Grand Island Bar comes to life!

I have included a step by step guide in this post on how to put together one of our new products.  Manufactured by Mid-Atlantic Concrete products the pictures detail the installation of the Grand Island Bar in front of our office on Johns Island.  We had the help of the crew from Superior Surfaces Concrete.  The picture above shows the area before construction began.  

We began by filling in the void of the existing water feature.  The next step was to dig out the space so that we could add base material from our pavers. 

Using a laser level we check the grade and started to form the outdoor kitchen area to pour a concrete footer.  The Mid-Atlantic Grand Island bar is designed to be installed on at least a 4" concrete footing.

We squared up the forms with the building and waited for the concrete truck to arrive.  

We added additonal 4" PVC pipes to gain access to the middle of the outdoor kitchen for electric and potential plumbing.  

After the footer was poured we prepped the rest of the area with an ROC crushed limestone base.  

The limestone base was compacted in 4" lifts

Now it is time to start installing the outdoor kitchen

If you have ever played with Legos or lincoln logs as a kid this process should be pretty self explanatory.  The Mid-Atlantic system comes with a layer by layer diagram to follow throughout the installation process. 

One of the most important things to check as you are building the unit is to make sure everything is square and plumb as you build up. 

Once the base layer is set and checked for square the process of stacking moves much more quickly. 

All of the custom size pcs in the Mid-Atlantic kit come pre-cut and labeled to match the diagram.  There is no need for additional equipment for this job. 

The openings come with pre-cut angle iron support.  

All of the Mid-Atlantic concrete products kits come with gloves and the masonry adhesive used to put the products together.  

The process of installation goes fast with extra hands.  Included with the literature for each product you will find a man hour estimation to put each kit together.  If you are planing to install these products often this information is extremely helpful to have in your estimating process.  

I have never seen an outdoor kitchen come together this quickly.

If you follow the directions correctly the door and grill provided in the kit slide right in. 

One of the great features of these kit systems are the unique attention to detail in the design.  

Checking to make sure the blocks are correct before sliding in the grill.  

This shot is a good example of the specialty cut pieces.  You can also see the shims that are provided in the kit.  

Almost there.

After putting the provided countertops into place this job is complete.   

Weekend Warriors

I usually jump at the chance to assist friends in weekend warrior projects, but this one was different. The project wasn't any more difficult but it was "HOT." The heat this time of the year makes most weekend projects take multiple weekends. Busy schedules didn't not allow for this so we put in two solid 12 hour days to finish up a beautiful bluestone patio.

Our friends John and Jessica Tabb have been staring at an ugly concrete pad for years and as a 8 year anniversary gift decided that it was time to spruce up the backyard. They stopped by our showroom and looked through countless materials like travertine, slate and coral stone. They decided on a traditional full color squared bluestone patio. Take a look below to see the before and after.

Luckily they already had a concrete pad, so the installation was slightly easier. 

I started in the corner and made sure the existing patio and house are square

As I worked my way out I laid stone to the right and left to ensure that water will run off with the correct pitch. 

As you can see I was in full sun most of the day and it was HOT.

I usually try and lay out 6-8 stones dry ahead of time to make sure that I don't have any "+" sign's or long joints. 

It is easier to bring the mortar over in buckets so you don't have to keep dumping a wheelbarrow or getting up to trowel some more mortar.

Almost there...

Finally there was some shade at the end of the day. 

I let John and Jessica lay the last couple stones

Hopefully he doesn't quit his day job.

Jessica uses the grout bag to fill in the joints

Trying to keep your joints consistent is a very hard thing to do.  Luckily the grout covers up most of your errors.

When grouting make sure you get plenty of mortar in the joints and wait to work the joint until you can no longer put your thumb through the mortar.

The finished product. 

Painting that rocks!

For those of you that will be stuck at home this summer with screaming bored children running around on summer vacation I have an idea for you.  You may wonder what you are going to do on the first rainy day in June when the movies are packed and the beach is not an option.  Pick up some acrylic paints and paint brushes from Michaels or Hobby Lobby and a few rocks from us and your problems are solved.             Your kids will love helping you transform your outdoor garden into a work of art.  Have them label your new vegetable garden with the plant types or paint crawly creatures in your garden.  It doesn't matter what they are painting I guarantee they won't run out of ideas.     I am kind of obsessed with this whole rock project idea.  Check out the links below to see some more ideas.  Martha Stewart even gets in on the fun with her create rock projects.  Links: Martha Stewart ROCK Crafts Painted Rock Projects E-How to Paint Rocks

DIY Firepit

One of the biggest prides I have in the stone business is helping our customers solve problems.  A homeowner came into our showroom a few weeks ago and said that he wanted to create a firepit on his deck like the picture he had in hand.  He wanted to know if it was possible to build in his space and if he needed to hire a professional.  Here is the picture the homeowner was wanting to recreate. 

After speaking to the homeowner at length about the steps involved, he had a pretty good idea that it was possible to tackle as a DIY endeavor. 

The homeowner first cut a whole in his existing deck and made sure to leave enough support for the new opening. 

After a solid foundation or footing was poured at the base of the firepit the homeowner used 8x8x16 concrete block to build up the firepit to the height of the existing deck. 

We talked extensively with the homeowner about using firebrick on the interior of the firepit.  This is a commonly missed step and although it will still work the possibility of cracks deterioration of the concrete block is possible.

The homeowner placed a pipe through the block and firebrick to allow for drainage of the firepit. 

We recommended saw back natural thin veneer stone to be used as the stone facade.  You can see in the picture below the use of a tack strip to support the stone initially as you begin the stone installation. 

Several large pieces of bluestone were cut to size and placed on the top to cap the firepit. One thing to not of the cap is that there is not an overhang on the inside of the firebox where heat could possibly be trapped and crack the stone.   

The deck was then rebuilt and now the homeowner has a brand new firepit as seen in his original picture to entertain his family and friends.