I have tried to get answers in another thread I started that was really about something else. But I didn't get any, so I'm giving it its own thread. I hope the moderator thinks it's okay.
We removed a plastic mat with masonite underneath, which was attached with a million nails to the old wooden floor. In the corner against the chimney, we found a spot where a stove probably stood. See pictures in this thread: http://www.byggahus.se/forum/byggnadsvard/140670-stod-det-en-kaklugn-haer.html
Now we are about to order a stove and have it installed (I don't have the energy to do it myself again, and besides, I'm not very good at plastering a chimney nicely) and then we must have a solution for what to do with the corner where the stove will stand.
I've received tips about custom-sized stone to put there. That sounds like an expensive proposition. Tiles don't feel quite right for that spot. So I have been thinking of simply casting with concrete level with the wooden floor.
I have no experience working with concrete, so I am unsure if it will look nice. What do you think? I've seen this solution in an old house, and it looked kind of solid and not perfect, which was okay. But how do I vibrate it properly? Maybe a rod with a drill attached somehow?
I welcome all opinions gratefully.
We removed a plastic mat with masonite underneath, which was attached with a million nails to the old wooden floor. In the corner against the chimney, we found a spot where a stove probably stood. See pictures in this thread: http://www.byggahus.se/forum/byggnadsvard/140670-stod-det-en-kaklugn-haer.html
Now we are about to order a stove and have it installed (I don't have the energy to do it myself again, and besides, I'm not very good at plastering a chimney nicely) and then we must have a solution for what to do with the corner where the stove will stand.
I've received tips about custom-sized stone to put there. That sounds like an expensive proposition. Tiles don't feel quite right for that spot. So I have been thinking of simply casting with concrete level with the wooden floor.
I have no experience working with concrete, so I am unsure if it will look nice. What do you think? I've seen this solution in an old house, and it looked kind of solid and not perfect, which was okay. But how do I vibrate it properly? Maybe a rod with a drill attached somehow?
I welcome all opinions gratefully.
How thick will the slab be? In the picture, it doesn't seem like more than self-leveling compound would work. I would probably use that; it creates a smooth and nice surface, but I don't really know if the compound can be sanded/treated like concrete.
I would have laid tiles in a style that matches the house.
I would have laid tiles in a style that matches the house.
Jan-Å: The guy we're probably buying the fireplace from said that self-leveling compound doesn't count as non-combustible material. But of course, we can protect everything with a glass plate or something similar. But the best look would be to place the fireplace directly on the cast without metal or glass.
I've also thought about self-leveling compound, but I'm not really "down" with the color. It's a bit gray/brown. But it might differ between brands.
Raceman: I guess I'll have to get my act together and look into it a bit more before I decide it's expensive and troublesome.
I've also thought about self-leveling compound, but I'm not really "down" with the color. It's a bit gray/brown. But it might differ between brands.
Raceman: I guess I'll have to get my act together and look into it a bit more before I decide it's expensive and troublesome.
To save money, you should search on Blocket! Enter stone*, counterto*, *granite*, etc. Using * will bring up all words with different prefixes and suffixes. You might already know this! :blushing:
Another way is to build a nice base of old bricks, possibly in a stylish pattern. This acts as a protective layer. If it's too thin to cast, you can build it up a bit (or a lot) to make it thick enough. A nice copper or brass sheet isn't bad either. Another option is sliced bricks. These are only a couple of centimeters thick, easy to lay, stylish, and not too expensive. I've also seen people use old stove tiles in front as protection.
There are plenty of different solutions for various price tags. What kind of stove will you have? A built-in cassette? A freestanding cast iron one?
Another way is to build a nice base of old bricks, possibly in a stylish pattern. This acts as a protective layer. If it's too thin to cast, you can build it up a bit (or a lot) to make it thick enough. A nice copper or brass sheet isn't bad either. Another option is sliced bricks. These are only a couple of centimeters thick, easy to lay, stylish, and not too expensive. I've also seen people use old stove tiles in front as protection.
There are plenty of different solutions for various price tags. What kind of stove will you have? A built-in cassette? A freestanding cast iron one?
Returia: Yes, I knew that.
Sometimes I lack the imagination and the ability to see what something can be turned into or done with. That's when it's great to have a partner who is better at it. But in this case, we're both stumped.
