# Stoop, steps and shed slab.



## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

Looking good, I like the jointing on those 53dds, did you wet them or just hit the joints at the right time. There is a small window on those to get joints that nice.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Yea, you gotta hit them quick don't ya,...and I think they are 53's -
52's are more on the brownish side.

Don't ya hate the dust that comes on these bricks - I just take the blower to remove the majority of it, then hit'em with some horsehair.

Good wearing brick though


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Got up late - got home early,..gotta love those days :thumbup: 

Swung by the step job to brown coat the sidewalls and cleaned-up the brickwork. A little Sure-Klean 600 detergent, then I'm mixing mud.

Man, the temps were down in the 30's last night - pretty nipper this morning. The late start was welcome :thumbup:

Just base coat product going on, so I fiber and acrylic and I'm on my way.

What a nice day it's turning out to be :thumbsup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Nothing like 3-D reinforcement when it comes to these patch jobs - you should see me trying to bang out the wheel barrow after a few mixes - don't wanna budge it does :thumbup:

Wow, you can really see the fiber under this light...


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Simple sponge coat finish and I'm wrapping up the day - go home and play with my dog or something


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## Diamond D. (Nov 12, 2009)

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
Bravo. Bravo. 
:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:
Bravo.

D.


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

superseal said:


> Yea, you gotta hit them quick don't ya,...and I think they are 53's -
> 52's are more on the brownish side.
> 
> Don't ya hate the dust that comes on these bricks - I just take the blower to remove the majority of it, then hit'em with some horsehair.
> ...


I like these a lot, I did a pretty big front about 10 years ago that I drive by once a month or so, looks great still.

I come across chimney top repairs that are kinda like a sewer brick, you know the aweful ones to work with. The 53s match pretty darn close and dont have the annoying tapered faces and corners. The dust is kind of annoying, but nothing compared to k&f heritage, those are out of control.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

JBM said:


> the annoying tapered faces and corners.


Sounds like the Vermont series by Hanson. I don't know what the deal is with them. rustic looking brick once it's in the wall but it's impossible to make a decent corner. And is the narrow side supposed to go down?


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

That turned out awesome Superseal!


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Thx Tgeb, although not quite finished there yet - final color and texture coat comin' Monday weather permitting of course :whistling


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

dom-mas said:


> Sounds like the Vermont series by Hanson. I don't know what the deal is with them. rustic looking brick once it's in the wall but it's impossible to make a decent corner. And is the narrow side supposed to go down?


For bricks like that I end up picking my corners the best I can and rolling the face as plumb as I can. Ya I put the narrow side down and rock them back a bit to try and get the brick flat.


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## Fundi (Jan 5, 2009)

Really good work SS as usual. 

This is not a criticism but I want to ask about the bricks on the cornor of the border bricks, the shiner/rowlock ones. 

I have done that and mostly that brick will get knocked off eventually , like it had happened in this case. maybe you are doing something? 

I made some square bricks once for such cases.


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

Looks super, Super. You can come work with me anytime ..


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## CJKarl (Nov 21, 2006)

There is certainly an art to repairs like this. Gotta know where to stop on the demo. Need to do a good job, but you also don't want the "repair " to turned in to a teardown 1/2 way through the project. Been there done that.


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## stuart45 (Oct 7, 2009)

Fundi said:


> I have done that and mostly that brick will get knocked off eventually , like it had happened in this case. maybe you are doing something?
> 
> I made some square bricks once for such cases.


You can put a frame cramp or similar in the end as shown here, although the pic quality is poor.







Using a mitred end is another way of doing it. The bricks here should be a dark blue engineering brick, but they need cleaning up after I've finished plastering the inside and stopped walking the mud out.







BTW superseal that looks a really good repair. 
Have not seen a corgi since I repointed the rear flank wall on Buckingham Palace.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

stuart45 said:


> You can put a frame cramp or similar in the end as shown here, although the pic quality is poor.
> View attachment 79679
> 
> Using a mitred end is another way of doing it. The bricks here should be a dark blue engineering brick, but they need cleaning up after I've finished plastering the inside and stopped walking the mud out.
> ...


