Home Improvement?? Oh, I Got Projects....

[StreamlineGT]

Here's the latest.... taken from another forum, so disregard the timeline..

1. Front Steps...

Part I of this project actually has nothing to do with wall blocks and pavers, but it had to be done to do the project. This afternoon I moved the old precast concrete steps we needed to get our final CO on the house. I wanted to craigslist them, but the wife wanted to keep them, so this is the best use I had for them. They were not at all the right stairs for the application, but they got us in.

Before:

The John Deere didn't like it much, but she was recruited to move them, along with some trusty 2" straps (pic coming later) and got them out of the way. I took all the stone that was there and put it back on the pile in the driveway.

Next I dug out where they were to go, so I was able to mount the steel angle brackets. I put a piece of 4" Rigid PVC pipe under the brackets for future wire fishing for the low voltage landscape lighting going in much later.

Next I dug out for the piers, which are just cinder blocks, carefully measuring to ensure it was somewhat level.

Backfilled, not really crucial to be pretty..

The poor girl struggling with the stairs..

Stairs set, and leveled with shims.

I then dug out 6" of material in front of the stairs and put in some driveway stone, along with a flat rock I have been saving for just such an occasion. I still have some back filling to do, but enough for today.

On Monday all the Ideal wall blocks and coping stones come for the big project. I have to make a trip on Monday to get some processed gravel and some stone dust or sand. Updates as things progress.

 

[StreamlineGT]

All the decorative material came today from NES. All I have left to get is some 6x8x12" cinder blocks, and a lot of processed gravel.

I also dug the hole for the foundation. Roughly 6'x10', or 1 foot larger than the proposed stairs on the three sides. It is deep enough for 18" of processed gravel to go in as a base, and I plan to use the sand I dug out to act as a leveler. They say only use about an inch of sand, so measurements are key. I need 39 3/8" from the top of the slab to the top of the foundation, and the botom of the hole is about 55-60" deep from the top of the slab. I am also going to compact the sand before adding the processed. I'm not sure if I need to, but it couldn't hurt.

__________________

 

[StreamlineGT]

Todays adventure, to get the processed in and compacted, and to start the first course of block. Mission accomplished..

This weekend's progress was limited to getting the first course in place, figuring out where the wing walls were going and doing a little mock-up as to how things were going to look.

The wing walls are going to be 2 blocks high, with a cap. It will be flush with the front of the stairs, so we reconfigured the blocks to meet those requirements. I will have to cut a tread in half to fit the bottom stair, but luckily that is the only one.

This is how the side will look when it's done, just with one more step on top. I had the whole thing mocked up, and the stairs measure out perfectly in terms of rise.

OK, moving right along on this. I have to get some more blocks and half blocks to finish up, and I'll be picking those up tomorrow morning, so hopefully I'll be done with everything except the tread cuts tomorrow. Maybe if I get motivated, I'll rent the saw to do it. Anybody got one I can borrow for a day?

Working diligently over the weekend, and finishing up this evening, the stairs are finished. I made all my cuts using a regular circular saw and a diamond blade, which surprisingly made light work of it.

This is it for this thread. Stay tuned for Part II coming soon, which will be the wing wall going from the stairs to the precast stairs on the high side of the porch. I ordered the material today for that, and will come early next week.

 

[Hawgman]

Pretty sweet man.. looks like an assload of work

 

[freebass55]

Very nice. Love that porch. Looks like a nice place to chill with a beer.

 

[don_w]

Pretty sweet man.. looks like an assload of work

Aint that the truth... nice job!!

 

[StreamlineGT]

then I continued on the wall...

This is the "wing walls" that I spoke about in that thread, well, at least I think I did.

I marked out the area to be excavated with some marking paint, dug a trench a foot deeper than the bottom of the first coarse, and filled with 3/4 processed and compacted with the Wacker. And then put down some leveling sand and got busy. I got about 10' done tonight, which I was pleased about.

Worked on this a little bit today, and has to be completed by the 21st, because I guess we are having some family over. I also have to complete the deck railing by then as well. Guess I will have a busy couple weeks.

I also bought an attachment for the tractor to make it easier to move some blocks around. It has been a priceless addition to the arsenal.

Should be finishing up with this tomorrow night by request of the Mrs. Finished pics to follow.

. All I have left to do now is fill it with topsoil and plant some stuff. Maybe I will fill it and mulch it before winter. Should I mulch it to keep the dirt in place? Or should I not fill it in with soil this year?

Next year I will do the other side, and it will be much more difficult than this side. I want to cut a set of stairs into the hill, and I am not sure how that is going to pan out.

 

[StreamlineGT]

And then followed that up with some curb stone.....

Before.

During..

Making the radius has not been so bad. I have to take a 5 degree wedge out of both sides of the block to make the joints flush. That kinda sucks, but it's only 9 blocks.

This project is not done yet, but I will post pics as I make progress.

 

[ZmanM3]

Sweet. You do good work.

 

[StreamlineGT]

got some more done..

One more radius to go.

 

[StreamlineGT]

and almost done with this...

 

[Steedman07]

Nice job B!!!!!!!!!!!!Ill have to look at the pics when I get home though, Im at work

 

[scramblr]

Shit...I can't wait to see the garage.

 

[StreamlineGT]

Shit...I can't wait to see the garage.

Nothing special there, but I have pics of it...

I have some more, but I have to go downstairs to upload them to photobucket..

 

[scramblr]

Nothing special there

Yeah, but with the kind of work your doing on the outside, once the Mrs is pleased I can see your skills going to work in the garage.

 

[StreamlineGT]

Here's some more...

Here's how it looks in the winter with the machine inside..

Lights on!

 

[Steedman07]

Damn dude, when in the hell do you work? I give you credit, I could never do that stuff in the yard ur doing...Thank god the previous owner kept everything pretty descent at my house..