I Took the Plunge!

[MJ1987]

Thanks for the status updates. I hope you're giving yourself some deserved back pats for progress forward on so many fronts. I think the color combo is soft and wonderful in the pic you shared.

I am envious as all get out at you painting color on walls -- I had to forgo that here so we could get other bits done.

Is the trailer a rental? You might have mentioned prior, and I missed it. It looks rather shiny new.

"Back pats"?....more like a hot pack on the back! The stone and capitols were beasts, but so worth it. I had someone else come by late last night to take a look. He was really excited by the materials and assured me that the job isn't that big so the estimate should be very reasonable. I'm a skeptic, though, so I'll believe it when I see it.

Remember, it's been a while since I moved in (over a year). Getting paint on the walls has been a slow process, but it is just me, after all. I'm really happy with the progress, but also extremely motivated to keep it moving.

The trailer is a rental. $40 for the day--can't beat it! UHaul is really great where we are. Plus, I don't have to store the darn thing.

[MJ1987]

I got confused--I thought you were putting blue on the ceiling, but I finally figured it out! You're right, it looks a little more green than blue, but I really like it. The paint I used for the living room in my house is an Eddie Bauer color called "Beach" that's a blue-gray-green. It's kind of a shifty color that changes with the light, and I love it.

You really have scored with your acquisitions of the salvaged stone and the capitals. They're beautiful. Good job! And you do have a saint for a friend!

I'm not bold enough to paint the ceiling! I really like your color description: shifty. I liken it to the old chameleon Mustang paint from the late '80s or early '90s. The color changes depending on the angle and the light.

I'm really thrilled with the stone. I've known about its location for a long time and finally, the timing worked out on something. The property they came from will likely be redeveloped, so they were happy to let the stone go.

[Gothichome]

MJ, those capitals are fantastic, come pre weathered. If you do get tired of heaving them about I know of a home that could make good use of them.

[Manalto]

The trailer is a rental. $40 for the day--can't beat it! UHaul is really great where we are. Plus, I don't have to store the darn thing.

UHaul round-trip rentals are usually a pretty good deal. Not so with one-way rentals; my trailer to Mobile last year cost me over $800. (I've forgotten the exact amount, I was so stunned.) I winded up buying a trailer because I knew I was going to make multiple trips and, when I didn't need it anymore, could sell it. I told the person who sold me the trailer about the UHaul experience and he replied, "Yeah, a lot of people have told me that. One-way rentals is where they get ya." You're right, storage is a pain. Although it's a small unit (6' X 8') I can't move it without a great struggle using the trailer dolly on soft turf or if it has anything heavy inside. (I don't have a spot to store it on pavement.)

I see you have three pyramid-top stones, and will stay tuned to see how you use them!

[MJ1987]

MJ, those capitals are fantastic, come pre weathered. If you do get tired of heaving them about I know of a home that could make good use of them.

Never know, but....

[MJ1987]

The trailer is a rental. $40 for the day--can't beat it! UHaul is really great where we are. Plus, I don't have to store the darn thing.

UHaul round-trip rentals are usually a pretty good deal. Not so with one-way rentals; my trailer to Mobile last year cost me over $800. (I've forgotten the exact amount, I was so stunned.) I winded up buying a trailer because I knew I was going to make multiple trips and, when I didn't need it anymore, could sell it. I told the person who sold me the trailer about the UHaul experience and he replied, "Yeah, a lot of people have told me that. One-way rentals is where they get ya." You're right, storage is a pain. Although it's a small unit (6' X 8') I can't move it without a great struggle using the trailer dolly on soft turf or if it has anything heavy inside. (I don't have a spot to store it on pavement.)

I see you have three pyramid-top stones, and will stay tuned to see how you use them!

I have FOUR pyramidal stones! Since they're so massive and since my property is only 50' wide, I would imagine a design that incorporates only two in the front. BUT (money aside) I'd like to use two in the back at some point.

I've noticed that UHaul kills you on the one-way thing. I can't tell you how many trailers I've passed up because of space, though. It's tempting, but I'm already something of a hoarder and a trailer would DEFINITELY make things worse.

[Manalto]

I have FOUR pyramidal stones!

In my (unsolicited) opinion, use the two in front to frame your front entrance in some way. One of my pet peeves (a have just a few) is directing the observer's eye to service areas (driveways, garages) or service features (painting your gutters and downspouts a contrasting color, for example). I feel that those areas should be as inconspicuous as possible, although current developer aesthetics seem to disagree, with their garage-dominant houses. A grand house would sometimes have decorative posts at the end of the driveway, but they were dwarfed in comparison to the massive residence. In the back, the stones could be incorporated into a garden design, although two is a tricky number to work with; two leaves little option but symmetry. I really like them - it's a nice problem to have and figure out. Can't wait to see what you do with them!

[phil]

those pyramid shaped stones are awesome
my grandad was a mason and passed some of it to my dad. He built a few different styles. One he liked was to pour a little concrete against a dirt wall behind , then set the stones in such a way you couldnn't see the cement. he didn't use mortar. then on top he'd build a little form and pour a cap about a foot wide. it would tie into the cement behind the rocks so that would be the only concrete showing. so you could sit on top if you like. each rock was stacked nicely according to shape and the back edge of each rock was set into the cement which he kept pouring behind. I think they looked quite nice not seeing the mortar, but maybe it would not reflect the heritage look with the cap.. You could use brick maybe? I liked the way he did it so that the grout didn't show and so there would be some gaps that caused shadow areas.. The rocks he used were granite and we used to go collect them locally when there were no rules about doing that. He'd break some of them with a sledge hammer if he wanted but many were just used as found. none were rounded river rocks , he only took the rough ones, the river rock walls have a different look. a lot of the old english style ones seem to have a pretty consistent 3/4" grout lines and they always seem to be rough , so cut with hammers and chisels mainly. so they had to play with the shapes a bit and break them a bit to get the grout lines to work out like that. The pyramids will create the old style so the technique should reflect that I think.. but maybe hiding the grout would be ok and I guess it isn't' like brick, the rocks don't mind cement as they are more dimensionally stable than brick I think.

[Gothichome]

MJ, I think I would have them shipped. We would have to rent a U haul from Chatham of course (to avoid the one way costs) drive it out there, antiquing all the way, load up the capitals, I would need to hire local labour to slug them, because your back would be shot from moving them, and I don’t want a bad back. And drive back, all the time antiquing of cours, no use driving with a half full load. I sense, with out doing the math it would be far cheaper to ship.
Hummm, come to think of it I can’t afford either scenarios, best you keep them.

[MJ1987]

MJ, I think I would have them shipped. We would have to rent a U haul from Chatham of course (to avoid the one way costs) drive it out there, antiquing all the way, load up the capitals, I would need to hire local labour to slug them, because your back would be shot from moving them, and I don’t want a bad back. And drive back, all the time antiquing of cours, no use driving with a half full load. I sense, with out doing the math it would be far cheaper to ship.
Hummm, come to think of it I can’t afford either scenarios, best you keep them.