My Old Kentucky Dome

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by dmun

Great job. I never got a slab that smooth without pulling out a lake of slurry on top.

We took off quite a bit of slurry (oops)! We were screeding with a long 2x4 while the driver was cleaning his truck. Being amateurs, we were going over it several times . The driver (very nicely) told us to knock it off until everything set for 30-40 minutes, then do it *once* more. We gave it one more screed after it started to set and it looked pretty good. Another 20 minutes and I floated & edged.

When I inquired about getting redi-mix concrete, they wouldn't even take the truck on a DRIVEWAY let alone a lawn.

There's this great place in Louisville (Mini-Mix) that has a fleet of small mixers that caters to people doing weekend projects. The truck was about the size of a Ford F450 with a mixer mounted on the back; holds about 2 yards.

He was able to cut right across our lawn, down a small slope to our back patio. With the dry weather we had, he never left a mark.

For others getting ready to pour, check your Yellow Pages under "concrete" and look for companies with small or mini trucks. Be sure to call around. Larger towns probably have them. They really saved my worn-out body a LOT of wear and tear!

Ken

[jengineer]

New Mexico transplant?

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by jengineer

New Mexico transplant?

Nope. We have vacationed out west a few times and really enjoy the landscape and architecture. While roaming around NM, we would see stuff and say "Hey that's really cool; our patio needs to look like that!".

We're most recently TN and KY natives (with a little bit of Philly and Indiana thrown in).

Ken

[rlf5]

My wife and I love NM as well. We honeymooned there in Santa Fe last year. I also go out to the labs in Los Alamos to do work from time to time.

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by rlf5

My wife and I love NM as well. We honeymooned there in Santa Fe last year.

We just spent a week in Santa Fe last month. Ended up using the UPS Store to ship all of our souvenirs home (mostly patio and oven decor ).


...patiently waiting a few days for concrete to cure.

[Ken524]

4 Days of curing... Time to take off the cover and forms and see what's lurking beneath.

The pour turned out really well. There is only one spot that looks a bit ugly. Front right, where the pour started (same spot rlf5 had the problem!). I remember the concrete going into that spot and I hit it several times with my hoe and tapped it a bunch of times. Oh well! The rest of the hearth turned out perfectly .

Now, the plastic cover goes back on for a few more days while I get some CalSil sheets and brick!

Ken

[rlf5]

Looks great nonetheless. Good job!

[Ken524]

I have a newfound respect for professional masons who make laying brick look like child's play.

Armed with my father-in-law's tool box full of masonry tools, I took a crack at laying brick (how hard can it be!?). After 2 disastrous false starts (disassembled, hosed away the mortar), I started to get the hang of it (sort of ).

The 2 columns are done and the arch is test fitted with styrofoam spacers. Tomorrow morning I'll start mortaring the arch. It will be interesting to see how long my patience holds out before I ask my father-in-law for help.

Ken

[rlf5]

Looks good! Its been raining here for the past week so I haven't been able to do anything. Bad part is, that its gonna keep on raining another week or so.

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by rlf5

Looks good! Its been raining here for the past week so I haven't been able to do anything. Bad part is, that its gonna keep on raining another week or so.

Thanks!
We would kill to have some of your rain here in Kentucky.

Ken