i got a mold because i would like to eventually make a patio out of pavers. ace didn’t have any of the smooth concrete mix and the mold i got has designs so i wanted something smooth. they did have mortar though. is it going to work the same or did i buy a bag of mortar for nothing. also when will i know if its okay to take out.
This patio was poured on March 31 and we're ready to seal it ourselves. There's obviously discoloration so I'm looking for advice on recommendations before we seal all this in. Discoloration came from dog and nearby trees - walking on the patio or debris falling onto it and staining before we had the fence up.
1 did buy sealer already (check the photos), but I'm worried it will permanently look terrible, although it's an outdoor patio, maybe I should get comfortable with it looking dirty. We did some cleaning initially with a brush, water and dawn soap but I'm thinking I may need a pressure washer perhaps?
What do you recommend I do here? I can return the sealer I bought if need be. Any advice would be amazing -
thank you.
Hello everyone. A google search of this topic brought me to this subreddit and it looked like some pretty qualified experts were willing to pitch in. Hoping for the same luck. Thank you in advance for your time.
TLDR: what is the best culvert cap design to prevent continuous washout here?
Context:
First start to finish home build project in South Florida. Old grove and farm property converted to residential. Sandy/silty soil but customer had 80+ loads of regular fill dirt brought in. Front (east) side of the property has a ditch that we had ~55' of 18" double walled HDPE culvert installed in and then backfilled with soil, base rock, and then 57 stone on top; however, the problem is the culvert edges...
Lots of pictures below, but the short of it is: county road department requires a concrete culvert cap of the following specs: 4" thickness, reinforced with 6x6 wire mesh, that extends 18" beyond the culvert opening on the top and sides, and mitered at a 3:1 slope (1 foot of run for ever 3 feet of rise).
We've been having our asses handed to us with rain this entire build. We had the entire property (1 acre) graded to sod ready when a storm came through and created a ton of wash out the beginning of April. Land development/sod contractor regraded everything, extended the culverts out another 8', and sodded on April 16th. It's been great and took root quickly; however, we got heavy rain this weekend (1"+) and already have washout from under the sod that I can only imagine is going to get worse. I know we have to do a culvert cap, but the other culvert caps on the other properties out here are getting washed out as well. One owner put rip rap rock around his but you can still see the dirt washing out from under it and the rock sinking.
I was talking with a guy from the road department and was thinking we could just make the culvert cap much larger as there's no maximum, only a minimum requirement. They could also "bowl" it to wrap the curve above the culvert and go much higher. See last image.
Looking for some expertise and input on what the best "set it and forget it" method would be. Concrete contractor thinks doing it the same way the others are would be fine despite the washout. Thank you so much in advance.
Runoff from 2.5\" rain on April 7th - 1
Runoff from 2.5\" rain on April 7th - 2
Regraded and sodded with Bahia on April 16th - 1
Regraded and sodded with Bahia on April 16th - 2
1 month post sod runoff on May 17th - 1
1 month post sod runoff on May 17th - 2
1 month post sod runoff on May 17th - 3
Culvert shape idea/proposal - still concerned with the runoff to the top right you can see
Looking for some rough pricing guidance on replacing my front entry stairs and walkway in the Boston suburbs. I’d like to understand what a realistic budget range looks like.
Current situation:
• Main front entry brick/stone stairs are deteriorating
• Secondary side staircase is in pretty rough shape structurally
• Existing red paver walkway is cracked, uneven, and dated
• Railings likely need replacement too
• Some retaining wall/edge repair near the side stairs may also be needed
The project would likely include:
• Demo/removal of existing front stairs, side stairs, and walkway
• Rebuild of BOTH staircases
• New walkway and landing areas
• New railings
• Proper gravel base/drainage/frost-resistant installation
• Possibly some retaining wall repair around the side stairs
I really dislike the current red brick/paver look and want something much cleaner and more modern.
The style I’m leaning toward:
• Gray/charcoal modern pavers
• Dark border accents
• Large-format or mixed-size pavers
• Bluestone or granite-style stair treads/caps
• Modern New England hardscape aesthetic similar to the inspiration photos attached
I’m trying to understand:
Photos attached of:
• Existing condition
• Inspiration photos for the new style direction
Would appreciate honest feedback from anyone who has done something similar recently in Massachusetts/New England.
If I plan on putting down Owen’s Corning 1inch f250 then plywood and hardwood on top does it matter if I trowel finish or broom finish my slab?
Hello!
I’m in South Texas. Last year I installed a drip irrigation setup I bought from Lowe's. I created a service strip separate the watering area away from my foundation.
I originally had landscaping weed barrier fabric and mulch right up to the foundation of the house and was watering my plants with a soaker hose. I pulled all that up and this is what we have now.
—-My question is: Do these photos show signs of damage to my foundation caused by my irrigation set up?
Bonus: what can I use to fill in this hole a critter has dug? Can I fill it using my clay dirt?
Thanks!
Older driveway… Can I fill these spaces and cracks with polymeric sand? Is that a good idea?
Thanks.
Hi all I appreciate any tips on this.
I have a 2 story deck (picture 1) and the foundation concrete on one side has sunk (picture 2), you can see in picture 3 the post on the other side of the deck which has not sunk. The concrete foundation i believe was poured correctly, i'm thinking maybe the carboard form was sitting on some wood or something causing the sinking over time.
Do i have to dig this all out and re-pour? I've considered cutting the wooden deck post and pouring an above ground foundation slab that sits on the old concrete that sunk. I'd include re-bar and the slab would be 2 ft X 2 ft and 8 inches high. Would this work? It would be sure easier than digging out the foundation and re-pouring
Thank you
