Building Stone Walls: Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-217 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin, a-217) (Paperback)

by Charles McRaven (Author) "Why stone?..." (more)
Key Phrases: vertical running joints, pointing tool

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Since 1973, Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletins have offered practical, hands-on instructions designed to help readers master dozens of country living skills quickly and easily. There are now more than 170 titles in this series, and their remarkable popularity reflects the common desire of country and city dwellers alike to cultivate personal independence in everyday life.

About the Author
Charles McRaven is a stonemason and blacksmith, nationally known for building and repairing dozens of stone structures and log homes. He has written extensively on stone, including the books Building with Stone and Stonework, and articles for Country Journal, Fine Homebuilding, and many regional magazines. He lectures and conducts workshops and private courses in stone construction. Charles lives in Virginia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (January 11, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580172652
• ISBN-13: 978-1580172653
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #381,007 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #48 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Civil > Construction > Masonry
  #81 in	Books > Home & Garden > How-to & Home Improvements > Masonry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough info, January 18, 2007

By	Robert J. Wozniak "Preservation Works" (Easton, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is just a summary of McRaven's larger book. Not really worth the energy as you can get the full book for a few dollars and it certainly IS worth reading and owning. Both items lack a discussion of lime mortar for building and preservation. McRaven believes (at least from what I read) that a Portland based mortar perhaps type K or O is vastly superior to a Lime mortar also called type L (no Portland) I think the issue is more complicated and one must take into account the masonry units used in building and there relationship with the mortar. Certain stone may be fine for Portland cement (... the material described in this book) but other stones (sand stone or handmade brick in particular) will suffer from the rigidity of the stiff mortar. READ lots before you repair or build. This book in its full size is great background information

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Much More Than a Magazine Article, July 12, 2007

By	T Schwa "critic of all things" (NE Corridor USA) - See all my reviews

This is a tiny pamphlet that contains readily common knowledge which could be found in a magazine or internet article. Not really worth the trouble.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Has the basics, September 13, 2007

By	J Mason (Northern California) - See all my reviews

I found the suggestions about safety, various methods of lifting heavy materials and the general description of rock wall building extremely helpful. In fact, he has some ideas of lifting large (heavy) rocks that I did not find in the other books I purchased and it has been just the right advice. However, when using this book as a guide, if you do not have "perfect" fieldstone or limestone rocks to lay, it leaves you wondering what to do with the rocks you have in YOUR yard. Since I live in the west and we have an abundance of volcanic "not so good" rocks which I wanted to use, this booklet was of limited assistance in helping me figure out how to use the rock I actually have available (and for free too, except for the labor of finding and hauling them). Great slabby rocks are unusual in this part of the country, so a book telling how to lay only nice, flat on-all-sides rock was of limited assistance. Thankfully, a 1976 Building Stone Walls by John Vivian (Garden Way Publishing) helped me figure out how to use what I actually have to build with.