It's a bit difficult to explain what I'm looking for. I'm not particularly fond of tiles, as they can easily give off a hospital/swimming pool vibe. With the right tiles, it can work, but the right ones have to be found too. I have a partner from Germany where they seem to love tiles, they're everywhere. And I often find it feels cold, stiff, and dead. I actually freeze more when I'm in Germany.
Since we have an old house and have used "old" solutions and materials for the renovation, we thought of contrasting with something modern. For example, a round Jötul 3XX or similar. (All stoves seem to be round these days!) The partner mumbles something about having one on a pedestal. That's probably how it will be if that's what she wants.
Preferably, only the stove should stand out as a modern feature. So the base should blend in very well. As the pictures show, there's treated wooden flooring outside. The chimney breast is to be plastered and likely painted in a light color, but not completely pure white. The room has white paneling on the ceiling, an inner wall where the old planks have been exposed and painted white as a contrast to the other walls, which are painted with a light color tending towards green-gray. The color is called "pearl gray" by Ovolin. It contains green and brown earth pigments. But you can only perceive a hint of green.
I thought concrete would be easy and convenient while also being an old material. I suspect brick would draw too much attention. I'll take a look at granite tiles or similar to see if that could be something.
Sometimes I lack the imagination and the ability to see what something can be turned into or done with. That's when it's great to have a partner who is better at it. But in this case, we're both stumped.
It's a bit difficult to explain what I'm looking for. I'm not particularly fond of tiles, as they can easily give off a hospital/swimming pool vibe. With the right tiles, it can work, but the right ones have to be found too. I have a partner from Germany where they seem to love tiles, they're everywhere. And I often find it feels cold, stiff, and dead. I actually freeze more when I'm in Germany.
Since we have an old house and have used "old" solutions and materials for the renovation, we thought of contrasting with something modern. For example, a round Jötul 3XX or similar. (All stoves seem to be round these days!) The partner mumbles something about having one on a pedestal. That's probably how it will be if that's what she wants.
Preferably, only the stove should stand out as a modern feature. So the base should blend in very well. As the pictures show, there's treated wooden flooring outside. The chimney breast is to be plastered and likely painted in a light color, but not completely pure white. The room has white paneling on the ceiling, an inner wall where the old planks have been exposed and painted white as a contrast to the other walls, which are painted with a light color tending towards green-gray. The color is called "pearl gray" by Ovolin. It contains green and brown earth pigments. But you can only perceive a hint of green.
I thought concrete would be easy and convenient while also being an old material. I suspect brick would draw too much attention. I'll take a look at granite tiles or similar to see if that could be something.
A follow-up question: if I find nice granite slabs that I cut up, how do I seamlessly join them together on the floor?
Cederbusch, if you're going to look at stone, below you'll find a reference link to Stenbolaget. They have so much stone that it might take a whole weekend to look through all of it.
I think gray unpolished granite would suit you. Gray Swedish unpolished granite is available in many dimensions and is very inexpensive. For example, they come in the form of paving stones, cladding slabs, thresholds, wall stones, etc.
Here is the link, and as an example, I have linked to "Cladding Granite 600X300X20mm at 130kr each" http://www.stenbolaget.se/utomhus/granit/bekladnadsgranit.html
In response to your question, you don't need to use any joint compound at all. You just place the stones tightly together and fix them to the substrate with, for example, regular tile adhesive.
I think gray unpolished granite would suit you. Gray Swedish unpolished granite is available in many dimensions and is very inexpensive. For example, they come in the form of paving stones, cladding slabs, thresholds, wall stones, etc.
Here is the link, and as an example, I have linked to "Cladding Granite 600X300X20mm at 130kr each" http://www.stenbolaget.se/utomhus/granit/bekladnadsgranit.html
In response to your question, you don't need to use any joint compound at all. You just place the stones tightly together and fix them to the substrate with, for example, regular tile adhesive.
In my mom's cottage, there is a cast slab in some fine-grained concrete beneath and in front of the tile stove. That house is from 1903, so it was present at least then. The slab is smaller than the hole in your floor, and it was only in that room that there was any protection at all in front of the fireplace from the start. I think it can be good, but probably not much warmer than tiles. Hospitals or bathhouses, I think of as white square tiles. Dark rectangular tiles in a corner under the stove I think can be nice.
