Fox & Hounds Pub & Restaurant Construction: Part 4

On our first day of sculpting for the Fox & Hounds Pub project, we focused on the trees n the entryway. First, we troweled on a coat of fiberglass reinforced concrete — about 1" thick. (The mud was applied even thicker in key areas to allow various details to be carved in.)

Then the mud was allowed to set up until it was good and firm before we started sculpting.

Using a variety of tools — including pointing trowels and folded up scraps of expanded metal lath — each detail was painstakingly sculpted into the wet cement. We had to work quickl (at the same pace as the concrete was applied) in order to maintain a consistent texture from tree to tree.

We finished the two trees in just under eight hours. Next week we'll look at, how we carved the faux brick and stone walls — see you then.

Fox & Hounds Pub & Restaurant Construction: Part 3

A number of trees line the Fox & Hounds Pub entranceway. Last week we noted that these “trees” consisted of a welded steel armature.

The next stage was to attach expanded metal lath to these frames. The lath is tied to the pencil rod with rebar tie wire using a pair of side cutters.

At the same time, we stapled the lath onto the plywood wood walls.

Once the lath was secured we were ready for the concrete sculpting process and we will take a look at that step next week.

Fox & Hounds Pub & Restaurant Construction: Part 1

When we began work on the Fox & Hounds Pub & Restaurant, it had already been operating for decades. The heavy post and beam building was actually brought to Canada from England, and was more than a century old. And, while this original structure remained intact, the owners were building an addition that more than doubled its size. The challenge was to modernize and refurbish the pub while enhancing and expanding its original charm. All while the original portions of the building stayed open for business.

Our job was to make the new construction look like it has been there for at least a hundred years — warping, bending and aging everthing to achieve that look. And we had three months to complete the project.

As I mentioned, construction was well underway, with the new addition now almost to lockup stage. Since we had no input to this point we needed to work with everything already planned and currently in construction. But, 'restrictions' like these are the life’s blood of creativity!

The addition’s entryway needed to indicate strongly to guests that they had entered a magical place. To achieve this we designed ‘ancient’ twisted timbers interspersed with flowing lines of ‘old’ brick walls. Even the tile-work on the floor followed an undulating line.

After three days on the project. we had already made good progress framing out the straight and level structures the carpenters had built; making them look like the heavy, bent timbers of a one hundred year old pub. As this plywood frame was completed, we covered it with expanded lath, over which we would later apply and sculpt our concrete.

Come back and see more next week!