Hammerhead Stoneworks

Stone Steps in Sloping Yard

I’m nearing completion on a stone steps, wall and patio project in downtown Asheville. Living in the mountains, there’s generally a slope in every yard. This patio required a small drystone retaining wall to create a flat enough area for this patio. Two big slabs of Tennessee sandstone are integrated into the wall, allowing easy access for the homeowner and guests coming from the backyard.

I built another short stack of stone steps at the back of the house, allowing access from the driveway to the deck and into the house. With big chunks of stone like this, I am able to get the proper rise and run, so that these steps walk comfortably, just like the steps in your house. Prior to installing these, there was a muddy slope to the deck stairs, and a ten inch step up. More pics coming soon of the flagstone area above the steps finished.

I just completed a project in Saluda, North Carolina today. The home was built some time in the 70′s and the existing concrete steps were broken down and needed replacing. New stone walkways were in order as well. I built most of the new walkways over the existing sidewalks, dry laid on a pea gravel bed. The image above shows the new steps; the image below shows the area before we got started. Note the awkward spacing of the original steps; it was hard to hit your stride walking them.

The brick pathways wrap around the house, from the formal front entrance (shown above) to the opposite side of the house, which receives most of the traffic.

This short stretch of concrete was poured recently and broke up quite easily under the jackhammer assault. Most of the sidewalks were poured when the house was built and were a pain to break up. They crumbled into dust and would absorb the jackhammer’s impact. It didn’t help that they were up to nine inches thick.

The renovations on the Mayflower House are almost complete. I went back there last week to detail the pathway, cleaning it up and-at long last- installing pebbles in all the openings. The pebbles really completed the piece. This is a detail of the path as it curves from the driveway to the long section that runs along the face of the house.

The path begins at the driveway, with these two steps. It was a real challenge to shoehorn these slabs into the space between the house and dilapidated retaining wall. The steps are almost five feet across and over 500 pounds each.

There’s one pebble opening inside the house, in the center of the entry landing. Originally the idea was to epoxy those pebbles in place, but for now, they are loose as well. I imagine someone coming to visit and walking the length of the pathway and becoming curious about the pebbles. Once inside the house, that’s when the bend over and pick one up and fully explore the little stones, feeling their weight and texture, discovering the fossil and other treasures hidden in the opening. My camera doesn’t respond well to low light, so this blurry image is the best I have for now.
Please note the massive door and the placement of the hinge. The door and the pathway work together to blend the interior and exterior spaces.

My latest project is a dry laid flagstone path with steps at a lovely residence in Montreat, North Carolina.

The Western Carolina Home Show takes place next weekend at the Civic Center here in Asheville. This will be Hammerhead Stoneworks second year representing. I spent the entire weekend (and will spend much of the coming week) making ready. This year I’m showing off flatwork. The following images show some of the work thus far.

I’m very enamored of pebbles right now. This is a detail from the step that will welcome people into my booth space.

The whole step, 2′ by 4′.

About sixteen square feet of rustic flagstone paving using a locally quarried gneiss, called Hooper’s Creek.

I am cutting a mouse-hole in this thick slab of Tennessee Crab Orchard for a downspout to pass through. I’m excited because this is the first time I ever busted out the compass to bring to work.

I start by very carefully scribing a line with the grinder. This traces just inside the pencil line and will be my guide, to make sure I don’t cut away more than I need.

I run the big cut-off saw just to get my knockouts started. It’s too small an area to do much else with this saw.

On to the hammer and chisels, mixed with lots of kerfing with the grinder. The opening is going to be 4 1/2″ in diameter, which is the same dimensions as the blade on my grinder. You may be able to see places where I kerfed parallel to the top of the stone, as well as the more obvious up and down cuts. The blade binds quickly when I go parallel, but even shallow cuts help me remove material close to the inside of the opening.

TO BE CONTINUED…

There will be a whole chapter on rollers in my book “The Skinny Guy’s Guide to Moving Heavy $#*%” when I get around to writing it.

I’m setting two stone steps inside a residence under renovation by Carlton Architecture. Each step is seven feet across and six inches tall. I spent a long, long time honing the slabs down to the perfect size and shape. Most challenging was slimming them down from seven or eight inches thick to a precise six inches. Lots of kerfing with grinders and the big saw. Then lots of chipping. Then lots more kerfing. And so on.

The bottom tread, set today, is made of three pieces. Tomorrow I’ll set the top tread, two stones across. I’m working stone to wood tolerances, which is fun, particularly with the mass involved. The stones all weigh between 200 and 300 pounds. The stones are bedded in mortar but there’s no grout line.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so zen on a project before. I disappear in dust, locked away in my safety gear: goggles, respirator and hearing protection, happy in the isolation. I take great satisfaction in moving the big stones by myself, taking such care to not damage the faces. Each movement matters. The focus is intense and the pace is so measured.

Just me and the stones, as I like it.

This short stack of sandstone slab steps finished off the J & J wall, which features the time capsule of the previous post.

I like the details of a project, like this time capsule, demonstrated by amateur hand model, me. Removing the ‘plug’ begins with knowing where to find it. I am lucky I know where it is, as it blends into the wall seamlessly. I don’t have a strong memory for particular stones in a project, so I bet in a few months I would have to wiggle a bunch of stones until I found this one.

We used a doggy pill bottle for the time capsule. Once it’s full, a bead of wax will be applied to the seam at the cap, to make sure no moisture can penetrate. As both the homeowners are artists, I expect the time capsule will be filled with tiny works of art.

My contribution to the time capsule? A marble, of course.

I built this wall last week. The original wall was made of something akin to slate or perhaps a phyllite. Whatever it was, it was kinda ugly and none too friendly to work with. I re-used what I could, but much of the new wall is made of locally available granitic gneiss.

I tend to get more web work done in the colder months. I have recently made some changes:
I posted an earlier version of the sustainability essay that appeared in the most recent issue of Stonexus.
I also posted a new Green Target case study, also from this article.
I gave the Artist, Craftsman or Designer essay its own page.
Coming soon: BENCHLAB!