Erik
Erik
daviden: Now we've bought ready-mixed concrete, so you could say the stone is now rolling.
The seller gave completely different instructions than we had previously read. For example, he mentioned that you would use some kind of glass concrete for such castings. And then you should polish the surface in a wet state with some sort of steel. He was skeptical about whether it was possible to achieve the surface we wanted. We'll see. Anyway, we bought a larger trowel to act as a polishing steel.
I'm wondering exactly how light gray the surface will become. If you want a darker gray tone, what color pigment can you use then, does anyone know?
The seller gave completely different instructions than we had previously read. For example, he mentioned that you would use some kind of glass concrete for such castings. And then you should polish the surface in a wet state with some sort of steel. He was skeptical about whether it was possible to achieve the surface we wanted. We'll see. Anyway, we bought a larger trowel to act as a polishing steel.
I'm wondering exactly how light gray the surface will become. If you want a darker gray tone, what color pigment can you use then, does anyone know?
When the seller talks about sanding the concrete, he probably means it should be smoothed with a steel trowel. However, this should not be done while the concrete is completely wet but after it has dried for a while (barely an hour or so). After you have poured the concrete, you can/should take a float and even out the surface. The float should be moistened beforehand.
If you want to make the concrete dark gray, you can add some black pigment (powder) when mixing the concrete. It's even available at Bauhaus. I recommend doing some trial mixes before you proceed so you know how much powder to add to get the desired result. Cast in an old ice cream carton or similar and keep track of the proportions so you can repeat it when it’s time to do the real thing. If you only want to darken the surface slightly, you can also oil it (after the concrete has completely cured).
You asked before about vibrating the concrete... it's probably enough if you tamp the concrete right after you have poured it. You can do this with a ladle or the end of a piece of wood. Don't be lazy; continue for a while. Using a hammer drill only works when you have a form that can shake. I once had a crazy idea that turned out to work well: http://www.byggahus.se/forum/860412-post83.html. It probably would have worked well in your case too.
If you want to make the concrete dark gray, you can add some black pigment (powder) when mixing the concrete. It's even available at Bauhaus. I recommend doing some trial mixes before you proceed so you know how much powder to add to get the desired result. Cast in an old ice cream carton or similar and keep track of the proportions so you can repeat it when it’s time to do the real thing. If you only want to darken the surface slightly, you can also oil it (after the concrete has completely cured).
You asked before about vibrating the concrete... it's probably enough if you tamp the concrete right after you have poured it. You can do this with a ladle or the end of a piece of wood. Don't be lazy; continue for a while. Using a hammer drill only works when you have a form that can shake. I once had a crazy idea that turned out to work well: http://www.byggahus.se/forum/860412-post83.html. It probably would have worked well in your case too.
Can give a little report from the weekend's escapades (fiascos?) We bought concrete (Maxit/Weber), mixed according to the recipe plus a bit of extra water. Poured it into the "mold" and started smoothing it out. It became a robust slab with a lot of charm. But honestly, quite a few flaws are usually excused by saying it adds to the charm.
I don't know what went wrong; we probably should have mixed it much looser so it would flow more. It ended up being like trying to spread wet gravel. Smoothing it out was downright impossible, and achieving a nice, smooth surface was out of the question. We nearly removed it all again, but we decided to leave it and see how it turns out.
Yesterday we sanded it down until the stone emerged, and we finally got a somewhat decent surface. Not smooth or even in the least, but somehow it fits quite well with all the other flaws our old house has. We’ll stop watering it soon and let it dry up to see how it looks.
In the worst case, we’ll have to redo it correctly. But this time, there's a reinforcement mesh in it that won't be as fun to dig up.
I don't know what went wrong; we probably should have mixed it much looser so it would flow more. It ended up being like trying to spread wet gravel. Smoothing it out was downright impossible, and achieving a nice, smooth surface was out of the question. We nearly removed it all again, but we decided to leave it and see how it turns out.
Yesterday we sanded it down until the stone emerged, and we finally got a somewhat decent surface. Not smooth or even in the least, but somehow it fits quite well with all the other flaws our old house has. We’ll stop watering it soon and let it dry up to see how it looks.
In the worst case, we’ll have to redo it correctly. But this time, there's a reinforcement mesh in it that won't be as fun to dig up.