True Mud – Part Dieux

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Once again, I have to speak to the fact that “Mud moves me”.

Mud, in fact, has been such an outrageous truism of my work, the actual process involved in installing landscapes required an entirely new adaptive vocabulary.

We now speak of “Spackling” an area with the back sides of shovels on those areas which are too soft to actually walk on without leaving 6 inch deep mud prints – or worse, losing a boot. Spackling means beating the mud into the condition of smoothness that can eventually receive the back mulch or the turf/sod to be put on top of it. It is a completely necessary step.

We also sometimes grab plywood or pallets and walk on them en route to various duties, finding our overall terrain “spackled” simply by weight and a flat surface.

(Teufel Nursery’s “Mud Buggy”. LOL, high tech meets the mud.)

“Percolation” refers to water leaving the mud – obviously downwards. Where it will not “percolate” – where some natural or man-made structure prohibits draining – there we will see piping and methods of collection and disbursement. We would, for example, “spackle” an area of loose, rutted, slimy mud, walking backwards and working our way out, so that over time, it will “percolate” away and be quite solid after a short period of time.

Here is an excellent rendition of using plywood for grading and support at the same time.

The down side of this is that we seldom have any of that precious commodity – Time. Thus, we are beset with yet deeper problems, having to work on top of this stuff and finish the project within the always-ticking periodic framework agreed to. The picture below is an innocent enough look at a project which was one of my 10 most incredible mud events.

Looked at above, it seems straightforward enough. This picture is taken about 7 years after the actual installation and said installation was absurdly hard, made more so by an uncooperative supervisor – which happens.

The entire courtyard was completed except for the grassy area and walkways, at the time it became more problematic than normal. We had installed the big Catalpa Tree and all the plantings surrounding this courtyard quite successfully, adding terrific topsoil and plantings. What we were faced with was sodding. Following sod, we would then be able to install the borders for the limestone pathways and install the paths themselves.

Christmas was approaching. As the rain increased, daily – it was a hugely wet Winter – and the Holidays closed in, even acquiring the sod itself was facing problems. Meanwhile, the contractor was finishing everywhere except for where all “the dam mud” was. We decided we had to make a move, ordered up the sod from an initially reluctant but eventually quite happy supplier (income can be hard to come by just before Christmas).

The day began by receiving 16 pallets of sod – 8,000 square feet, more or less. Of course, even finding a place to stash all the sod was difficult because the outlying streets were narrow. Offloading the sod became as much a chore itself as the laying would prove to be as we found ourselves directing traffic and even dealing with police who fielded complaints.

Then it began snowing. 😉

I am reminded of a quote I once read by William Glasser and its relevance to our theme today redounds mightily in my little head, much as it did that day, when everything seemed so impossible and so ineffably hopeless:  “It is almost impossible for anyone, even the most ineffective among us, to continue to choose misery after becoming aware that it is a choice.” 

My point? It will show up soon.

We had raided the local Juvenile Detention Facility – a minimum security place – of kids 16 or so who the powers there were looking to keep busy, preferably with hard work. Well, we had that.  🙂

They had asked if we could pay whatever minimal figure it was they wanted these boys to have – as I recall it was about $1.75 or so, lol.  There was no way we were going to pay that. In private, with these go-getters, we secretly mentioned we’d be paying them 5 times that but we needed them to work in impossible conditions and work real hard. I felt like Charlie Sheen – WINNING!!!  It was hilarious watching their eyes light up in this muddy conspiracy, which got even more out of control when we mentioned we’d be buying lunch as well from McDonalds. Man, some folks are just easy.

So there we were……….16 – 2 ton pallets of wet sod, heavier than a car with 4 of us and our 5 – 16 year old 135 pound kids, already wetter than hell in 34 degree weather. Intermittent rain and snow finally gave way to pure snow with flakes the size of Texas as the self-made tunes broke out like Christmas caroling in Hell. As I recall, I began the music part of the festival with some strictly Elvis Christmas work, and the boys sang with me at first, eventually bursting out into more serious tuneage as we slugged and mugged our way through the worst weather I have ever encountered during a landscape project.

