The Stonebuilder's Primer: A Step-By-Step Guide for Owner-Builders
by Charles Long
from Firefly Books
Writer Charles Long has a well-earned reputation as one of North America's self-sufficiency experts. More than 20 years ago, he and his wife, Elizabeth, fled city life and conventional employment for the country, and have flourished there ever since. Now back by popular demand Long's The Stonebuilder's Primer is a highly readable account of the couple's successful effort to build "a house that will outlast anything made of wood."
Developing a compromise method of stone construction that is both simpler and truer to the stonemason's art than the popular slipform method, the Longs built an aesthetically satisfying home of stone on a limited budget and no previous construction experience. In this classic how-to book, the author describes the complete building process in clear, easy-to-follow steps and, in so doing, dispels the myth of difficulty that surrounds stone construction.
Stonework: Techniques and Projects
by Charles McRaven
from Storey Publishing, LLC
Readers will learn to collect and handle stone while creating walls, stairs, pools, and even waterfalls.
Setting Tile (Fine Homebuilding)
by Michael Byrne
from Taunton
Michael Byrne's Setting Tile is packed with more than enough information for those thinking of taking on a tile job in their home. It is so detailed and thorough that it serves as a Tile 101 introduction for those interested in entering the trade full-time or simply improving their skills and knowledge. Byrne opens this revised and updated version of his previous effort with a brief description of how tile was made 6,000 years ago. Granted, the history lesson may not help someone who's planning to tile a kitchen counter, but Byrne's passion and interest for the subject pay off for the reader in other ways. He advises his readers, for example, that even after they've found the right tile for the bathroom floor or kitchen counter--the one that is just the right color and that the manufacturer recommends--to take those tiles and put them through a few of their own tests. Rub it with your favorite frying pan to see how easily it's marked up and, in turn, cleaned off. Scuff it with junior's hiking boots to see how it endures a day in the life. "I tell my customers in the end that, no matter what grade of tile they select, they can be the best judge of a tile's suitability." Byrne devotes chapters to materials, tools and safety, troubleshooting and repairs, and surface preparation. And in his chapter stressing the importance of doing a proper layout long before setting that first tile, Byrne also gives the reader a few clever ways to check levels, straightedges, and carpenter's squares for accuracy. This is a highly detailed book loaded with technical information that relies equally on photos and illustrations. It's also more about materials and tile samples than completed jobs. Don't buy this book if you're looking for glossy color photos of pristine tile jobs; buy it if you want to learn how to correctly install such jobs. --John Russell
A beautiful tile job can make a room. And now with the help of this book and new, readily available materials, you can design and install your own tile floors, walls, countertops and shower stalls. All the up-to-date information you need is right here.
Building with Stone
by Charles McRaven
from Storey Publishing, LLC
An introduction to the art and craft of creating stone structures with step-by-step project instructions.
Tile Your World: John Bridge's New Tile Setting Book
by John P. Bridge
from Mistflower Press
A comprehensive and in-depth guide for amateur and professional ceramic tile setters. TILE YOUR WORLD takes the reader from the early history of the craft, all the way through to advanced residential tiling techniques. Projects range from kitchen and bathroom floors to custom tile shower installations. Kitchen counters and back splashes are also covered. TILE YOUR WORLD contains over 300 black and white photos and line drawings and 6 four-page color inserts. Eight appendices and a full index are included.
Rustic Fireplaces
from Gibbs Smith, Publisher
Rustic Fireplaces
Written and photographed by Ralph Kylloe
Fireplaces have become elaborate works of art in rustic home design. From stone and rocks to elaborately carved wood and antlers to a variety of metals and wrought iron, Kylloe has collected designs for more than 100 fireplaces and hearths that will inspire homebuilders, homeowners, craftspeople and anyone looking for ideas on how to incorporate the warmth and artisanship of a good fireplace into their home.
Kylloe's work has been featured in USA Today, the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and has been seen on the Today Show. Kylloe's titles have sold more than 120,000 copies.
