Bedding large slab of bluestone to concrete for woodstove platform

[RandyBoBandy]

And if your shop is cold use warm water.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

I hate to ask this late in the game but did you etch your concrete floor? If it’s a new pour I wouldn’t worry a whole lot but if it’s old with a smooth finish I would consider etching it with some muriatic acid first. This will help with the bond.

 

[Highbeam]

I hate to ask this late in the game but did you etch your concrete floor? If it’s a new pour I wouldn’t worry a whole lot but if it’s old with a smooth finish I would consider etching it with some muriatic acid first. This will help with the bond.

Does the bond even matter?

 

[Jakee]

That is a heavy a$$ piece of stone so don’t be shy on laying down a thick bed. You will squeeze a lot out in the initial set down. You will want it thick with the way you are lowering it. It’s gonna want to shoot it out on the side with least resistance. So it’s best to have a thick bed so you can float some mortar back to the wall side of the stone. Be patient. I would mix it to the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Maybe on the thicker side considering the weight of the stone. But if you go to dry it’s going to fight you when trying to tap it down into place. Shims will save you. I can’t stress that enough. If you let it sack out to far it will turn into a nightmare in a matter of seconds. Thick bed, patience, shims, patience. You got this.

Thanks for the great advive.
I've actually changed the method for laying it down. Since I have help... right now it's upright on 1" wood spacers, once the bed is down we will bring it down to the other side laying it on an opposite spacer so it's flat, we'll line it up to my marks and set it down flat, pulling out the spacers.

1" bed will be sufficient Right? I'll build 1/4 more up on the low end. (or not?)

I'm surprised about the soft ice cream thickness, I'll do it slightly stiffer like you said. I would have thought shims unnessary because of the bedding and ability to tap it down, but I'll put shims on the low side and keep a pry bar/crow bar handy just in case.

I'm just going to line it up, let it float on there, get the level and patiently tap or press where needed.

I'm going into this with more confidence because of you. I'll get back to you later this afternoon.

Feel free to add anything else before I start. (1:00) ET

 

[Jakee]

Does the bond even matter?

It's a new pour (1 year)

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Does the bond even matter?

In this scenario probably not. I don’t that see that big stone moving around at all.

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Thanks for the great advive.
I've actually changed the method for laying it down. Since I have help... right now it's upright on 1" wood spacers, once the bed is down we will bring it down to the other side laying it on an opposite spacer so it's flat, we'll line it up to my marks and set it down flat, pulling out the spacers.

1" bed will be sufficient Right? I'll build 1/4 more up on the low end. (or not?)

I'm surprised about the soft ice cream thickness, I'll do it slightly stiffer like you said. I would have thought shims unnessary because of the bedding and ability to tap it down, but I'll put shims on the low side and keep a pry bar/crow bar handy just in case.

I'm just going to line it up, let it float on there, get the level and patiently tap or press where needed.

I'm going into this with more confidence because of you. I'll get back to you later this afternoon.

Feel free to add anything else before I start. (1:00) ET

Soft serve probably is a little on the wet side for this application, however, to stiff and you will have a harder time tapping it down.
I having a hard time thinking of a good comparison at the moment. Starting off with 1” spacers sounds good. Try and have shims at you finish size ready. Tap down to your shims and leave it alone for awhile. You can clean up all the mud pushed out at this point. Sponge your stone clean and wait. If you take your shims out to early the weight of the stone could slowly push out more mud and sack out lower than you want. Your goal is to leave your crowbar in the toolbox. If end up trying to pry this thing back up you will be hating life.

 

[bholler]

Does the bond even matter?

Not at all

 

[Jakee]

In this scenario probably not. I don’t that see that big stone moving around at all.

Randy
If I may ask one more thing of you.
Originally, with no mortar bed there is the 5/16 leveing difference over the diagonal 42"
How should I handle the shim issue now that there will be a 1" mortar bed squishing down.
I plan on having short wood shims there before setting the stone.