Making Matters Worse!! Thank You! Thank You!  😉

Oh – I nearly forgot one small, teensy, weensy item. As we entered the site that morning, I stepped into what appeared to be a disturbed soil area and sank 3 feet in near-water. It was stunning – I was totally shocked at the appearance of “quicksand” in such an urban environment, and that’s a pretty monstrous understatement.  When I asked the supervisor what was up, he mentioned he had forgotten about running conduit and wiring for the electrically-fed lamp posts around the courtyard and that he had completed that process the prior day (we weren’t there) with a backhoe and some grumpy electricians.

What it did, of course, was make a circle – 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep – around the entire interior of the courtyard of the most thin mud imaginable. Stepping into it was to simply disappear, lol. What a day! Lordy, I got madder than I’d been in recent years – it was an incredible mistake on his part and what he was doing was asking me to work on, in spite of the ‘quicksand’. Of course, he was also asking me to bail him out, was the truth of the matter. When we realized this, it made the entire episode somehow more tolerable, so we, ahem………get this………..”Held our mud”. Ha!

Off we go, sod in hand, a slurry of kids reeling under the weight of even just one clay-packed roll of sod, weighing in at least 40-50 pounds apiece and walking a moving bridge I supplied with strategically-placed plywood and, then, later, using the pallets we acquired as we exhausted the sod stacked on each. The famous Gene Kelly tune “Singing In The Rain” made an appearance, once the snow briefly stopped and the rain intensified, lol. It was total anarchy. Lunch consisted of wet people staying wet and shivering, then returning to the chore as fast as possible, simply to stay warm.

Finally the snow began coming in such an amazing heavy fall, and with these huge flakes, the place quieted down and it became almost cathedral-like in the silence and awesome weird sensuality amid the apparent impossibility of our quest. Our camaraderie was off the charts as we all – to a man, or boy – fought against currents devised to destroy motivation and energy. But we got even. We got better. As our relentlessness persisted, we began seeing green behind us, adapting ‘in situ” to the evolving problems of mud seeping through the spaces in pallets by moving them more often. The green behind us began expanding and that gorgeous space alone became a motivator of fabulous property.

Late in the day – and, yes, it was dark now – we finished. Our ten hours of effort paid off and we looked back on our accomplishment with a shared pride so rare I am not sure I’ve ever felt the likes again. My debt to the kids who joined us as well as to my normal crew showed me the depths of a gratitude that only a team working in such impossible conditions could provide. It felt like some sort of Medal Ceremony was in order.

And, by the way, it looked beautiful.

We finished the day and we finished the sod and by the time we were done, we saw 3 full inches of snow on the ground behind us with a covering settling in which would make that look small. We paid the kids their cash, had some good laughs and arranged for them to be back the next day for a huge clean-up and for some more work. Mario and I adored the guys – they were funner than fun.

The next day, the project supervisor who very purposefully missed the prior day showed up and his reaction was a total classic. To call it shocked would be a complete understatement. The soil supplier and the sod supplier both showed up as well as we had the kids undertake the “dreadful task” – ha ha! I’m a liar! – of cleaning the streets off with fire hoses from a hydrant.

“Steve, Good Lord, man, it’s a miracle! I can’t believe you did that!” Of course, this was the same guy who the day before said, “Shut up and get the dam job done.”

So there’s another good mud story.

Bricks Over Existing Structures – Adhesives

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It was a major Red Letter discovery the day I happened onto adhesives which could bond bricks to cement. Indeed, I had always typified this technology as a grouting mechanism. The very idea that a strong adhesive could last through the weather and climates I have worked in pretty much blew my mind. But here we are – 20 years after I installed some of these – and they stand as permanent as ever. I can safely aver that experience has shown me the worth of such products.

Without producing testaments to one maker over the products of another, I can say that the adhesive range is wide and quite effective. The porous nature of bricks themselves – indeed any brick or cement product – allows a penetration of adhesives well into the objects being glued. When, for example, that concrete chemical “par excellence” – Muriatic Acid – is listed in the methods of ‘removing glues’, then you know it takes some etching and eating to get rid of something that basically embedded itself.

Here are some projects which were the results of adhering bricks to existing cement.

This particular one was always a huge favorite of mine. It has a total “cookie cutter” look to it from above, revealed so by the following frame. This one was a total effort, adhering the brick to a crumbling substructure in Lake Oswego, Oregon, hard by the gorgeous lake there. It’s a bit “sun washed” in the picture, but the results stand with enough definition to reveal the ‘cookie cutter’ thing, I think.

