Cultured Stone
This chimney faced with man-made stone was made to look as "real" as possible, by sawing many large pieces—called snecks. The pieces from the manufacturer were too large to fill wide mortar joints.
The main task to which I was called at this place was the setting of fake stone to a chimney of bare block, which had also been painted gray.
I removed the paint with a grinder incrementally and went at installing this "cultured" stone. Here is a shot of the beginning of it.
One day, nine freshly set stones were jostled by the placement of a 10th, and all 10 fell to the ground.
Cussed like a shipful of sailors, but softly. I don't like to make noise. No one was home at the house anyway.
Here is the bare block chimney:
Cussed like a shipful of sailors, but softly. I don't like to make noise. No one was home at the house anyway.
Here is the bare block chimney:
Here is the finished thing:
Other stretches of the foundation of the house received the fake stone, too.