Log Cabin Restoration Series – Part 2

November 7, 2012 by KpS

The Pièce de Résistance.

Welcome back to the Log Cabin Restoration Series – Part 2

Not long after we purchased the home we started the biggest chunk of the renovation…the fire place. Thankfully we were not living in the space when this monolith ‘Flintstones’ prop was dismantled. The mortared rocks were painstakingly and noisiliy removed with jackhammers, pitched of the deck in a huge cloud of white dust hauled away in the old Ford ‘death star’. We are convinced the fireplace between demolition and rock collection killed the old Ford truck.

Ans so began the construction of the Pièce de Résistance.

Check out the before and after…let me just say this didn’t come easy!

BEFORE

AFTER

As all good things, it started with good design and solid framing. As we decided to take the rocks up to the ceiling, we needed to make sure they would stay there. Underneath this rock facade, there is a lot of mesh and mortar, right up to the ceiling. And don’t forget to notice the beautifully finished cedar mantel. Once again, Toby’s handiwork.

Rock placement began after the guys had personally done the trips to ‘a local river that will remain un-named to protect the innocent’ to hand gather the beautifully tumbled rocks that would create our fireplace. Toby became a rock pro on top of a mantel pro and established a interesting partnership with our hired consultants. I won’t say it was easy. It certainly wasn’t. There were tense moments, foul language and rocks thrown. One of our main goals was ‘no symmetry’ in the design so you can imagine the reaction when the rock installer created a ‘key stone’ of one almost triangular rock with two smaller rocks on each side. I won’t tell you what part of the male anatomy it resembled but I wasn’t having it front and centre for time immemorial. Sheesh. Leave it to a bunch of guys!

At the same time we were working on the fireplace, reno’s were happening throughout the house.

We were lucky enough to stumble upon some hardwood that will remain unique and important as long as the house continues to stand. In 2006 there was a massive wind storm in Vancouver BC and many of the old growth trees of famed Stanley Park were blown down during this storm. Major vistas were opened during this event and people were also trapped and hurt by the falling trees. The park was forever changed by the storm. What to do with all the blown down trees? Some real innovation came out of that crisis and one company obtained the rights to create wood products, hence our historically heavy flooring! We have Stanley Park Fir flooring throughout the cabin that is signed, sealed and delivered. Couldn’t be prouder to support such an effort.