Thx Stu,..the pembrokes are my fav - whelped on December 25, 1999, she comes from a line of champions so they say 

We call her Holly and tell everybody she's from Kansas :laughing:

Great little, big dog she is :thumbsup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Fundi said:


> Really good work SS as usual.
> 
> This is not a criticism but I want to ask about the bricks on the cornor of the border bricks, the shiner/rowlock ones.
> 
> ...


I guess I could of pinned them, but I used a slurry acrylic mix and bonded them in. Soaked'em real well and they sticking like chrome.

The railing is bolted solid to the house and another solid connection on the bottom step - I was more concerned with the railing shaking them loose actually, but damn tight it is already.

I like the big brick solution - If I give a spec in the future, can you FedEx me a couple :laughing: That be great! :thumbsup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Btw Stu,...I like that frame clamp. You always conjure up great solutions :thumbsup:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

stuart45 said:


> I repointed the rear flank wall on Buckingham Palace.


I wonder if you work for the same company as one of my teachers did. I don't remember the name but he said they had originally built buckingham palace and still did the upkeep/maintenance on it. They also did a restoration of the Oxford Library


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## stuart45 (Oct 7, 2009)

The firm I worked for at the time was J Parsons and sons, but I doubt if they built it.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

I did have to say finish coat weather permitting didn't I,... 

Sure enough, awoke to some rain this morning. Rather light in nature it was, but seemed to increase as the day went on. Figured I'd bust out that stoop and get a head start on the nice week it's supposed to be :thumbup: 

I stopped and started like ten times and finally gave up.

Steps are getting their moist cure however :thumbup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

So anyway, this part of the project is pretty simple,...rip and replace one 4' x 5' front stoop. 

When I was giving them the estimate back in July, I said, "you want me to bullnose?" ,...he said "does it cost more?"...I said "yep!"... He said "just do it square then :whistling"

Their is a budget to this job folks, and it seems pretty dang tight :laughing:

Regardless, I won't cut corners and always ensure my customers get what they paid for :whistling I'll probably cut it up little and give a traction strip to spruce it up a bit,...who knows,..maybe they'll give me a lil' extra coffee :thumbup:

Extra fancy beef tallow kicked in today I'll say, feet were nice and dry :thumbsup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

This stoop was flat out cracked in half,...About 12" thick at the step and about 2"/3" at the main steps  you can see the original bullnose tread which he exempted from the new work. No matter, I make it look alright.

Sub-soil sucked here so I'm diggin' extra soil out and I'll pack a nice layer of washed 3/4" stone and be ready to pour.

Still can't figure out how this old bottle survived the bashing of the hammer - found it under the slab when i broke it up :thumbup: Hmm...never found one quite like this...


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Off to my buddies concrete plant this morning to get rid of that nasty mud on the back of my truck and picked up a half a ton of clean 3/4" stone.

This place don't weigh you,...it's simply a half a scoop for a half a ton and your on you way :thumbup:

Can you believe this little friggin' hole took every last pebble of that load?... Swear it did :whistling

Anyway, even though this is small pour, who on earth wants to hand mix or dispatch a truck for a heavy quarter yard... Anything under 1 yard and I'm pickin' up ready mix at the plant


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

I have never and I mean never seen anyone transport ready mix in the back of their truck...way awesome! 

Can't say how many times I have had the same dilema, too much to mix by hand, too little to order a truck. 

I guess some cities have little one yard trailers avialable, but not here.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Some people are mortified when you tell them your picking up wet concrete - they must think it's like water or something :laughing:

Actually, I always pick-up short loads and my truck is set up for it. 

Steel sheet on the bed always and with my curb walls in place, I'm ready to go.

Clean up is pretty easy too,...nothing to it fellas :laughing:

I didn't even get any on my bumper :thumbsup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Since the owner didn't want the bullnose for a fee :whistling I figured I may as well spruce it up on the cheap...Cut a couple lines like I said and threw in a traction strip. 

