Stonework: Techniques and Projects

No building material rivals stone for beauty, permanence, and enduring popularity. Builder Charles McRaven offers the benefits of his fifty years of stonework experience in Stonework, a book that will inform, entertain, and inspire anyone using or working with stone.

McRaven helps even first-time builders comprehend the intricacies of working with different stone types; choosing the most suitable stone; handling, cutting, and shaping stone; working with recycled stone; and using stone inside the home.

Stonework presents complete, fully illustrated instructions for:

• Using stone for gardens, paths, pools, and waterfalls

• Building walls, from simple to serpentine

• Making gateways, pillars, and doorways

• Using large stones as wall and landscape accents

• Installing stone steps for porches and entries

• Creating retaining walls

• Building bridges and walkways

Readers will learn to collect and handle stone while creating walls, stairs, pools, and even waterfalls.

Charles McRaven is a stonemason and blacksmith, nationally known for building and repairing dozens of stone structures and log homes. He has written extensively on stone, including the books Building with Stone and Stonework, and articles for Country Journal, Fine Homebuilding, and many regional magazines. He lectures and conducts workshops and private courses in stone construction. Charles lives in Virginia.