Creative Masonry Project Ideas
The roots of this particular project sprouted in a most peculiar fashion. The homeowner, himself, was a phenomenal stonemason, carpenter, landscaper — a jack of all trades in essence. However, upon awakening one morning, he had succumbed to a rare neurological condition in which he was unable to access any and all memories. He had forgotten how to read and write, how to analyze his surroundings and respond in kind. And being only halfway through the construction of their home, his wife was forced to contract the remainder of the project to various other tradespersons.
I had received the job via word-of-mouth and was immediately enthusiastic about it, given the story and the scope of the project. The details were scarce but the homeowners required a concrete stairway and partial concrete walls beneath the main patio overlooking the front yard, all of which was to be faced with locally quarried blast rock. When I arrived, I found myself to be quite impressed with the far-ranging set of skills and craftmanship that the homeowner possessed, after reviewing the timber-framed shell of the home and the intricate details that were interwoven throughout the interior of it as well. They had sourced the majority of their wood from trees that were originally on-site and managed to excavate little to none of the natural environment surrounding the house. The bulk of their materials were reclaimed or donated by other homeowners who were happy to be rid of their material-waste. The stones themselves were gathered from the hills in the backyard and cut down to varying but ideal sizes. I incorporated concrete sills and caps along the exterior stairway and adhered imported Mexican tiles in some areas. I used a mixture of fine and coarse sand with Portland cement at a 3:1 ratio. I also incorporated a splash of liquid bonding agent to each batch of mortar and would make sure to wet down the concrete wall and surrounding rocks with each application. I was roughly two weeks into the job and nearly complete when the homeowners had decided to part ways and put their house on the market. Unfortunately, I was unable to apply the final finishing touches that I would have liked to, but I am happy with the work that I was able to do. Perhaps on my deathbed, those last few stones will come to mind.
If you're located in Victoria, BC, Vancouver Island, or the surrounding Gulf Islands and are in need of some creative stonework, such as this, please, contact us today. With decades worth of experience in the field of Masonry we are fully capable of bringing your vision to life. You can reach us through email at sean@lennoxmasonry.com or by calling us directly at 1-778-968-6574.
Below are a few of our other completed projects, and here is the link to our Masonry Gallery Page.
You can also find a wealth of information, tips, tricks, and other masonry articles on our Masonry Blog Page here.
- Sean Lennox of Lennox Masonry is an artistic stonemason and bricklayer residing in Victoria, B.C., and provides his masonry services throughout VanIsle. When he is not materializing his client's visions, he is creating framed, custom stone mosaics.
