MANOR HOUSE STONE

Repointing stone and brick work

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:56:54 +0000

Repointing brickwork and stone work where the original pointing has degraded or perhaps been eroded by weather, is a very skillful job. It’s easy to think that it’s a job that a novice or labourer could do, but in fact many a building job is spoiled by shoddy pointing. Removing what remains of the old pointing is a dirty dusty job, but again one that requires great care. Although frowned upon by many conservationists, using a grinding disk machine is an efficient method in the right hands. We were working on a job where the builder and his team had turned repointing into a fine art. They carefully used grinders and another special tool to remove the old pointing and any damaged/decayed bricks, and then they used big pointing guns to apply the new (lime based) pointing mix, and then they finished off the pointing with their ’secret’ tools. Whatever they did, it looked fantastic! We were installing a stone fireplace at the same site, and were genuinely shocked to see how quickly they could transform a shoddly looking wall into one that looked great and that would not need repointing for a very long time.

We’re all in the stone yard today. Lots to do, and running out of time. We have two major items being collected on a lorry in the morning, and then we have some other stone fireplaces to pallet up for collection on Friday. It’s all go! The

Post from: MANOR HOUSE STONE

Top soil and planting

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:35:40 +0000

Well at last a dry weekend! So all the gardening masons have planted their veg, at last after so many weeks of wet. It seems quite late, but they tell that because the ground has been cold, then stuff wouldn’t have grown much anyway, so anything planted now is not that far behind. So shows what I know! The two masons who worked on Saturday did an amazing amount but they said it was so nice to be out in the stone yard in the warm sunshine, that they just carried on working rather than leave it till today when it could be raining… which it was for part of the day, and we even had some hail! We have managed to stay out in the stone yard most of the day though apart from diving for cover in teh heaviest storms.

We’ve got a few stone fireplaces palleted up, and some stone gate pillars, made last week, that we’re going to deliver to site tomorrow. We’re also going to visit another new site in Creswell in Nottinghamshire, where an old employee is renovating a house, and he would like to put in one of our stone fireplace.

The farmer is very busy again. He’s sewing maize at the moment.. probably the same logic applies as does for the late veg. but I’m not sure, as maize may always be planted at this time for all I know.

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Limestone flooring

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:06:50 +0000

It’s lovely stuff, and often very expensive, but as more little companies have started importing it, it has come down in price. There’s a fantastic little company in Loughborough, not far from us, called DeVol. They import loads of the stuff, and travertine, and their prices are amazing, so if you’re looking for some, then I can wholeheartedly reccomend them. Have a look at www.floorsofstone.com

We had a bit of rain first thing, but now everything has cleared up and we’re all working outside. We’ve got several stone fireplaces on the go, and some very nice gate pillars. Two of the masons are very keen to work tomorrow, so we’ve given them a whole list of ‘little finishing jobs’ that somehow don’t seem to get done when we’re so hectic in the week. They don’t mind as long as they’re getting a bit of overtime.

We’ve got an interesting job next week: We’ve made some stone balls and benches and other garden ornamental stuff for a new dwelling in Rutland. We’ve got to go and install all our stuff next week. We’ve been putting it off a bit because of the weather, and the client can’t wait any longer, so we’re going next week come rain or shine.

The farmer is also very busy this weekend, as there are two dry days forecast, and he wants to make the most of them. The sheep look happier too if that’s possible.

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Melbourne Derbyshire

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:09:33 +0000

It’s a lovely little town about 15 mins from our office, and I’ve just been to measure up for a client. He wants various bits from us including some copings; some door surrounds, and a simple, small stone staircase to lead up to an office over a garage. It’s a stunning little development of 5 houses, and they’re all lovely: Found myself wanting to buy one and live there! Anyway, it’s a fine example of imaginative building that makes all the difference and avoids the normal boring box designs that still unfortunately prevail.

It’s quite warm in Leicestershire today…. something to do with the direction of the wind I think. It still looks rainy though, but we’ve had none yet. We’re all out in the stone yard, and we’re very busy. The delayed load of stone turned up nice and early, and we’ve got that all stacked up, and are already working on some of it. We’ve got a very nice stone bench to make for a client. He’s spent about 10 years landscaping his garden, and he wants a simple stone bench to stand at the end of an avenue of trees. We drawn just what he wants and are making it straight away.

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Foxes and chickens

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:41:26 +0000

I’ve just helped the farmer move one of his trailers, and he is in a bad mood because the fox has been in the night and taken about 4 chickens. He’s got quite a flock of fowl and ducks, and he doesn’t shut them up at night because they’ve learnt to roost in the sheds where the horses and cattle are, and generally foxes don’t like going anywhere near livestock. Trouble is, he reckons the four ‘missing’ chickens probably pushed their luck and stayed out a bit late, and that’s when Charlie got them. I don’t fancy the fox’s chances if he comes round again very soon!

