[magicheater]

Consider adding a little lime to the concrete mix. It will make the mix a little more sticky.

Are you going to split any of the stones?

I'll second the lime. A mason I worked with had his own mixture I still use to this day. 1/2 bag cement, 1/2 bag masons lime and 18 shovel fulls of sand. The last is a variable at best but you get the idea.

 

[forgeblast]

Nice!! (if you look under my thread busy summer you can see a fieldstone shed im making also).
The shape of the stone you are using is one that I have come to realize is great for building with.
I did mine a bit different.
I dug a 30'' square trench, one side was sloped to daylight. the reason was the water I have in the area.
I lined it with gravel and then put in 4'' perf pipe. Covered with gravel(tamping all the way).
Then with about 16'' left put in tarpaper and rebar(the tarpaper was to hold the concrete in place). Its a rubble foundation.
Then I started with the stone, my walls are about 6-10'' thick. When using some of the stone there are variations so the wall in some areas went in quicker then I wanted.

shows a corner

is my back wall, a friend gave me that window. My other windows will be green house double wall material. It was going to be old storm windows but they broke when we had a storm.

shows the front.
Looks a bit messy but once I am to the top of that back window im done. I will frame out the top, may put in a second floor, not sure yet, I am thinking of a honey house/bee house.
The wood in the door frame is just a guide not the actual door frame. The two large "shield" type stones at the front of the shed are the only two stones i needed help with.
I really find stone buildings interesting. Its neat how the shape of the stone gives the building character. I have learned a lot by building with stone. I cant wait to see yours finished. Good luck.
The slipforms was that the technique used by mcraven?

 

[two_bit_score]

Yeah, it was page one - I'm still learning the posting methods and was having a tough time uploading the pics for page 2...thus the confusion?

I just realized what your saying .

If I go into my thread - how do I 'continue' without starting a whole new thread...?????

Hey man! How's that shed going?

 

[Mounted Madness]

Sorry folks that I haven't posted anything since August. I've now finished the 'stone shed' except for some minor trim, and though I had some minor setbacks, I'm pleased with the result. It's a shed and no one else in the neighbourhood has one like it...and it's not plastic.

I originally wanted to do the slipform method of the wall, but really screwed up when I discovered the slipform wasn't going to slip , with the result that I had to take my reciprocating saw to the form and cut it out. I opted to use a whole bunch of left over pressure treated wood material for a standing form so that I could just as easily throw the cement at it, and stack the stone accordingly.

Then as I went along, after buying MORE concrete, I discovered I was running out of stone...or rather, I'd have to go get more. Now, as a timeline, I had planned to get this done by mid-September, which just didn't happen. The load of sand/gravel/stone that I'd picked up with my trailer was well gone over and the stone I was now using was down to about 5-6 inch - much smaller then what I started with, and a lot harder to satisfactorily stack with the benefit of gravity.

After going back to the quarry twice, and getting about 50 gallons worth of rocks, I figured that going to the height shown in the pics would be as far as I'd go. Time, summer, concrete and my patience was starting to wear me down. For the record, this whole excercise was a see if I can do this at reasonable cost and in a reasonable amount of time effort. The outcome isn't perfect, but seldom are any of my projects - I just like doing them.

What did I learn in all of this? Lots actually, as follows...

1. Don't use small rocks, get stone that you can pick up and handle without killing yourself, but the bigger the rock, the faster the project will move along. Little rocks become really really annoying.

2. Instead of developing your own slip form style, read what you can, and follow the instructions. I guess being male, suggests but one thing, that I don't read instructions...

3. Using left over materials is a good thing as long as you have enough of them, or they are easily obtained if you run out. I did modify my plan as I went along, and I did over build.

4. Finally, would I do this again? Absolutely, but I'd start earlier in the season given a choice. I'm kind of running out of room at this point, and I'm not sure if selling the house so that I can build another shed, shop or whatever is something my wife will agree with. On the other hand, there's a lot of other things that stone, cement and imagination can get you doing, but the best part is its longevity.

It's getting late here and sundown is in another hour or so, so I'll leave this post for the time being. I have a couple more pics to throw into the mix, so I'll do that over the next couple of days.

 

[Mounted Madness]

Nice!! (if you look under my thread busy summer you can see a fieldstone shed im making also)...
...I have learned a lot by building with stone. I cant wait to see yours finished. Good luck.
The slipforms was that the technique used by mcraven?

Holy smokes, I'm impressed beyond imagination. :thumbsup:

Frankly, I wish we had the flat stone you have, available here, since it'd be great for building rubble walls. I haven't been on the computer much this summer/fall and with the yard work and some projects are starting to wind down. I'm now able to start catching up on other committements.

I think I should have been a stone mason...though in this day and age, most people want things done quickly, rather then the more labour intensive methods of days gone by. Again, I'm impressed with your work and I'll slip over to your other post at the earliest.

:thumbsup:

 

[powerstroke444e]

Sweet build, only wish I had the patients to build something like that.

 

[GGB]

Wow! That is really nice. Once again, I'm impressed with the craftsmanship and skill of TBN'ers.

GGB

 

[forgeblast]

Very Nice job, love the way its wood on the inside thats a really nice look!!!!

 

[NormL]

Holy smokes, I'm impressed beyond imagination. :thumbsup:

Frankly, I wish we had the flat stone you have, available here, since it'd be great for building rubble walls. I haven't been on the computer much this summer/fall and with the yard work and some projects are starting to wind down. I'm now able to start catching up on other committements.

I think I should have been a stone mason...though in this day and age, most people want things done quickly, rather then the more labour intensive methods of days gone by. Again, I'm impressed with your work and I'll slip over to your other post at the earliest.

:thumbsup:

If you're not careful someone at the Upper Forks project is going to see all this and you will have all the stone masonry work you want and then some!:laughing::licking::thumbsup: (For those who have no idea what I mean by that, the Upper Forks project is a restoration of a place of historical significance in our capital city in Manitoba.)