Marble lions - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

artisanstone · 05-09-2008, 07:10 PM

We did this job this week. This lady was recommended to us as it seems that we can "do anything". I don't know about that, but we had an interesting time putting a puzzle together. Stone was shipped from Italy to China, fabricated/carved, then shipped to the job. When it arrived, the crates were damaged, and there was no instruction or diagram on how to assemble it. 16 pieces total weighing 4,000 lbs.

We also relined the firebox as this is a remodel job.

**genecarp** · 05-09-2008, 07:16 PM

nice, looks like you figured it out

neolitic · 05-09-2008, 07:30 PM

CJKarl · 05-14-2008, 04:50 PM

Very nice, don't want to chip those babies.

I should be hiring you to come up and help me with my 9000 lb surround and mantle. (It's STILL on the drawing board, after 8 months).

CJKarl · 05-14-2008, 04:51 PM

Did you build the firebox?

artisanstone · 05-14-2008, 04:58 PM

Are you installing that granite surround yourself?
I didn't build the original firebox, this is just thin (1") firebrick laid over the original. They are using it now as a gas fireplace. The original firebox is strange. It's a standard size, more or less, but when I got up inside it, I noticed that it has a rumford throat, and as you can imagine, mating a standard size firebox to a rumford throat made for some interesting transitions. I guess the original mason just "got er done".

Tscarborough · 05-14-2008, 06:55 PM

Yeah, I am sure it smoked badly, too. Probably why they are using gas. Lovely install, though I don't care for the design.

nap · 05-14-2008, 07:25 PM

You have the left lion on the right side and vice versa.

artisanstone · 05-15-2008, 04:45 AM

Tscarborough, I actually don't believe it smoked. The firebox is 4 years old and had been used quite heavily in that time. The relining/marblework is due to a new owner of the house. The firebox does have a smokeshelf so the only thing rumford about it is the throat.

CJKarl · 05-15-2008, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artisanstone

Are you installing that granite surround yourself?

Just me and my assistant.

CJKarl · 05-15-2008, 05:17 AM

Levers, rollers and pulleys are my friends...Although I am thinking of taking out a specific rider on my insurance just for the delivery and installation.

jvcstone · 05-15-2008, 08:58 AM

shame of it is-- a carver here in this country could not even buy the raw stone for the cost of a piece like that coming out of China.

JVC

SelfContract · 05-15-2008, 10:29 AM

I like China's carving. Pay them little but they still did a meticulous, time-consuming job on minute details like that lions' manes & finger nails... yes, those toe-nails or whatever it is on those foots... such a beautiful, intricate, very sharp... form of arts!!. All the wooden furniture like sofas, dining tables, beds,...shiped from China also have beautiful carvings too.

artisanstone · 05-15-2008, 12:39 PM

John, can you give me some details about how you set pieces like this? I know that the traditional way is to use plaster of paris, but how do you do it? Also, how do you tie back to the wall, or do you?

jvcstone · 05-15-2008, 02:28 PM

Bill, My personal preference is to use those horseshoe shaped plastic shims--blue=1/16, red=1/8, black=1/4. The setter who installs most of my local work uses hardy backer for shims. Depending one joint size and the type stone we grout with sanded tile grout or masonry cement. typically if I am sizing out a project and doing the drawings, I use a 1/4 grout joint. Some jobs come in speced to 3/8 or 1/8, or even zero joint. We do try to tie back to the wall if there is something to tie to. How is determined by the situation--but usually angle brackets lagged to the framing or block wrap on a real fireplace, and pinned to the stone. Pinning between stones is usually a good idea too. Sometimes we will use a good silicon product like "lexel" between the stone and wall.

In my experience every job has different requirements, so unless specified on the shop drawings, I do not cut any anchor slots or pin holes in the shop as most stone setters prefer to cut their own on the job as needed.

JVC

artisanstone · 05-15-2008, 05:57 PM

Thanks for the info. These pieces were set up for zero joint. Based on the distributor's recommendation, we used PL-400 (like liquid nails) between the stones. This seemed like a really questionable way to do things, but on the plus side, it makes heavy stones very easy to position. It's kinda like having grease between them. The thing I like about using plaster or lime mortar, is that in the future, the piece could be dissassembled and moved. The distributor also said to tie the stone, we should drill a hole at 45 degrees thru stone and into wall, and install a screw much like you would a toe nail.

Tscarborough · 05-15-2008, 08:08 PM

I have never done that kind of work, but if I did it would be either lime putty or PofP, and I would simply use a few brick ties in the joints to tie it to the wall. I do use adhesive for some applications, but it is with the expectation that if it ever has to be removed it will be beat to pieces with a sledgehammer.

CJKarl · 05-16-2008, 05:28 AM

Artisanstone, what did you use to apply the firebrick to the existing firebox?
I'm guessing those are splits?

artisanstone · 05-16-2008, 06:41 AM

First of all, I had my guy go over the whole firebox with a wire wheel on an angle grinder. He built a plastic tent over the fireplace and came out looking like a raccoon.

Next I skim coated thinset over the whole thing, set bricks with thinset/no mortar joint. After all was set up, I grouted the thing (like you would tile) with premixed refractory cement. It comes wet in a little tub. The firebox will be stained black. The pictures were taken before grouting.