The rain is still holding off, so we’re still all working outside. We’ve got a couple of stone fireplaces palleted up ready for collection, and we’ve got another one that’s got to be ready for tomorrow. We’ve got a new work experience lad with us next week. He came to see us for a little interview and seems very keen and he is a polite and well mannered lad. I think he’ll do well.

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Proper Butchers

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:23:54 +0000

You can’t beat meat from a ‘proper’ butcher. Not supermarket shrunk wrapped stuff, but properly butchered meat from good responsible sources. You may pay a little more, but when you taste it, then it’s worth every penny extra. Luckily, people so seem more aware of the difference between the two extremes these days, though the fact remains that it difficult economic times such as now, it is difficult for some families to find the extra money needed to pay for that better meat, and that is a sad state of affairs in our current society.

Our stone masons are nearly all ‘foodies’. They’re all very passionate about the quality of their food, and they consider it money well spent as food is one of their main pleasures in life… after making our stone fireplaces of course. We’re busy as ever, and thus far the forecast rain has held off, so we’re all out in the stone yard. We were expecting a big load of stone to arrive today, but the truck has got held up in the docks for some reason, so now isn’t coming until tomorrow which is a bit of a pain as we need some of it right now!

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The x factor

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:05:49 +0000

Does stone have the X factor? We think it does.

Post from: MANOR HOUSE STONE

Hampshire

admin — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:11:55 +0000

I spent the bank holiday weekend in Hampshire and Oxfordshire, and it was a handy little reminder of how lovely our country is. Although we saw lots of rain, (normal British bank holiday!) everywhere looked beautiful, and now that the rain has really made everything green, it felt like winter was gone. (it felt like the drought had gone too.) While I was travelling around I dropped in on an old client who has had a lot of stone from us over the last 20 years or so. He and his wife are ’serial renovators’ and although every project is going to be their last, they just can’t help themselves, and end up selling once the job is done because they’ve found another irresistable wreck that they just have to buy. I’m not complaining of course because it’s meant that we’ve had a lot of business from them over the years, but I do wonder from where they get their seemingly endless energy!

Anyway, they’ve sold again, and are moving to another caravan on site for the next project. I didn’t see the nwe project as was short of time, but it sounds a big job, but very exciting. They say they’ll be wanting a lot of external stone from us; mullions; door surrounds etc. and no doubt at the end they’ll present me with a drawing of some massive stone fireplaces that they want us to make. (as they have in the past)

We’re all very busy in the stone yard this morning. The bank holiday means we’ve a short week, so all the more to do in only 4 days. Everyone seems very happy though, so I imagine they’ve all had a great weekend. The sun is actually shining here in Leicestershire, but the sky is a bit grey so I’m not sure how long the weather will be dry, and before we all have to move into the stone shed. fingers crossed then!

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Motor insurance.

admin — Fri, 04 May 2012 07:27:12 +0000

Everyone must notice how motor insurance has rocketed over the last few years. I heard on the news that each of us pay about £90 on our premiums just to pay for all the spurious ‘whiplash’ claims, let alone all the more serious insurance frauds and uninsured drivers. As with most things these days, the goverenment knows about the problem, but is just too slow and indecisive to do anything about it, so we end up paying for years, and the criminals reap the rewards.

We’ve had another load of rain in the night, although it’s not actually raining now. We’re all out in the stone yard, but it’s a bit damp and cold. We’re getting on very well with the big stone staircase, and the yard is covered with pallets with various steps and risers on them. I need to sort them out with the forklift before the end of the day. We’ve made a few stone fireplaces this week, and two of them are being collected tomorrow. All the stone masons are in very good spirits as they’re off to a big party tonight.

The farmer is looking fed up with all this rain. Of course it makes his crops grow, but many of the fields are flooded, and everywhere is very muddy. The lambs look a bit forlorn too, considering they had such a gorgeous start in the sun in March

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Micro Jupiter

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:42:48 +0000

A great little band of lands who write a play fantastic music. Very hard working; very original; and we’re doing all we can to get them ‘further’ in the music business: Follow them on facebook.

All a bit misty and damp here this morning: We’re all out in the stone yard, but it’s a bit miserable. We’ve got a big stone staircase to start, and the stone is currently taking up half the yard, so we’re busy trying to re-arrange things a bit. We’ll have three masons working on the stairs, but it’s so big that it’ll probably take us about 2 1/2 weeks to finish, then we’ve got to go and install it in surrey.

We had a fireplace collected this morning by a guy who’s emigrating to France…. strangely he’d always wanted one of our stone fireplaces and now he’s bought an old derelict house (very cheap) in the Limousin, and is taking a fireplace with him. How flattering is that!!!!

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