Building Stone Walls
by John Vivian
from Storey Publishing, LLC
Well, here it is: Basic tools, basic techniques, illustrations and photographs, and all the planning and safety instructions you will need to build a variety of stone walls. This is a book that can help you beautify your back yard with the grace and texture of natural stone, or launch you on a career of reconstructing the Inca Empire or building a second Great Wall of China if you get carried away. Up to you...
Includes equipment requirements, instructions for creating wall foundations, coping with drainage problems, and hints for incorporating gates, fences, and stiles.
Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out
by Jane Gitlin
from Taunton
What more appealing scene can you conjure up on a wintry day than a pair of comfortable armchairs pulled up to a crackling fire while wisps of smoke curl from the chimney top? All your senses are in use--the sight of the flickering flames, the sound of the crackling logs, the warmth on your face, and the fragrance and taste of wood smoke. The hearth truly is the essential core of every home, whether it is an actual fireplace or merely a mantel displaying the treasures and trophies of intertwined lives. Long past the days of strictly utilitarian purpose, fireplaces and stoves are a design feature in their own right. They are available in an array of styles, sizes, and colors; offer a variety of fuel choices; and feature benefits beyond mere aesthetics, including heat and cooking. Fireplaces and heat sources are also widely found in many rooms throughout the house, including the family or living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom, as well as outdoors. And the latest innovations in fireplace and stove technologies make having one no longer an expensive proposition.
While the building market is seeing growth in the fireplace market, so too is the remodeling marketplace. In fact, many homeowners are refacing their existing fireplace, upgrading their wood fireplace to gas, or simply installing a new faux fireplace where there wasn't one before. In this book readers will find hundreds of examples of all types of indoor fireplaces--from wood to gas, freestanding, and ventless--and stoves, both wood and pellet. In addition to gorgeous photos of a full range of fireplace styles, materials, and décor for indoor and outdoor fireplaces and stoves, solid information on practical design considerations--maintaining a fireplace or stove, remodeling an existing fireplace, safety, converting a wood-burning fireplace to gas, and the like--are explained in detail, making this the only book on the market to offer the breadth of content on both the design and practical components of all types of the latest indoor and outdoor fireplaces and stoves. Aesthetic and practical design considerations for hearths and mantels, built-ins and storage, lighting, and accessories like screen, brooms, and bellows are also covered. A thorough glossary, resources, and index provide reference-like information.
Ultimate Guide to Masonry & Concrete: Design, Build, Maintain (Ultimate Guide)
by Editors of Creative Homeowner
from Creative Homeowner
Art of The Stonemason
by Ian Cramb
from Hood, Alan C. & Company, Inc.
Drawing on five generations of family tradition as stonemasons in his native Scotland, Ian Cramb created this masterful work to pass on his knowledge and experience to craftsmen who wish to learn the ancient, but still necessary, principles of the stonemason's art. Since original publication by Betterway Books in 1992, this book has established itself as an essential learning tool for masons doing new construction and also those engaged in restoration of historic stone structures.
Beginning with a detailed discussion of building with "random rubble", which is the name for the early Celtic art of building with irregular stones bedded on mortar, the author proceeds to more complex projects such as fireplaces, stairs, arches, bridges and more. There is extensive treatment of various restoration techniques involved with historic structures both in the US and Britain, some as old as 1000 years. In additon the author covers various types of stone, stone-cutting, etc. as well as using tradional mortar mixes, which have demonstrated their utility in stone walls and buildings which have lasted for many centuries.
The Art of the Stonemason is profusely illustrated with the author's meticulous line drawings and photographs.
Ian Cramb began his apprenticeship at the age of 14 in Dunblane, Scotland. Surrounded by large estates, farm buildings, a ruined 13th century bishop's palace, two large fifteenth century castles, a Gothic cathedral, and numerous other stone buildings, Dunblane was an apprentice stonemason's paradise. In 1957 Mr. Cramb took over as master stonemason on the restoration of the monastic buildings around the abbey on Iona. He rebuilt the cloisters, restored St. Michael's Chapel, and also restored St. Oran's Chapel in the Cemetary of Kings, built in 1075. In 1959 Mr. Cramb moved to the US where he set stone and marble on the Capitol building, and then he acted as stone and marble mason for the Raeburn Building and World Bank Building in Washington, DC. He now lives in Bangor, Pennsylvania.
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