Other efforts include this look outward from a patio featured in the prior post. The ‘finished look’ of these patios includes a “Bullnose” – rounded – brick on the outer edge. While this is not altogether necessary on all projects like this, it does work as a matching edge material, nice and long and strong on the outer rim and not aesthetically dangerous.

Other examples include this “bridge” we erected in place using cement, designed to connect walks over a water feature. Inasmuch as these homes were models for a newer subdivision in Carson City, Nevada, the owners wanted a connecting walkway for conducting potential buyers down to the various models of homes for sale. The “honeycombing” of the cement was addressed, for those who wonder, with a grouting mix. This picture was taken before that got accomplished.

Pavers were glued to the top of the surface and then connected to the walkways. It was actually a very interesting edifice, all the way around. A little cramped, but successful.

In the end, what we find with adhesives for cement is a viable option for addressing nearly any surface. The adhering qualities of these glues is honestly pretty awesome, allowing any number of potential arrangements and adaptations to our existing hardscapes.

Putting Bricks Over Existing Cement

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I was pretty satisfied with the rendition of methods I posted in early 2009 on ways to improve the look of existing cement pads and patios by gluing brick pavers over the surfaces of cement. The bottom example in that post also gives us a glimpse at how we can manage the same task by simply building a paver patio over an existing cement pad by using more traditional methods and raising the entire thing.

Here it is: “Laying Pavers On Cement”

This post was issued in February 2009. I keep seeing search results streaming into this blog with a very steady – if not increasing – frequency. I choose to highlight this again owing to those many searches. I reached an assumption: Among the reasons I believe we see more interest in the technologies  involved with paving over existing facilities have be economic.

And, yes, it is even more possible to glue pavers onto existing cement. And Lord yes, it is also far more attractive. I’m sure we can agree that this – below – is more attractive (disregarding the unfortunate camerawork of yours truly as it ‘lists’ to the left):

(enlarge any image by left clicking)

I think it’s better than this:

Elevation Changes

The gluing effort raises the height of the edifice attached to, and figures hugely in the technical brain pans of the guys tasked to install them. But in the end the process is generally pretty straightforward. Adding 2.375 inches won’t affect Global Warming.  😉

Glue or Cement?

Other considerations which demand attention:

1. The possibility of using a grout/cement base mix. This is a terrific option and is especially pertinent when dealing with real, clay-fired brick – and not the compressed cement cement pavers I so often deal with. Here in Louisville, for example, the use of bricks as a building material of choice is widespread and really nice to look at. There are equally huge variations in colors. The “Used Brick” look has often just startled me with how gorgeous it looks.

Laying fired brick on a sand/rock base – for example used brick – for paving can be done, but the variations in sizes – not just width but everything – make it pretty tough to expeditiously lay on sand. It becomes a puzzle. Here’s a Louisville project we completed just last Fall:

That’s a pre-planting view, fresh after sealing. It had a remarkable amount of pain but the look was very nice and the client was quite happy. Below we can get at least some idea of the difficulties inherent in variations in sizes of the bricks. Enlarge this for an even better perspective

Here are a few examples of projects where we did indeed add pavers over existing concrete structures. The first one is from the, ahem, ’tilted picture’ above, just from 90 degrees. It also shows that we created a circular pattern at the doorway, which I thought might be cool and which the owner was beside himself over:

In the patio featured below, (from the same home), we also added lighting, running wire behind the pavers, for those who wonder what is possible:

Below, we added pavers to the steps, then worked outwards:

Here is one we actually laid on glue using fired-brick facing. It delivered a very nice “Used Brick” look and was nice and substantial:

This was an interesting project, adding a circular element to an existing rectangular one:

The sheer professionalism of the picture-taker needs some remarks. 😉

Wait. Nevermind.

Next post, we’ll deal with the application of glue and the conditions required for the best and most permanent adhesion. We will also enter the debate about water, glue and the expansion of the adhesive.

For now, seeing these examples of successful applications of bricks over cement structures, suffice it to say we can safely assume it is most do-able.

Musings On Growing Up – “Black Ink”

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I’ve taken a break recently from blogging here. This blog is always a labor of love and has of course changed in many ways as my circumstances have altered. To be frank, the break has been good for me. I have always cringed at – yet accepted the rules and time constraints of toil as a normal diet of maturity. I think we all have.

