[Paul]

I received a call the other day on a river walk park that we did some work on back in 2002. Back then we were asked to help them start installing stone on this site. Since it was a freebie I sent a crew out one Saturday with the equipment to show and help them out. Well it seems that they just can't do the job even with the help of a local contractor. Now they want bid on repairing the walls they install after we showed them how to do it and to finish all the other walls they need done.

My problem is they have 4 different stone types on site now and want to add a 5th. Along with that they want to put artifacts into the wall. Has any one ever seen 5 stone types in nature? I'm talking Indiana limestone, Wisconsin Limestone, Illinois Limestone, and granite, Oh the Indiana lime stone is out cropping and some very fancy cut stone. Now they want to add some 4" to 6" limestone.

A feww picture of the site.

[Paul]

another one

[Paul]

another look at the stone on top, left hand side!! it's hanging 6" in the air!!!!!!!

[Paul]

First impression of the site

[Paul]

Steps only a giant can use, each is over 10" high!

[Stonehenge]

That looks like a war zone!!

Unless there's something that will result in a really dramatic look, I'd hate to be mixing these materials. That first pic already looks very awkward.

It's a shame - the buildings in the background look like they are very nice architecturally. Just looks like somebody was napping when the materials were selected and installed in the foreground.

If it were me I'd love to have the chance to do it, but would want only one type of stone. Maybe some of those can be mixed to look somewhat homogeneous, but otherwise, scrap the orphans and use one type only.

I hope you land that one!!

[Dale Wiley]

Looking at that I would be scared s---less to go on that job site.

Freebe or paid for, the engineering is all wrong, those steps are a lawsuit waiting to happen... your mixing you work with other labor..not to say the stone work looks real funky mixed up like that...

[Lanelle]

Sometimes the hardest part of the job is getting the client to hear the truth. I'm sure that you will do it on your terms and the result will be a real enhancement to the neighborhood.

[Tim]

It looks like a glacier placed the stones! Lots of work to be done there. Maybe if you get the job, you can try to use each particular type of stone in their own segmented sections, on in their own terrace lifts. For the steps area, I would try to get the check writers to ante up for what you think will work best there. Tim

[PSUscaper]

this looks like a case of the 'condo association' gone mad. Kind of as if 10 board members who have no clue what they are doing have been making a bunch of decisions that should have never been made.

In the first picture, there's a nice wall at the top.....tight seams, level, etc.......was this the wall you guys did during the 'teaching' session, and then, the rest were what followed?

Is there a overall plan to this madness??? I can't figure it out if there is. Maybe call in a LA.......DOE!!!! I mean....don't do that. But maybe, somekind of plan should be drawn up here......I think a good coctail napkin sketch would be a start at least.

The stone there looks pretty nice.......I mean, stone wise. Just don't no what the hek happened to it. At least it looks like you have some decent materials that could be re-used.

I've heard sweat lodge's are very good for the body. If this is a Retirement complex, then maybe that is the idea behind all the indian stone. Maybe build a big wigwam in the middle of all that mess and you could have 'coccoon II' starting in a few weeks.

I especially like the way all that gravel is washed all over those 10" steps......that makes for very safe passage.

Maybe you could turn this place into a skate park or something. I bet those crazy kids could do some really cool tricks off of those big rocks.

Better yet!! Call up the crew from X-Games..........this site, as it is right now, could be turned into a killer, and I mean killer, mountain bike course. Those 3 boulders would make a great skill test for those guys who hop around on their back tires!

steve

[dan deutekom]

This is one of those jobs where you just have to start all over again. Paul you said this was a "river walk park". Is this something that is owned by a municipality and the "landscaping" was to be done by volunteers?

I think it is time for the do it yourselfers to hear the truth (although it sounds like they already know it now) and then be firmly led in the right direction by professionals. Cover yourself well because no matter what you do in a situation like this you will step on somebodies toes when rectifying a situation like this.

[Paul]

Well we took on the job, I don't know if thats good or bad?
Our bid was higher than the other companies that bid the work but they gave it too me. We have put in two days of labor on the siteand have started completing some of the walls and tearing down some of the stuff they had started. Here we "matched" up a section of wall. It's hard to blend in two different types of stone so I thought we did ok here.

[Paul]

Here's a section we tore down (in red) they left big holes and didn't fit the peices very well.

[Paul]

This morning we started rebuilding it and expanding it some. Hopefully by expanding it we will minimize the difference in stone. After this stone we are switching to 4"-8" thick outcropping. I picked out the stone so the colors are matching.

[Stonehenge]

Is that coated rebar I see on one of the stones?

BTW, congrats on getting the project!