I'm just questioning the thickness I should account for. What do you think? That will be the last of my questions.
Thanks in advance

I should send you a Omaha Steak package for all the advice.

 

[Jakee]

Soft serve probably is a little on the wet side for this application, however, to stiff and you will have a harder time tapping it down.
I having a hard time thinking of a good comparison at the moment. Starting off with 1” spacers sounds good. Try and have shims at you finish size ready. Tap down to your shims and leave it alone for awhile. You can clean up all the mud pushed out at this point. Sponge your stone clean and wait. If you take your shims out to early the weight of the stone could slowly push out more mud and sack out lower than you want. Your goal is to leave your crowbar in the toolbox. If end up trying to pry this thing back up you will be hating life.

Sorry, I see you gave me this reply. Didn't see it.

 

[Jakee]

Soft serve probably is a little on the wet side for this application, however, to stiff and you will have a harder time tapping it down.
I having a hard time thinking of a good comparison at the moment. Starting off with 1” spacers sounds good. Try and have shims at you finish size ready. Tap down to your shims and leave it alone for awhile. You can clean up all the mud pushed out at this point. Sponge your stone clean and wait. If you take your shims out to early the weight of the stone could slowly push out more mud and sack out lower than you want. Your goal is to leave your crowbar in the toolbox. If end up trying to pry this thing back up you will be hating life.

Good, I could't find my big crowbar anyway

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Just have an assortment of shims at hand. Pay attention to the bubble on your level. As you get close to your finish slide in some shims so you don’t go to far.
No need for steaks. I have a freezer full of them. I’m just glad I can help in any small way. Best of luck. I will check in as the day goes to see how make out.

 

[Jakee]

Just have an assortment of shims at hand. Pay attention to the bubble on your level. As you get close to your finish slide in some shims so you don’t go to far.
No need for steaks. I have a freezer full of them. I’m just glad I can help in any small way. Best of luck. I will check in as the day goes to see how make out.

Thanks so much.
I'll take before and after pictures

 

[Rickb]

Looking forward to the pics and the follow up on this. I think you will find that its going to be much easier then you are thinking and once done you will find it wasnt that bad. 6 - 8 shims and a decent bed and level. no biggy.

 

[Jakee]

Just have an assortment of shims at hand. Pay attention to the bubble on your level. As you get close to your finish slide in some shims so you don’t go to far.
No need for steaks. I have a freezer full of them. I’m just glad I can help in any small way. Best of luck. I will check in as the day goes to see how make out.

I just this minute got a break, I still have to finish cleaning the sides. Thank you for all your help. I'm not able to take the 'after' picture yet as I don't have an iphone. I'll include the before picture here.

I ended up with a bed that went above the 1" spacing blocks. It took a bit of pressing, etc to get the bed down to where I put shims in the front. Everything turned out really level and good. I put shims in the back as well once everything was pressed down and level. I was reluctant to pull the shims out as I didn't know if it was too soon or not. But I thought if I don't get them out now I'm not going to be able to finish off the sides. It was about 2 hours after I bedded it before I took the shims out. The mortar was still soft but I figured it's now or never. I ended up with a 1"bed after all the pressing, etc...

So I trowled off the sides and made them look good, all I have to do is sponge off the extra on the stone sides. Which I guess I should do sooner rather than later, I just didn't want to add excess water to the mortar base. Back to work!

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Sponge away. The cleaner you get it now the less scrubbing you have to do later with the muriatic acid.

 

[Jakee]

Randy
Here's the 'after' picture thanks to your help I knew what to expect and was prepered for it. I actually had so much mortar put down that it no longer touched the 1" spacers. I could easily float it into position and ended up squeezing probably half the mortat out that I put down. I mixed it sightly on the thicker side of soft ice cream, but still was able yo get it down without fighting it. Attached also is the shop it's going in, which is very much a work in progress. The bottom left is the wood stove covered in plastic.
Thanks again
Doug

If I may ask, how long before I can put the stove in place?

 

[Jakee]

Does the bond even matter?

