[DARISC]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

don't know about the rest but is that thing gonna hold supported on one side only?

Originally Posted by gassy

In the CGI it looks like gutters--am I wrong?

Gutters? Don't understand.

SM asked a good question about being supported on one side only. Looks cool tho. Don't know where you live but one ice storm and it'll be streching its limits I would think.

When I showed the rendering to my contractor he said "that's an OH NO YOU CANTILEVER!" I splained to him that the cantilever is extreme but that the front fascia board across the rafters will be depleted plutonium (verrry heavy!)

Seriously, it's attached to the back of my house .

Originally Posted by LakeCleElum

Dunno your climate, but if it freezes, it's recommended to put down a coat of "thin-set" over the slab before you mortar/stone.

I'm in Carlsbad, CA (San Diego County - desert/Mediterranean climate). Will I still need to spread thin-set?

Originally Posted by look 171

Mix a good thin set along with mortar. It sticks better. How's the back side of the stone? Is it flat? If not, try to butter the back to elimate any empty spots. 1" thick flatstone should be plenty strong. Try a diamond blade on a Skill saw or worm drive saw.

I have in mind buying one of these;



Is it flat?

Pretty flat, both sides. I'd figured buttering the backs w/1/2" or so, then setting them in place. Do I need to lightly butter the slab where the stone will sit also?

you can get a crack isolating sheet and thin set it on the surface first.

Yeh, that's what I meant - not plastic.

I sometime have these guys cut the back side and chip the top of the finish edges to get a little more natural look instead of a saw cut.

I like that tip a lot! Time's really not an issue. I'm a painter/sculptor and the only reason I'm not paying a mason to do this is so it'll look like what I want it to look like - may even incorporate some mosaic work, a compass card or...?

I really wouldn't about the cracks. Let it crack, it looks natural that way.

I thought about that. But I won't know if cracked flagstones will bother me until I see them - and if I don't, then it'll be too late.

I get a helper.

Yeh, a young guy works at the stone yard is available. When I first asked him if he did any moonlighting he said "What's that? The second yard I went to for an estimate, the young guy asked the same thing! WTF !

How many sq'.

12'x20', 240 sq'.

I should ask, how's your back?

Strong - 5' 13 1/2'', 220 lbs .

Originally Posted by Hetmann

We had a mason install the flagstone.

Did he work alone? Recall how long it took?

As I recall, he did not score my old slab and the new slab was not highly finished.

Slabs (4" in my case) crack, even here in SOCAL, even though it's warm. The concrete guys all strongly recommend saw-cutting.

We have a crack or two through stones where the two slabs meet, however the majority of cracks have developed in the grout lines and folow the edge of one or more stones.

Do the cracks through the stones bother you - visually?

On the whole it has held up very nicely. We have had a little spalling of some flagstones, but nothing major.

I guess spalling is to be expected more in colder climes. At any rate, I can live with Mother Natures whims if she spalls me .