=26.= The following figures are average prices for =ashlar facing= when
the transportation charges are not excessive, and are not given as
fixed values, but more to show the relative costs. They include nothing
but plain ashlar, and in estimating, the extra cost of sills, lintels,
water-tables, belt courses, coping, etc. must be added. These prices
are based on quarrymen’s wages of $2.50 per day, and stone-cutters’
wages of $4 per day.
Good rock-face bluestone ashlar, with from 6- to 10-inch beds, dressed
about 3 inches from face, will cost, ready for laying, from 30 to 40
cents per square foot, face measure; while a higher grade of work will
cost from 40 to 55 cents per square foot. Regular course bluestone
ashlar, from 12 to 18 inches high and with from 8- to 12-inch beds,
will cost about 50 cents per square foot. To this (and the previous
figures) must be added the cost of hauling, which, on an average, will
be about 3 cents per square foot.
To the preceding figures must also be added the cost of setting the
ashlar. In estimating the cost of ashlar walls backed with brick, the
wall is considered as solid brick, the cost of setting the ashlar being
offset by the saving in cost of the brick and mortar and the labor
resulting from making part of the thickness of the wall of stone. The
cost of raking out the joints and pointing, which amounts to about 10
cents per square foot, must also be added.
=27.= The following figures show the approximate cost of cut bluestone
for various uses:
Flagstone, 5-inch, size 8' × 10', edges and top
bush-hammered, per sq. ft., face measure $ .75
Flagstone, 4-inch, size 5' × 5', select stock,
edges clean cut, natural top, per sq. ft. .45
Door sills, 8" × 12", clean cut, per lin. ft. 1.35
Window sills, 5" × 12", clean cut, per lin. ft. .80
Window sills, 4" × 8", clean cut, per lin. ft. .45
Window sills, 5" × 8", clean cut, per lin. ft. .60
Lintels, 4" × 10", clean cut, per lin. ft. .65
Lintels, 8" × 12", clean cut, per lin. ft. 1.25
Steps, sawed stock, 7" × 14", per lin. ft. 1.10
Water-table, 8" × 12", clean cut, per lin. ft. 1.25
Coping, 4" × 21", clean cut, per lin. ft. 1.20
Coping, 4" × 21", rock-face edges and top,
per lin. ft. .50
Coping, 3" × 15", rock-face edges and top,
per lin. ft. .35
Coping, 3" × 18", rock-face edges and top,
per lin. ft. .40
Platform, 6 inches thick, per sq. ft. .50
To the preceding prices of cut stone must be added the cost of setting,
which for water-tables, steps, etc. will be about 10 cents per linear
foot; and for window sills, etc., about 5 cents per linear foot. In
addition, about 10 cents per cubic foot for fitting, and about 5 cents
per cubic foot for trimming the joints after the pieces are set in
place, should be allowed.
=28.= In a day of 8 hours, a stone cutter can cut about 4 square
feet of granite, about 6 square feet of bluestone, or about 8 square
feet of Ohio sandstone or limestone. These figures are for 6-cut,
patent-hammered work. For rock-face ashlar (beds worked about 3 inches
from face, the rest pitched), a workman can dress from 15 to 25 square
feet of random ashlar per day; and from 18 to 20 square feet of coursed
ashlar. In dressing laminated stone, from two to three times more work
can be done in a day on the natural surface than on the edge of layers.
In figuring cut stone, ample allowance should be made for waste, which,
on an average, will be 15 per cent.