I seen him peeking out the window when i was covering it up although I don't think he saw the finish just yet. I show him tomorrow at the unveiling ceremony 

Truck cleaned up pretty nice didn't it! :thumbup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Ignition was acting up this morning in old Betsy and ended up needing a starter. Not bad really, first one in sixteen years  Fuel pumps,...their a different story 

No matter, two-fiddy and I'm on my way. Don't really mind spending on maintenance at this stage,...she's been working so well for all these years, she don't owe me a dime :no: 

Anyhow, get to the job a little late :whistling stripped some forms, finished the riser and backfilled the edges.

Moving on to the final phase here with the shed slab - a small 
6' x 8' x 4" slab with 4" crushed stone base located 3ft. from the rear and side property lines as per local code.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

While I was taking pictures of the shed slab couldn't help but notice that rustic wooden fence in the background :laughing: 

There's no houses back there,.. must be open space I'm thinkin' :thumbsup: 

Much to my surprise, when I gazed over,...couldn't believe my friggin' eyes :blink: All the sudden crows start flying into the the tree right above me and started hootin' and hollering :blink::blink: I thought Alfred Hitchcock was gonna come walking through the gate next :help:

Anyhoot, I just fired away at prepping up and gettin' the hell outta there. Luckily for me, I got to drive home and the sun was still out,...that's always a good thing :thumbup:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

I was working on restoring an old mansion that had fallen into disrepair, rebuilding a bunch of gable ends. The house backed onto the river which has maybe a 1/4mile down a little cow path. Got there real early one morning around dawn and decided to go down to the river and do some fishing before starting work. I turn a corner and I see the biggest, oldest, ugliest, gnarliest, deadest tree I've ever, like one that would be on the cover of the legend of sleepy hollow. What was roosting in that tree but a half dozen or so turkey vultures just waking up for a days feast of rotting flesh. What a creepy sight


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

To the yard this morning to drop off dirt and pick up 1 ton of 3/4" washed stone. 

Off to the job next to fill and pack the hole I dug yesterday so I can run back and pick up more ready mix mud :thumbsup: 

The weather appears to holding for now as the sun is out, but their expecting heavy rain and thunderstorms overnight and into tomorrow with pretty gusty winds :sad:...Matter of fact winds are kickin' up pretty good right now and there's leaves blowing all over the place - should be a fun little pour 

Damn, I told Paul a heavy half,...looks like 3/4 yard to me :blink:

Good thing I'm workin' close to yard, I'll be dumping some of this :laughing:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Well, this is about as easy as it gets folks,...lay it down and screed, float it, edge it and finish it. 

It won't be the finished floor in the new shed, so I'm giving it a simple mag finish,...Could of just used a broom I guess 

Leaf blower came in handy today :thumbup:

This pour needed exactly .5866666666 yds. to complete and the mixologist gave me every bit of 3/4. No matter,...Ran back to the plant and washed out - everything's good :thumbup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

That little run allowed my concrete to set up a bit, so I was able to jump right on it when I got back. Put a nice little consolidated surface on it :thumbsup:,...quick cover and I'm ready for rain :thumbup:


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

Surely enough the rain and wind came Thursday night and rained it did. Didn't stop until late Friday, so I worked today in order to finish up and keep the schedule. 

All that was left is the final coat of stucco on the step walls and stripping forms and backfill for the shed slab and front stoop. Owner wanted a textured white stucco finish and that's what he got. 

Since I used Quickcrete's commercial base coat here, I decided to try their finish coat - didn't like it too much for texture work although I'd bet it sponges well. 

Next job probably going to be in the carpentry section upstairs as I'm replacing rotten trim and T1-11 on a small backyard workshop for a cop buddy of mine. He's so damn cheap too,...hope he pays me :laughing:


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## Fundi (Jan 5, 2009)

superseal said:


> I like the big brick solution - If I give a spec in the future, can you FedEx me a couple :laughing: That be great! :thumbsup:


I suppose so. LOL


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