This Journey » Patio Project 2009 – or “You had me at Mini-Bobcat”

Patio Project 2009 – or “You had me at Mini-Bobcat”

A little photo essay on what DS1 did on his last summer home. The foreman of the project was DJ, the former custodian at church.

The project started in June and finished on July 31 — just before the Graduation party deadline. In fact, the tables and chairs had to be placed on slabs of plywood over the distributed piles of dirt.

: Bobcat Gothic

: Step 1: Make a big mess.

: Not actually supposed to look like a moto-cross track

: Another place they decided to pile dirt.

: First course level

: The old electricity from the house to the garage

: The trench full of new electricity!

: The top level-even with the landing pad near the house

: Finished steps and HL’s feet!

: Beautiful new steps!

: The new steps from the house

: The beginning of the first course of retaining blocks

: the hole at sunset

: steps and wall

: bottom layer= 2.5 inch trap rock

: Calculated amount of trap rock not actually enough once compacted

: A couple inches low all around

: Toward the steps

: With additional rock added and compacted

: Mid-level rock= 1.5 granite (after a light rain)

: the calculated amount of mid-level wasn’t enough either.

: Top level of rock =3/8″ granite – should be level with top of retaining wall

: Low on this side too

: After two additional pick-up loads (1 yard each)

: Hand compacting the final “extra” level

: Circle complete

: Read for permeable install

: Circle kit finished; non-permeable part done and bricks waiting to be installed

: Foreman DJ

: DS1 using the wet mortar saw

: DS1 using the wet mortar saw

: the foreman, DJ supevising the final pieces. DS2 watches

: What the permeable part will look like with the cracks filled with 3/8″ granite

: At the “Let’s Pretend it’s Done” party before I left for Atlanta (note the cigars)

: DS1 takes a break on the circle

: DS1 takes a break on the circle

: Doh! Missed one cut.

: The permeable part toward those dandy steps (nice weeds, huh?)

: Finished! Well, except for trimming the landscape fabric and the grass seed.

— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…

My little man 2007

sunny days 2007

August 29th, 2009 | Category: my crazy life | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL

churlita:
September 1st, 2009 at 9:09 am

DS1 does good work. The patio looks great.

NoRegrets:
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm

Wow, now THAT’s a project.

This Journey » Backyard 2010:
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:19 am

[...] summer about this time we were hip deep in mini-bobcats and chipped granite in the big Patio Project 2009. Given the amount of budget overage due to unexpected electrical costs (who knew that reconnecting [...]