I have been fortunate enough in my landscaping career to have encountered the tickling sensations of accomplishment, for which I am eternally grateful. It takes us nearer to an immortality as we devise what we suspect are permanent systems of substance for the pleasure of those to whom we labor. Both parties gain immeasurably – the client from his living aid – the contractor/designer from his gift to the world and his labors. His crew experience their own brushes with Righteousness as the projects close.

Work itself, as we all know, offers redemption as well as accomplishment. As Eric Hoffer says:

“No matter what our achievements might be, we think well of ourselves only in rare moments. We need people to bear witness against our inner judge, who keeps book on our shortcomings and transgressions. We need people to convince us that we are not as bad as we think we are.”

I agree. This is exactly why you need a waterfall!!!   😉  (Made by me!!)

Back to work…………and the reality of My Work:

On the negative end (at work) the injuries, the occasional dust-ups with anger from all sides, the incredibly helplessness in the face of a mean-spirited Weather God, bereft of humor save for Irony – all form an alternative Universe which seems to descend inexorably on us all.

What to make of all this? All these Opposites!

Recently, in the space of a month, the faces of the remote and oddly-disconnected Love and Death settled in, affecting my heart and soul to degrees I am scrambling to catch up with. Fate decided to present me with the exquisite pleasure of finally meeting someone who means as much to me as nearly anyone I’ve ever known. A reunion of souls occurred which had its origins here – on a computer. My virtual “family” became one in fact as an indescribably lovely series of events scrolled across my human life and perceptions like an Early Christmas for the Soul. I felt rich beyond measure as we conversed, face to face – as if I had done something very Right.

Subsequently, a dear Soul mate and member of my extended family passed away, God bless her. She loved me and my family extremely dearly, did Katie Short. Without resorting to the maudlin, I will just say it reminded me of something more obviously substantial as time goes on: that life compresses with age. Events actually gather momentum and stream helplessly as the Eternity imagined from Youth becomes less of that. The pain is real, much as was the Love I have gained from the former event.

 

On a lesser – but incredibly evocative and meaningful level – I also watched myself  literally “lose” 2 living friends, as emotional events created another graveyard – this one mired in vanity, loss and misperception. It made me wonder if somehow I had not been paying attention to the parallel Universe where persons and events smack together like loose Protons and Quarks, as we continue sightlessly forward, immeasurably confused about the human motives and all of our human frailties. Our tiny egos march ahead like lions as our suspected courage makes us less than we once were, robbing us of our destinies and presenting us with problems we must actually wait for others to decide on. The absolute, complete absurdity of life never stops………. and all we seem to be able to do is endure it. This is inarguable for us all. I have therefore finally learned something – “It is”, as they say, “what it is”.

Not much of a prize, is it?

Heavy thoughts on this Saturday morning.

It’s been a Summer of stunning emotional variety and not all of it good whatsoever. Challenged by these events, I feel somehow chastened – as if I am realizing truths and factoids which exist in the amazingly huge gaps between the human atoms.

I arrived to my 60’s like March does – with a roar and a massive red hot club, playing the crap out of softball, embracing an evolving life like a vain 18 year old. A couple years into it, I have gotten myself beat to crap, lol.

As I often quote Mike Hammer: “It was like the kiss at the end of a hot, wet fist.”  😉

Here’s an irony: I admit I do still feel pretty darn good. I now wonder if this blanket, unthinking optimism is some style of curse, leering at me like The Last Temptation. I know – I am waving my weenie at Fate Itself in this unusually sophomoric fantasy which recognizes pretty much my feelings as some sort of bottom line. In a sense, even a beaver or maybe even that tin can over there can see the futility of that.

Right now, I don’t think so. For better or for worse, I feel my connections to real folks and they warm me. When I analyze my wide-ranging and numerous life mistakes, they Tazer me back with massive, clinging regret and they cool me back down. My regrets are Huge. Massive. The tale of them forms a line of shame. These ‘faux pas’ could destroy anyone. I smile and nod and hug others, and I feel unworthy as hell sometimes. How does one live with his guilt, I often ponder?

I now realize this is life itself. Our mistakes are a field of accounting which never realizes Black Ink. Nor can we “take them back”.

I have come to believe we need to begin each and every day with a clean slate.  I know – it’s a perfect dodge, lol. But I confess this aphorism has more merit the more I entertain its relevance to this planet of ours:

“Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” Matthew 6:34