Our LIMESTONE Kitchen Wall was CROOKED: We Rebuilt It

To paraphrase the song, “Its just another ROCK in the wall.”

We are on part 3 of 4 of rebuilding the north wall. At the beginning, this task felt herculean, but now that we are over halfway, we are delightfully surprised that it wasn’t as scary as it seemed. The process is always the same: demolish, dig, pour, wait, build, done. And this one was no different.

The biggest challenge on this wall was trying to ensure that it stayed straight, without being able to visually align it with the next section. The original wall that remains is so crooked, that it messes with your head, and makes straight seem titled and tilted seem straight. But with the help of 2 years of experience and a bamboo and string guide, Luka championed it like a pro.

We also ran into the issue of rock selection. The northwest corner was so damaged, that it ate up much of the surplus we had from the northeast corner. And with the water and ivy damage being so extensive on this section, it meant we had to source more rock, and make due with what we had. Its not that we didn’t have enough rock, but much of the rock came in awkward shapes, which makes them much harder to place or to shape. It was a challenge for the rock buddy to find the right rock, and an even bigger challenge for Luka to find the right spots for them. This became especially difficult when it came to constructing the windows.

The windows are angled outwards to allow for the windows to open inside, and to maximize light input. We used the wooden window sills from the original windows as a guide to make sure they were the perfect shape and size without needing to measure. Rock selection was essential to getting the right angle without making the wall lumpy, so near the end, we needed to return to our trusty rock pile (that is getting smaller and smaller) and find the right sized rocks. Luckily, we were able to scrape together a few that were perfect.

At the end, we needed to address the rot on the beam.

Despite the looks, all of the damage to the beam was surface level. So with the help of our electric chainsaw, chisels and other tools, we were able to remove all the damage and reveal the solid core, and dress with an anti-fungal stain. It left the beam a little wonky, so rock selection near the end was tricky to match the new angles, and get the wall to support the beam evenly. But as always, Luka knocked it out of the park,

We have a few thank you’s for this project.

Mathilda and Asta came to the rescue on digging. They were complete champions on all of the physical labor, and between the four of us, we got it dug out in record time.

Ladi helped with concrete as always. This pour was just us and Ladi, and whenever three people are doing a four person job, it means everyone has to pull twice their weight. Ladi showed and showed out as he always does. And because we had no help on the construction this time, he was an excellent help to getting the wall rebuilt.

Kati made lunches for us everyday. She has never been shown on camera, but her contributions go along way to keeping us fed and in good health.

Mange tak til Mathilda og Asta!

Hvala lepa Ladi in Kati!

CHAPTERS:

Introduction: 00:00 - 00:43
Demolition: 00:44 - 01:42
Excavation & Concrete: 01:43 - 02:49
Limestone Wall Construction: 02:50 - 07:33
Limestone Window Construction: 07:34 - 08:15
Beam Cleaning: 08:16 - 08:47
Limestone Wall Construction Continued: 08:48 - 09:47
Final Reveal: 09:48 - 10:27
Credits: 10:27 - 10:41