Mounted Madness
Gold Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2009
- Messages
- 418
- Location
- Cobble Hill, British Columbia
- Tractor
- 2014 BX2370 as of today
I'm playing catch up on how I was going to post this thread, so here goes...
After getting the cloth (to keep the gravel from sinking into the clay) and then the stone, I had to get the spoil out of the way. It is amazing how much dirt comes out of a hole you dig - it always seems like lot more then what the hole could hold - hmmmmmm
Anyway, after the gravel was tamped down, I layed down some rebar and re-mesh and forms for the eventual pour. Now, the rebar looks a little 'used' and in fact it is. I scrounged the waste from all the house building sites in the neighbourhood with the result that I saved a few bucks on rebar...plus I was overly generous in adding the stuff to the slab. I talked with an engineer friend with respect to the slab and at 5 inches thick throughout, with the rebar and modest size overall - there was no need for a thickened edge.
I bought ready mix concrete on sale at $3/60lb bag and that was at least a 50% saving, though a neighbour 'borrowed' 15 bags this summer - but that's a whole other story. I completed the slab and frankly, though it is far from perfect, for a one man job and done on a hot day, with multiple mixes and pours, it turned out okay. I'm striving for the rustic look, so the less then perfect handiwork is fine with me. I'm also trying to use all of the materials I've been accumulating over the last couple of years as left overs from other projects.
Following the slab, I started preparing for the walls. I've read quite a bit about slip form stone buildings, and planned on employing that method with this build. Basically inner/outer forms sandwiching the concrete and stone until it's set. Too much work and a pain in the butt for a one man operation, and from my perspective, lacks the rustic handbuilt look I'm working towards.
As can be seen in the pics, I used an inner form, walls will be 7 inches thick, vertical rebar was welded to the rebar in the slab and spacers above. I'll be using rebar at 16inch centres horizontally as well. I built the frame for the door with new pressure treated lumber.
Finally, I broke out the mixer again, started humping stone from my trailer to the back yard and laid down my first row of stone. Also, I'm using fine grit concrete rather then mortar, since the original plan was slip form and that is what is used there. I'm mixing it a little dryer then normal, and it works very well given that the first row of stone is well affixed to the slab and won't give up any of the stone that I've laid down - so it works.
As required, I've thrown together some pics as I have progressed...:thumbsup:
After getting the cloth (to keep the gravel from sinking into the clay) and then the stone, I had to get the spoil out of the way. It is amazing how much dirt comes out of a hole you dig - it always seems like lot more then what the hole could hold - hmmmmmm
Anyway, after the gravel was tamped down, I layed down some rebar and re-mesh and forms for the eventual pour. Now, the rebar looks a little 'used' and in fact it is. I scrounged the waste from all the house building sites in the neighbourhood with the result that I saved a few bucks on rebar...plus I was overly generous in adding the stuff to the slab. I talked with an engineer friend with respect to the slab and at 5 inches thick throughout, with the rebar and modest size overall - there was no need for a thickened edge.
I bought ready mix concrete on sale at $3/60lb bag and that was at least a 50% saving, though a neighbour 'borrowed' 15 bags this summer - but that's a whole other story. I completed the slab and frankly, though it is far from perfect, for a one man job and done on a hot day, with multiple mixes and pours, it turned out okay. I'm striving for the rustic look, so the less then perfect handiwork is fine with me. I'm also trying to use all of the materials I've been accumulating over the last couple of years as left overs from other projects.
Following the slab, I started preparing for the walls. I've read quite a bit about slip form stone buildings, and planned on employing that method with this build. Basically inner/outer forms sandwiching the concrete and stone until it's set. Too much work and a pain in the butt for a one man operation, and from my perspective, lacks the rustic handbuilt look I'm working towards.
As can be seen in the pics, I used an inner form, walls will be 7 inches thick, vertical rebar was welded to the rebar in the slab and spacers above. I'll be using rebar at 16inch centres horizontally as well. I built the frame for the door with new pressure treated lumber.
Finally, I broke out the mixer again, started humping stone from my trailer to the back yard and laid down my first row of stone. Also, I'm using fine grit concrete rather then mortar, since the original plan was slip form and that is what is used there. I'm mixing it a little dryer then normal, and it works very well given that the first row of stone is well affixed to the slab and won't give up any of the stone that I've laid down - so it works.
As required, I've thrown together some pics as I have progressed...:thumbsup:
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