My Garden Odyssey: Tea house stucco, Pt. 3

PART 3: ADDING COLOR AND CLEAN-UP

HE SAID: At the end of the last post I was applying the brown coat and doing test colors for the final coat on the outside.

In the picture above you can see that I've added another color over the first on my test panel. There are additional colors on the other side. The Quickcrete product I was using suggested adding one 10-oz bottle of pigment to one 80-lb bag of mix. To do my tests I would add 1/2-oz of color to 4-lbs of concrete mix if I wanted to test a straight color. My choices were buff, red, grey, terra cotta and brown. If I wanted to mix two colors I'd divide the 1/2-oz of color proportionally. I borrowed the kitchen scale and a set of measuring spoons to keep the proportions accurate.

However, despite all my charts and careful calculations I still managed to screw up the first panel I did. In this picture you can clearly see the difference between the far right panel and the others. I had measured out tablespoons instead of ounces and ended up with a surface that showed more of the grey stucco mix. Fortunately Linda had reminded me to start at the back of the tea house where mistakes would show the least.

On the plus side, I decided that the "mistake" would make a good color choice for the interior of the tea house. It would be a softer, less intense color in the enclosed space.

The exterior finished at last! We were very please with the way it looked. The color was very much like a number of Japanese tea houses we had seen in our books. The texture of the surface had a pleasing, irregular, weathered look. That was partly due to a technique I used called a "heavy float." That involved using a rubber float or trowel over the surface while it was still a bit wet causing the sand in the mix to rise to the surface.

I was pretty tired by this time and toyed with the idea of closing the building up and waiting for Spring to finish the interior. But taking a day or two off renewed my enthusiasm. I also thought the interior would be easier. Silly me!

First of all, working with ladders, tools, and plastic sheeting in the restricted space made planning and clean-up all that much more difficult. And because there were structural elements inside that I had to work around, I found myself engaged in some fairly involved gymnastics to reach areas under the eaves. Although it was good working off of the level surface of the floor instead of the sloping landscape outside, I discovered a serious disadvantage. On the exterior, because I was standing below the bottom of the wall I was working on, I didn't have to bend very low to apply the stucco. On the interior I was applying it a couple inches from the floor. I hurt in new places after a day of working on the interior.

The tokonoma and storage area required stuccoing free standing panels framed by round timbers. They involved extra masking and care to follow the irregular edges. Also working in the confined spaces meant having to take special care not to mar newly-covered adjacent surfaces.

I mixed a warm grey for the color coat inside the tokonoma display area to set it apart from the rest of the interior space. This was also the only area of the building where I used a white stucco mix as apposed to the grey mix on the rest of the building. The white base gives color a little more intensity. (I hadn't ordered the white mix, but they sent me one bag by mistake. Another happy accident.)

This winter I plan to work on my designs for windows and doors. I also plan to look for someone with more skills and tools to help me with the cabinet work for the interior. The roof still needs copper for the ridge and I think I've found a good person to supply me with gutters. There is still a lot to do, but with the stucco finished the worst is behind us.

An account of this project wouldn't be complete without talking about clean-up and waste. Whenever I cleaned my tools I would store the wash water in 5-gallon buckets until the solids settled out and then re-use the clear water. As much as possible the clarified water I didn't need went on the garden. 

Used plastic sheeting, leveling boards, piles of masking tape, all added up every day. A lot of it could be thrown out with the normal weekly trash; but some things, like the 200-lb test panel, could not. It took more than a little effort with a heavy maul and wire cutters to break it into pieces I could handle.

The panel, concrete solids, as well as a number of other heavy items that had been accumulating in our yard all went in the truck to the the Dane County landfill. It cost $22.00 to dispose of 720-lbs of stuff. I still have a few tools to clean and put away, but I can look forward to winter with a real feeling of accomplishment this year.

Comments

[Jim/ArtofGardening.org]

You are my hero!

[Lisa at Greenbow]

You have the patience of a saint to be able to work in those close conditions. Your work looks incredible. Great job. Can't wait ot see the grand opening.

[Altoon]

This small building looks so perfect in its surroundings; each choice you've made has been just right. It is a beautiful achievement.

[Jean]

Absolutely stunning. I know you are justly proud.

[Julie Siegel]

Divine & soulful. Takes my breath away with its beauty and craft. The "mistake" is very much a part of that culture and aesthetic. I appreciate how you included clean-up details, especially about your re-use of gray water.

[Barbara H.]

Hurrah for Mark! What a great job. I, too, appreciated the clean-up details. This is a marvelous addition to a marvelous garden.

[Janice Munizza]

The beauty takes my breath away! Absolutely lovely!

[Casa Mariposa]

What an incredible project!!! WOW!!! I love how it's not psuedo authentic on the outside and pre-fab on the inside. Very cool!!! :o)

[S. Adler Sobol]

"Divine and soulful." What a perfect description! It's hard to follow up with another comment after that one! Of course, I've been privileged to see this wonderful space in process, but I've been following these posts as if watching a favorite series on Masterpiece Theatre -- eagerly anticipating the next one. Can't wait to see how this beautiful space continues to evolve. Susan

[erin]

this looks AWESOME!!!

[Pam/Digging]

It's really lovely, Mark. Congrats on getting through the hardest part so successfully.

[Gésbi]

This is breathtaking and so much in harmony with the garden. I particularly like the soft interior with rounded timbers.

[Irwin Floto]

Hmm, yeah, copper would be good for the roof ridge. It's long lasting, and it looks very good, even as time passes. Anyway, that little house is spectacular! You did some fine craftsmanship on the place and the surroundings.

[Jeleryl Comisky]

I admire you for doing every detail in this project alone. The fact that you had to do all that “gymnastics” just to place the sheeting, reach the tools and all, that amazes me… I would like to see how all the effort you gave became worth it. Where’s the photo of your finished teahouse? :D

[Santo Caridine]

Good job in building that tea house, Mark. It does looks like a Japanese tea house, but with a more personalized exterior design. And the ambiance of the area makes the place soulful and relaxing. It is the perfect place to drink a hot soothing tea to relieve your stress.

[Molly Stevens]

Wow, really unbelievable work! That really came out so beautifully. I love working with stucco, as you found out with your project- it can yield amazing results! The only problem I have ever had with it is that I once had water pool next to a primarily stucco wall and we had some mold form. Luckily I found a great stucco repair in NJ service that was able to salvage the wall.