Hi,
Well it took me almost 6 months and with a lot of help and advice from “Breaktime” members but it’s practically finished. If I had to do anything again I would almost certainly pick an easier cultured stone to work with. For the novice, it was very frustrating and time consuming. Thanks again to all that helped me out.
Mike
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Replies
Wow, beautiful ! Great work. Those columns really pop in the night shots.
Greg
Waht's six months in the grand scheme of things? You'll be enjoying that area for decades to come.
Nice job Mike!
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Sweet!
~ Ted W ~
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Nice space. Looks like you figured out how to keep the bugs and leaves out of the pool too. My only question is: Where's the grill?!
jt8
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on."
-- Robert Frost
It's just inside the pool screen. It'll come out after the sealer's down.
I see you got coyotes there also.
What I like is the dark capping on the wall. I'm gonna use that somewhere.
I'm also guessing you got another project soon in replacing that side sidewalk so it matches them nice pavers? And are those blocks lined up to continue the wall?
Nice work.
Thanks,
No, I just placed them there to cover a bald spot in the lawn.
Mike
Nice!! I have the same hanging baskets! You will enjoy that, I'm sure.
OMG! This is really really nice. What kind of cultured stone did you use and why did you find it to be so frustrating to work with?
I got the stone from Lowes. They had a small display and I liked the look of the stones I eventually picked. The display of the stone I picked only had 2 pieces of stone alongside each other so it gave no indication of the many different shapes,sizes and thicknesses that you get in a case. That's where the hard work comes in. It's like a huge jigsaw. If you accidentally crack a piece putting it in, it throws everything out, trying to get another piece to fit. The small columns on the wall were also difficult. They were made up entirely of corner pieces. Tough getting them to line up with the wall given the different thicknesses. Real stone veneer would have been easier because you can trim and shape that. The faux stuff just doesn't trim good. Next time I would get a stone that wasn't so varied. I know that's what it's supposed to be but given that it's not easily trimed and shaped it a small price. If you go that route make sure you can return any left over cases, then buy 30% extra. That will give you a larger selection, which really helps.
Thanks for the interest.
Mike
Don't mean to contradict mike but there is a knack to trimming the stone just like the grouting :) the stone can be trimmed and most will never know. and all the stone comes in many shapes and sizes no matter what kind you pick
I agree about the knack, but don't forget this was a first time attempt. I may have the knack now. I also agree about most people never knowing which stones were trimmed, but I found that I could spot them. Being tough on myself.
Thanks,
Mike
Mike ,you did well.
It looks fabulous! But. I would change one small thing.
The edging around the plant bed is really out of character with the stone.
A rule I was taught. When you use one type of stone you try to use it, or something similar throughout.
It would be very easy to pull out the "scalloped" ? cement bed edging and put in some stone.
They just don't work together.
Will Rogers
Edited 4/15/2009 10:42 pm ET by popawheelie
Good looking. Structural question. How did you anchor the columns? What method did you use to keep a strong wind from pushing it over? Is it tied to another structure? Didn't see any bracing etc. Being in Florida, I figure you guys know how to deal with wind. Couldn't tell by the photos. Again, good looking.
Part of the slab was new so I poured footings with rebar. Put columns over the rebar the filled with concrete about 3-4 ft. On the existing part of the slab I cut out a 12x12x12 hole and filled with concrete added 4 pieces of rebar then the same with the column as before.
Mike
That's neat. I had never thought of that. (no snide remarks from the cheap seats please). Obviously, these are not wood columns. Termites would have field day with wood.
Does the concrete adhere to the interior of the columns to prevent uplift or do you insert nails, screws, pins or whatever through and perpendicular to the columns either before or after you partially fill with concrete?
In the past, I have used long threaded rods embedded in the concrete slab that extend up and through the beams on top. How do you anchor the beams to the top of the columns?
I hope you don't mind my picking your brain on this, but as it so happens, I am in the process of designing a large freestanding pergola for a client.
Many years from now, I would like the see the expression on the face of the guy that has the job of removing your columns. I was doing a remodel on an old house and found a 6" steel pipe column inside a wall that had been removed. That thing had been totally field with concrete. No way could you get it hot enough to cut it with a torch. Had to jack hammer the footing.
Again, I'm impressed and thanks for your help.
I got the idea from McDesign, here'e the thread.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=105500.1.
I did a few things diferently. I plumbed the columns the held them in place stacking concrete blocks around them about 3 high and backing them up with sand bags. Everything stayed fine.
The tops i also did a bit diferent.
I cut out a 2x plug to fit in the top. I glued and screwed a piece of 2x8 for a tab (I was using 2x8 Cypress for the main beams) in the centre of the cap. This was just longer than the outside diameter of the cap. This served 2 purposes. 1) It stops the cap from falling down into the column and gives you a means of grabbing it to pull the cap out if you need to reposition it.2) You secure the main beams to it. This will give a 2" gap between the doubled up beams.
I cut this tab so it had a curve on the top so rain would run of it, I flashed with aliminium and caulked where it contacted the beams.
And as mcdesign did, glue,drill and screw the cap to the column using 1 5/8 deck screws about every inch around the column top,making sure the tabs align with the direction of the beams.
You could run the threaded rod right up through the caps and tab. Wouldn't harm I guess.Here's 1 goof up I did make. The columns were wrapped in plastic and I just thought I'd place them on the rebar until I was ready to fill them about 5-6 weeks later. Well I forgot about the plastic at the bottom of the columns and started to drop 4 ft of concrete in them. The plastic prevented the concrete from adhering to the slab so I did have slight movement at the top of 2 of the columns. I caught on before I poured the last 2.
Concrete went straight in the columns with no additional hardware.
I think uplift would be more a concern with the beam to column connection rather than column to slab. I'm no engineer so I can be corrected with no offence but in an open structure like a free standing pergola, the biggest force to overcome is lateral and not uplift. I'm thinking the wind will pass through the beams??????????
Let me know if you have any ? or you need more clarity.
Mike
Thanks Mike. Appreciate the help. Sometimes knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. I will be doing two structures. One standard pergola and one with a roof. That is the one that could have some uplift. Both free standing. Thanks again and good luck.
I like using heavy strapping embedded in the concrete I pour into the columns.I bend a 4" L on both ends so that it gets a good bite in the concrete and hangs on the column while pouring.
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
If he got a permit he had to submit stamped drawings with uplift engineering (Florida code). It should have been #5 rebar tied to the footer steel. They made me use 4 in a cage for the post holding up my tie beam for the corner slider. In St Pete he is probably in the 130 MPH zone. I am 130 here.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/windcodemap.jpg
So building an arbor with wood posts would require a rebar cage from footing to top of beam ?
How do you tie the rebar into the beam?
ANDYSZ2WHY DO I HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT BEING A SOLE PROPRIETOR IS A REAL JOB?
REMODELER/PUNCHOUT SPECIALIST
If you used wood posts you would need some big Simpson clips. It still would need engineering. In Florida you need engineering to build a shed. (probably even a dog house if your neighbor ratted you out for not having a permit)http://www3.leegov.com/dcd/BuildingServices/Permitting/ShedAppReq.htm
Very nice. How are you using that space now?
Tu stultus es
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Look, just send me to my drawer. This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.
Just chilling in it. Can't believe it's finished.
Mike
I bet you aren't finished. Your wife will want something else out there ;-)If nothing else, I bet she will want the whole thing inside the pool cage.I started with a small patio between the house and garage. Now the tax collector tells me I have 2304 square feet of flag stone patio and pool under the screen and we are looking at the north screen wall to be pushed out 15 feet.
Hey, that's great!
k