Where can I find some good stone masons in India?

Answer by Santosh Kulkarni:

I appreciate your question.
Due to onset of red clay masonry , gradually the availability of stone artisans who can actually dress the individual stones to specific shapes and dimensions is becoming quite scarce.
The reasons are :
The stone works are less productive , more skillful , not economical and hence the stone masons are less in demand .
The Stone masonry , can be done in following ways :

1. Random rubble masonry
2. Un-coursed rubble masonry
3. Coursed rubble masonry
4. Ashlar masonry

Out of these , the options 3 & 4 only need competent stone masons. Options 1 & 2 do not need any dressing/shaping  of the stones but require knowledge of the headers.

On this background , locating stone masons to do Options 1 & 2 is not difficult .Just get in touch with any sub contractor who is doing brick masonry and he can certainly arrange stone masons.

if you are looking at Options 3 & 4 ( for some religious structures or a monument ) , it is advisable that you visit Rajasthan                   ( Jaipur,Jodhpur ,Udaipur ) there one can locate the competent stone masons.

Else visit southern part of India like Tamilnadu for stone artisans.

Where can I find some good stone masons in India?

Break the walls ….

Overview:

The concept of walls is so much integrated into the psyche of human beings that we often use the word wall in literature such  as ” removing walls between different cultures “

Walls have got a definite place in the scheme of the buildings. Cannot imagine a building without walls.
Walls define spaces and offer privacy , security .Walls can be made in various materials .Walls can be designed as  load bearing walls  or panel / partition walls depending upon the design philosophy of the building.
This article takes the readers into the wonderland of walls.

Masonry walls :

Stone walls:
Raw material:
Hard stones such as black trap Basalt
Density : Density : 2400 Kg / CuM.

Joined with either lime mortar or cement mortar.

Can be further classified as :

LOOK AT THE OLD STONE ARCH BRIDGE

Ashlar masonry :
Individual stone is hand dressed manually and given geometry and shape. Process is time consuming and requires specific skills. Mass production is not possible and hence speed hampers.

Coursed rubble :
Process similar to ashlar but it is not that precise.

Un-coursed rubble :
Stones are not dressed but are used with certain skills so that aesthetics is maintained.

UN-COURSED RUBBLE MASONRY IN THE COMPOUND WALL.

Random rubble masonry :
Can be used for load bearing as well as  non load bearing walls .
Larger thickness restricts wall heights.
Used in forts.

RANDOM RUBBLE MASONRY USED IN THE COMPOUND WALL .
[ REAR PORTION ]

THE ARTISAN DRESSING STONES FOR COURSED RUBBLE MASONRY.

Red clay Brick work :
Raw material:
Clay , coal powder.
Density : Density : 1600 Kg / CuM.
Joined with either lime mortar or cement mortar.
Can be used for load bearing as well as  non load bearing walls.

Fly ash brick :
Raw material:
Fly ash , cement and grit
Density : 1900 Kg/CuM.
Joined with cement mortar.
Can be used for non load bearing walls.

AAC BLOCKS MASONRY.
[Stretcher Bond ]

Hollow concrete blocks :
Raw material:
Cement , sand & grit
Density : 1200 Kg/CuM.
Joined with  cement mortar.
Can be used for non load bearing walls.

A.A.C blocks ( c4x blocks ) :
Raw material:
Cement , quartz sand ,calcined gypsum and aluminum powder.
Density : 600 Kg/CuM.
Joined with  cement mortar or with resin based chemicals.
When chemical is used for joining , curing is not needed.
Can be used for non load bearing walls.

Other walls ( called as partitions ) :

RCC walls :

RCC WALLS IN THE LIFT PIT .

Solid wood partition in Carved wood :
Wooden partition with veneers:
Aluminum framework with glass :
Sandwiched Glass :
PVC panels :
Gypsum panels on wooden frames:
Wire mesh fencing on angle iron frames:
Mud on bamboo Matt