chim
Elite Member
When we built our house we figured we'd do the sidewalk "later". This month we have been in the house for 25 years. How's that for "later"? With the layout, anyone who comes in the driveway arrives at the door to our family room and can see us through the bay window. Over the years we joked that we could have saved money during construction be eliminating the front door - nobody ever uses it anyway.
Last year Wifey said we really ought to do a front sidewalk to make the place more marketable. That way when we go to meet our Maker the kids will have an easier time selling the place. Well, we certainly wouldn't want to inconvenience the kids, would we? Toward the end of Summer 2013 we spent the good weather figuring where to make up the 11" difference in elevation between the two ends, deciding on brick / stamped concrete / whatever. Then we had to paint outlines here, then there, then here again with curves, angles, etc. Since I said anything other than straight forward broom finished concrete would need to be done by a contractor, the design team figured that would be the desired finish.
With Wifey's approval of the shape and location I started digging - mostly by hand - several weeks ago. This past Friday at 2:00 PM 5 yards of 3500# full air concrete came. Poured the walk, a base for the light pole and a couple new slabs at the side porch. Thank goodness a bud from work wanted to help as a pay-back for my assistance with his concrete project last year. Also my one brother-in-law wanted to make sure the project wouldn't do me in and ruin the mood at the annual Labor Day cookout. The concrete set up super quick and we were lucky to get the broom finish. I rolled sealer on later Friday and then cut expansion joints and stripped the forms on Saturday. Time out for the picnic Sunday evening. Yesterday was a time of dirtwork. The end near the light pole needed about a foot of fill.
Still have to spread some topsoil and seed, but we're so near done I can start thinking about working on a snowblower.
Last year Wifey said we really ought to do a front sidewalk to make the place more marketable. That way when we go to meet our Maker the kids will have an easier time selling the place. Well, we certainly wouldn't want to inconvenience the kids, would we? Toward the end of Summer 2013 we spent the good weather figuring where to make up the 11" difference in elevation between the two ends, deciding on brick / stamped concrete / whatever. Then we had to paint outlines here, then there, then here again with curves, angles, etc. Since I said anything other than straight forward broom finished concrete would need to be done by a contractor, the design team figured that would be the desired finish.
With Wifey's approval of the shape and location I started digging - mostly by hand - several weeks ago. This past Friday at 2:00 PM 5 yards of 3500# full air concrete came. Poured the walk, a base for the light pole and a couple new slabs at the side porch. Thank goodness a bud from work wanted to help as a pay-back for my assistance with his concrete project last year. Also my one brother-in-law wanted to make sure the project wouldn't do me in and ruin the mood at the annual Labor Day cookout. The concrete set up super quick and we were lucky to get the broom finish. I rolled sealer on later Friday and then cut expansion joints and stripped the forms on Saturday. Time out for the picnic Sunday evening. Yesterday was a time of dirtwork. The end near the light pole needed about a foot of fill.
Still have to spread some topsoil and seed, but we're so near done I can start thinking about working on a snowblower.
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