Highbeam
I wanted to thank you also for your help during this process. There are pictures posted above. I raised the walls to my shop myself and wasn't near as nervous as I was setting this slab.
Thanks again

 

[RandyBoBandy]

Randy
Here's the 'after' picture thanks to your help I knew what to expect and was prepered for it. I actually had so much mortar put down that it no longer touched the 1" spacers. I could easily float it into position and ended up squeezing probably half the mortat out that I put down. I mixed it sightly on the thicker side of soft ice cream, but still was able yo get it down without fighting it. Attached also is the shop it's going in, which is very much a work in progress. The bottom left is the wood stove covered in plastic.
Thanks again
Doug

If I may ask, how long before I can put the stove in place?

Nice job! I glad it went smooth for you. I’m jealous of your shop. I need to update my shop/barn by burning it to the ground and starting over. The previous homeowner was not to good at carpentry.
I would think as soon as you are ready to you can carefully set the stove down on it.

 

[Highbeam]

When I read that you were putting it in a corner, I thought you were actually putting the thing fully in the corner so two sides were against walls. That's a pain since you can't just drop it in place.

It is super nice to have a shop stove. Mine is on a dry stack of cinder blocks. The permit required that it be 18" off of the floor.

 

[Jakee]

When I read that you were putting it in a corner, I thought you were actually putting the thing fully in the corner so two sides were against walls. That's a pain since you can't just drop it in place.

It is super nice to have a shop stove. Mine is on a dry stack of cinder blocks. The permit required that it be 18" off of the floor.

Is that requirement spcifically for a shop? I heard a guy in Canada talk about that. I've seen countless picture of homes where that's not required.

 

[Highbeam]

Is that requirement spcifically for a shop? I heard a guy in Canada talk about that. I've seen countless picture of homes where that's not required.

It wasn’t a requirement for my house, just the detached shop. I’m glad I called my AHJ ahead and found out. I actually like the 18” height.

For the house, an outside air connection was also required. It’s not a mobile home but some states require this for all homes.

 

[bholler]

Is that requirement spcifically for a shop? I heard a guy in Canada talk about that. I've seen countless picture of homes where that's not required.

That is not a requirement by code in any jusristiction in the US. It is in canada.

In the us solid fuel burners are not allowed in garages. And some states and municipalities don't allow them in woodshops either. That you would have to check with your local code office for.

I really prefer Canada's code over ours it makes much more sense. But I don't write the codes.

 

[Jakee]

That is not a requirement by code in any jusristiction in the US. It is in canada.

In the us solid fuel burners are not allowed in garages. And some states and municipalities don't allow them in woodshops either. That you would have to check with your local code office for.

I really prefer Canada's code over ours it makes much more sense. But I don't write the codes.

In building this shop I jumped through every hoop they had, passing all the inspections, including having to have an 'As built' survey when it was finished that cost about $1000 that includes the $200 fee for them to look at the 'as built' survey.
I've had in mind all along that I'm having a wood stove in there no matter what. I didn't ask for a permit and don't intend to. I'll just say I didn't know you needed one if I'm ever asked.
I remember talking to one of the inspectors early on in the process, asking him if there are any special requirements for putting in a woodstove, and he said just put it in according to the manufacturers instructions. F em.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

 

[bholler]

In building this shop I jumped through every hoop they had, passing all the inspections, including having to have an 'As built' survey when it was finished that cost about $1000 that includes the $200 fee for them to look at the 'as built' survey.
I've had in mind all along that I'm having a wood stove in there no matter what. I didn't ask for a permit and don't intend to. I'll just say I didn't know you needed one if I'm ever asked.
I remember talking to one of the inspectors early on in the process, asking him if there are any special requirements for putting in a woodstove, and he said just put it in according to the manufacturers instructions. F em.
That's my story and I'm stickin to it.

And many people including me in one of my garages decide the risk is worth the benifits. But if it is against code it doesn't matter if it passed inspection or not an insurance claim involving the stove will be denied.

If you are ok with that risk that is up to you.