Everyone needs a passion in life…
And for owner Si, that passion is stonework. And football.
He IS that person who slows down to appreciate a well built stone wall when driving and if it’s DRY stone walling, well that right there is the jackpot.
We recently completed a stone pillar restoration project situated on a busy road in North Devon. It’s a great example of our stone wall capabilities and we have since been approached by a number of builders and customers enquiring about our specialist masonry skills. It got us thinking about the importance of pursuing one’s passions and the capacity to learn whatever your age and situation…
A few years ago, Si took a week off of work - which is ALOT when you’re self employed - to train with the Dry Stone Walling Association. It wasn’t a vocational course; there was no financial incentive to him participating. In fact, it was quite the opposite: As the course was based near Bristol; there would be travel costs. He would be missing a week’s worth of work. There would be accommodation to pay for and all of those other expenses involved in doing something out of the ordinary. Team this with the fact that Devon really isn’t renowned for its abundance of dry stone walling and you start to wonder why on earth he did it?
Simply; he was pursuing a passion. He admired the patience, skill, heritage and artistry required to build a beautiful stone wall and he wanted to LEARN it.
Particularly in the construction industry, tradespeople can sometimes fall foul of always feeling the pressure to be The Expert. We want our clients to trust us and feel reassured that we have everything under control. Given the breadth of services a general builder offers though; that’s a pretty tall order unless you’re at the tail end of a very long career. Even then, we’re not sure its possible to know ALL there is to know about every aspect of building and construction. So, here’s a little insider info….ready?
We DON’T know everything…Yep. It’s true!
And those that say they do are probably not the best builder for you. We think a GREAT builder is one who leaves their ego at the door, has a passion for creating and improving spaces, treats each client as an equal and is ALWAYS eager to learn and improve.
So, if you’re looking for a builder who is happy to chat about the latest wonder-material you were googling at midnight last night, gives you time to be able to ask questions about the best way to carry out a project or just talks to you with patience and respect, we may be the perfect fit.
We are a small, family run business based in North Devon, with over ten years of experience working with cob, lime and stone. We know it can seem a complicated business, but traditional building techniques executed correctly really are a lot simpler, a lot more sustainable and a lot healthier for your home. We are always happy to talk through the process - click here to get in touch.