Sometimes the stonemason has to take a break and do something else. In this case, my roof developed a leak recently and I've had to rip it off and replace before the fall rains set in.
This past (Labor Day) weekend is the 'official/unofficial' end to the Connecticut Shoreline summer season. Most of the boat owners up and down the coast of Connecticut, from Madison and Guilford to Branford and on down to NYC will pull their boats, have them winterized and get ready for the coming fall. We even saw a boat from New Zealand in the Stony Creek harbor this weekend. Not sure what their plan is.
But despite that change, it's not over for stonework. In fact, now that the weather is a bit cooler and the kids are back at school, it's the perfect time to think about that outside project. Of course I'm biased because I want the cooler weather to lift heavy rocks, but if you're a do-it-yourselfer this is still the ideal period to put in that new stone patio, walkway, stairs or decorative wall you've been thinking about.
One thing I help with is designing the concept of the project, talking about the different types of stones, and helping you decide what will work best for your personality, lifestyle and home. You'd be surprised how quickly the Stony Creek Granite (which is a bit pink) suddenly doesn't make the wife happy. Ask an expert first.
I got a question yesterday about how to properly lay the stone for a bluestone path like you see here.
The question was about what to put under the stones. Do you just cut out the sod, or lay some gravel. Here is the response:
To start lay your stone out in the pattern you want. Then cut out the sod for the individual stone, it helps the grass survive between the stones if you don't disturb it. You can cut the between grass as well, much quicker if you do. But save the sod and re-plant it. Dig out about four inches of dirt, lay in process, which is gravel stone dust mix. Tamp or pack the process, use some water as it helps pack the process tighter. You want the final level of your stone to be just above 1/4 or so from where the grass starts growing. Place a thin layer of straight stone dust over packed process, lay stones on top and hammer with a rubber mallet to desired height. Water grass every day for a week or two to ensure that it takes. Remember the smaller the joint the less chance the grass has to survive.
Hope this helps others out there, and of course call me if you need any support.
On Thursday, our youngest daughter started Kindergarten here in Branford, CT. And this weekend we return our eldest daughter to Pennsylvania for her sophmore year at Lafayette College. Being away this weekend won't be too bad for business though with Tropical Storm Danny on its way. In fact, I've been helping other shoreline merchants and friends pull floats and boats. We're leaving our boat in to weather the storm, but I've instruced my brother to not let it sink. We'll see if he delivers.
Thanks to my friends Mark and Laura at Stony Creek Package Store for their link to me on their Creek Links page. Anyone visiting Stony Creek, CT or the Thimble Islands should take a moment to pop in and say hi.
All things stone in Connecticut and the Connecticut shoreline. We specialize in walkways, walls, decorative stone, pathways and anything you want with the beauty of natural stone.
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