[Illustration: 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.
[Illustration: FOUNDATION]
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.