[Squizzy Taylor]

I thought I'd post a few pics of our work from Down Under. I hope I'm not telling you guys to suck eggs but I'll give you a bit of a run down on what forms the majority of our work.

In West Aus limestone is cheap and prolific in hardscaping useage. The stuff is everywhere. Typically used in 1 metre blocks (39' x 14" x 14" and 550 lbs) for Mass Retaining Walls (MRW). A 1 m block costs about $14 AUD delivered around here. 1/2 metre blocks and smaller are available and are commonly used for piers and garden walls.

Blocks come in two types; reconstituted, which is just crushed limestone and cement - very strong, good building product and can be cut/worked to fit all sorts. Then there is (obviously)natural stone which is about 1/2 the strength of recon (on average) but ranges from soft enough that a hardscaper in need might erode some taking a pee to stone containing fossilised "capstone" which is harder than granite.

Limestone in its natural form has been used for buildings in West and South Aus since european settlement. We still lay the stuff today in pretty much the same style it was used 200 years ago...because...for the main...thats what people want. The challenge now is to do something a little different with it.

We also build some small SRW with keystone and another concrete panel type wall called twinside which is hideous but consists of posts and drop in panels. SRW is not popular here because it is more expensive and not well supplied...I'm working on changing that.

Here is a few pics of a natural stone wall and piers in progress:

[Squizzy Taylor]

Here is another small natural stone wall, sorry about the junk lying around and don't ask me about the owners planting efforts!

[Squizzy Taylor]

Here is a commercial recon wall, no frills, with colourbond infill fencing. The piers could have used some caps.

[Squizzy Taylor]

More recon and infill with paving..clients started the party before the sement was half dry. Hope I'm not boring anyone?.

[Squizzy Taylor]

Here is a few with recon "bevelled" blocks in a bit of a front yard job for a new house. The clients where very specific about what they wanted...who am I to argue:

[Squizzy Taylor]

Last one, this was really frustrating because we had already done heaps of work here and the client finally took advice on this wall but its some of our work for the better heeled suburbs.

[Squizzy Taylor]

Last one, this was really frustrating because we had already done heaps of work here and the client finally took advice on this wall but its some of our work for the better heeled suburbs.

Limestone is not to everybody's liking but as a hardscaper here in the West, you just have to get used to it.

I hope somebody enjoys these pics.

[Bill Schwab]

Very cool looking limestone Squizzy! I only wish we could ge that here as it would work in well with Tuscan landscapes.

[jwholden]

NIce work! It looks like a segmented retaining wall with cement instead of pins.

Is that a cat skid steer with a 3-way bucket?

[Squizzy Taylor]

Originally posted by jwholden

Is that a cat skid steer with a 3-way bucket?

In those pics it was a 246B with a 4 in 1. It recently morphed into a new 248B with full cab and A/C. Given that its been over 100 more often than not in the last couple of weeks we are very happy we got the A/C.

[mrgreen_perth]

Nice work Squizzy!

Here are a couple of pics of a boundary screen wall we built two weeks back. Its built using reconstituted half metre bevelled face blocks. We used the Bullant Block Lifter (http://www.abc.net.au/newinventors/txt/s1441764.htm) that I mentioned to you about a month back. It worked great for lifting the blocks to height!

Tony

[mrgreen_perth]

And the rear view of the same wall. Bevel on one side only. It was really handy having the vacant block to work from to avoid damage to clients property.

Tony

[Squizzy Taylor]

Nice looking wall Tony, the vacant lots sure do make a difference. Glad to hear the Bullant went well, where did you get it/hire it from??.

BTW - lucky that wall wasn't a teensy bit longer or you would have been up for a pillar.

[4seasons]

if squizzy is still around nice work!

[paponte]

Nice seeing some walls from "down under". Great work!