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07-14-2003, 08:17 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
USDA Zone 4
Posts: 7,564
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Who's afraid of wet/mortar work?
Not this guy.
Under the tutelage of the mason now working for me, I've completed about 2/3 of this very small retaining wall project in my front yard.
The black box in the wall is a low voltage light. There will be 3 of those along the wall.
The masonry work is not as mysterious as I thought it'd be. 3 hours with the mason and I had enough working knowledge to build this.
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07-14-2003, 09:35 PM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
USDA
Posts: 939
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Looks good............too good in fact....
showing work off like that is going to kick you out of the dry laid business and into the wet world.
Its funny how you look at a dry laid wall and say 'that's beutiful', then see a wet one and say 'that's even more beutiful!'
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07-14-2003, 10:00 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
USDA Zone 4
Posts: 7,564
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Thanks for the compliment. 
I do have to admit that I've been like Narcissus - every time I walk by I have to stop and look at the wall. I'm happy how it's turning out. I made a few mistakes, but I guess that's part of the learning process. I just won't photograph those. 
I'll be adding one more course over the tallest one you see, to cover the top of the light housing. I'll cut those stones to have tighter gaps along the tops.
We'll likely be tackling a project for a builder that will be approx. 270 sq face feet, built this same way. We'll do more for drainage for that one. This one we'll run some 3" perf pipe at the base of the wall and fill partway with clear, daylight the pipe somewhere inconspicuously in the landscape. |
07-14-2003, 10:14 PM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
USDA
Posts: 939
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Is that a light colored mortar mix in the wall???
Just wondering. For the few jobs I do, I always like to die my mortar a little bit. I find the black die is nice as you can dilute it a little bit and get a light gray color, or just go with it and go straight black.
It always bothered me to see a nice stone wall and then see 'bright white' concrete staring out at me.....I like to hide it if possible.
steve
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07-14-2003, 11:10 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
USDA Zone 4
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Just straight mortar. No dye. It's funny you mention that...As I was building this I was thinking 'I wonder how this would look with black mortar joints?'
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07-15-2003, 12:22 AM
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Ranger
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Southwest ct
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,743
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Hmm...
I've always wanted to try a belgian block apron somewhere. Would you like one for the materials cost Stonehenge?
Seriously, I always find that once you get down to it nothing is as bad as it seems (given some time to think without a couple guys looking over my shoulder).
The wall looks great and they will continue getting better!  |
07-15-2003, 12:26 AM
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Ranger
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Southwest ct
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,743
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Could we see some more of that patio?  |
07-15-2003, 07:02 AM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cape Cod
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,323
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Are you using a concrete footing or a gravel base? It looks like gravel in the picture. I wonder how well this will hold up after a few years of freeze thaw if that is the case.
We are in a much milder climate than Wisconsin, but do our stone on a 6" steel reinforced concrete footing. Not everyone does here, but those that don't run into problems down the road ... after the check has cleared.
Let us know how it holds up.
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07-15-2003, 07:16 AM
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Whip
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Join Date: Jun 2003
USDA
Posts: 407
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Nice stone. What is it? It looks very dense.
It looks like our sandstone, which is very popous, which means it gets dirty quickly.
BLACK JOINTS 
DON'T DO IT 
Black joints were in fashion about 30 years ago here, and there are still remants of it around today. Most unnatural.
Keep them light or we use an ochre coloured sand with off white cement to get an ochre joint. Mainly used with more yellow stone than youre using.
You get enormous satisification doing something like stonework for the first, and thousandth time.
That's what I love about landscaping.  |
07-15-2003, 08:25 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
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Here's the footing.
It was hand-mixed, 14 - 80# bags of concrete. All mixed by me
The footing is only 3" deep, reinforced with 3/8" rebar. Not ideal (my mason recommended 4", but it was my own yard, where I tend to be a bit more lazy).
Yeah, there is quite a bit of satisfaction from this. More than any pencil pushing I ever did. |
08-07-2003, 11:30 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
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Ok, here's the finished product, lights and all:
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08-07-2003, 11:34 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
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Here's another pic
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08-08-2003, 12:57 AM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Dixon, IL
USDA Zone 5
Posts: 388
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Dang, I'm impressed. Nice finish Jeff!
__________________
If there were 3 of me, I'd only be 2 weeks behind!
Do I stay or do I grow now?
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08-08-2003, 06:37 AM
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Gold Oak Member
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Cape Cod
USDA Zone 6
Posts: 1,323
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Nice work and really nice work on getting night photos to come out nice. Any special photo technique? Most night lighting shots look like crap, those are nice.
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08-08-2003, 08:06 AM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Wisconsin
USDA Zone 4
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Thanks!
The photography is all in the camera. I've got a digital camera that really can work wonders.
But with it I had a tripod, and a corded shutter release so the camera would be perfectly still for the 3-4 seconds the shutter was open. |
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