BUILDING A CABIN OF STONE
Next to a log cabin one of the most effective in appearance is one built of stone—rough field stones and boulders that can be picked up on the shore of any lake or stream. Naturally, such a house is a pretty big task for an amateur builder—not that it requires much more technical knowledge but because stones have a way of getting pretty heavy when they have to be lifted 8 or 10 feet off the ground. However, the result is well worth the effort.
If you are ambitious enough to want to build a stone cabin, here are some simple directions about how to do it. They are the result of actual experience but, of course, cannot be taken as a practical course in masonry.
The first step is like the old recipe for rabbit stew—you get some rocks and a load or two of aggregate, clean sand and numerous sacks of cement. (Tell the cement dealer what you plan to do and he’ll advise how much of each you’ll need.) You’ll also need a quantity of rough lumber, 2×4’s, 1×6’s, and such, for the framework and a more or less water-tight mortar boat in which to mix your mortar.
A cabin of stone requires a full concrete or rock foundation. The walls will be extra heavy, so the footings as well as the foundation walls should be proportionately wider and thicker than those described for log and frame cabins.
MORTAR FILL SMOOTH FORM OF PLANKS OR PLYWOOD MORTAR FOUNDATION
After the foundation is poured, erect a frame for your house to the height of your roof plate on the inner side of the foundation walls, putting rough boarding on the outside of 2×4 studs. This will give you something to work against to insure plumb walls.
Stone walls should be at least one and one-half feet thick at the bottom (remember this in building the foundation) and taper to eight inches or so at the top. The larger rocks, of course, should be used lower down, although, if the work is carefully done, an occasional large one may be set in higher up to lend effect.