CEMENT CARVING
Many
years ago I was experimenting with small concrete and cement textures and
designs. I carved cement sculptures by filling boxes of different sizes and
shapes. I waited just long enough fro the cement to get firm (1-2 hours) then
stripped off the card board and went to whittling, scraping and gouging using
screwdrivers, joint strikers, spoons, forks you name it. I experimented with a
wide array of tools and carving devices for different surface textures. I made
an ET figure for my kids, a lamp base for my wife and several bookends that I
gave away as presents. To do this all you need is an idea for something you want
to make, a box just a little larger than you end shape, some cement and sand, a
soft bristled brush, a sponge and a variety of carving instruments. The cement
mixture is a 1:3 ratio sand to cement - if you want to add color: purchase some
at your hardware store and follow the instructions as different colors have a
different density, some are powdered and some are liquid.
As the cement hardens (you have to finish with in a couple of hours) the sponge or soft bristled brush dipped in water will give you different textures. The challenge I always liked about this craft was the time limit - unlike modeling clay, you aren't going to come back tomorrow and finish.
DO IT YOURSELF STEPPING
STONES
The first things you need are forms for your shapes, which
are easy to make with scrap lumber. Simply screw (screws are better than nails
for dismantling) sides the together in any shape you like - keep the shapes
small so you can handle them easier for setting. The sides should be a minimum
of 2" deep. Place a piece of plywood (particle board, anything flat) on top of
the sides and screw in place and flip over so the plywood is the bottom of your
mold - the flat portion is down when poured, but it is the top of the stepping
stone. The fun part about pouring your own stepping stones is the endless
textures you can create in the top of your stepping stones by putting different
patterns, textures and or shapes on the plywood before you pour.
Aluminum foil scrunched and taped to the plywood will make a stone surfaced look. With a little bit of practice, you can scrunch and flatten until the impression in the cement looks just like a piece of flagstone or slate. The trick here is to flatten the wrinkles in the aluminum foil in such a pattern that they look like a layered piece of stone.
The mix here is a little richer than above 1:2˝ (that would be one shovel of cement to 2 and one half shovels of sand) then add 1/8th cup of acrylic cement adhesive per shovel of cement; add a cement color (following the manufactures directions) that will be close to a native stone color you like. The consistency should be just barely thinner than peanut butter - mix for at least 5 minutes by hand, get the mix well blended and fluffy. If you have any kind of a vibrator (a massage vibrator works well) vibrate for several minutes immediately upon pouring - this will help the cement release air bubbles and receive the impression better. For a real looking stone color; place powdered cement color in an empty baby powder bottle and sprinkle on the surfaces of the aluminum foil - two or three compatible and very similar colors will give you a more natural look.
There are an endless amount of textures that can be used for transferring to the top of the stepping stones. I have carved names, flowers etc. using a Dremmel (a high-speed miniature drill shaped like a big pencil that you can buy different carving tips for). I have scattered rusted nuts, bolts and screws for an authentic western look. You can put different wood trims and shapes along the edge where the plywood and forms join to create a nice border (I recommend something to round or smooth the edges too keep them from coming to a point and breaking off easily - a nice thick bead of caulking will suffice).
Flowered textures are beautiful. I took rose petals and covered the bottom of the mold. When the cement dried the petals were stuck in the cement but they eventually wore away leaving the perfect impression of the petal and also a nice stained color that came from the natural dye in the flower.
<<<<<< GETTING THE RIGHT CONTRACTOR >>>>>>
PLANNING FOR A
BID
Don't leave yourself at the mercy of strangers when you
are gathering bids for any kind of project around your house. It will behoove
you to know what you want, where you want it and how big you want it to be. Buy
some magazines and gather ideas - you can get back issues at used bookstores for
pennies on the dollar. Educate yourself about the trade you are getting bids
from. There are lots of great Internet sites that will gladly give you some free
information about a specific trade (I have a links page on my site now that I
will be updating every month). Inform yourself and make sure that the
information you acquire is from a reliable source.
MEASURE FIRST
I get
lots of calls for masonry and retaining walls from folks that want their "free
estimate", but they aren't sure what, where how big they want it. I get the
sense that they want the free estimate to include design as well, which I do
because I like to design and have a lot of experience at it - but a lot of the
contractors I know have no real creative spirit when it comes to design; even
though they could build the Taj Mahal if give the blue prints.
If you have no design, specific ideas or pictures: how do you compare estimates? Then, how do you know if the design will structurally and aesthetically line up with what you need, want and can afford? To avoid some of the confusion at least have your own dimensions (on walls longer than 50 feet, rounded up measurements are better that feet and inches precision). With your own dimensions and a picture of the style you like in your hand (copies for each bidder of course) you will come closer to comparing apples to apples instead of apples and oranges. If you know what you want, so will the bidder.
STRUCTURE?
Maybe
following the suggestions I just made wore you out - I mean hey it took all of 2
hours of your life to cover your investment thus far :o) but if you are not to
busy or tired, one more hour of preparation would insure bids that you can
really compare. Lots of city and county building departments have pat structural
details they will give you at the counter for free. Spend a few minutes at the
building department (or call and see if you can get this stuff from their web
site) and get some detail drawings of the structure you need. Make copies and
attach them to your dimensions and pictures. If you found out that your project
can be built like the photograph and the structural details will pass a
permitted inspection all you have left are a few details and your bids should be
true to form and comparable.
BE SPECIFIC
Your
bidder needs to know the following things:
This isn't a very big list, copy, print it, and use it as a guide for making an addendum to their proposal. Then attach it to the other items I mentioned above and you should be on your way to getting bids that are all with in the ball park of each other.
LICENSED, BONDED AND
INSURED
Here is where my philosophy may differ from the main
stream a bit - or - maybe I am just being truthful. Everything I've read about
hiring a contractor starts out by saying that you should make sure they are
licensed insured and bonded and this is safe advice. But is it always true?
Undoubtedly there are people that have been stung by licensed as well as
unlicensed contractors.
There are also situations where because of a breach in the contractors insurance agreement the insurance company won't pay out without a legal battle. As far as bonding goes you will recoup at least some of your money or get the job finished by someone else. I cannot legally say to use an unlicensed contractor! I am not even remotely recommending that you do, I am simply acknowledging a simple fact: some of you will! Most subcontractors I know did some contracting without a license in the early stages of their career and did good work.
There are no guarantees! Even with a written guarantee you are not covered. What a license, insurance and bond say to me is that the contractor at least has intentions of staying in business. It says they invested the time, money and energy into making their company legitimate - and the license says that they at least had the rudimentary knowledge of their specific trade when they took the state test - whether or not they apply that knowledge is up to you to figure out. I don't know about your state, but in Arizona, under my license I am only required to warrantee my work for two years in order to keep my license valid… that's not very long juxtaposed a thirty year mortgage. I really believe the following paragraph is your best solution in getting your money's worth - after you have completed the steps above.
INTUITION &
INFERENCE
By now you have spent some time with each bidder and you
have been exposed to their personality, enthusiasm, and hopefully some of their
experience and knowledge. You have witnessed first hand some of their people
skills.
I could go on and on about observation, but probably the biggest clue you will have is how you felt about them. I am not getting metaphysical on you here, I am just stating the obvious: I can't count the times that someone that got burned, stiffed or poor quality work said, in retrospect that they should have seen it coming. All too often someone will say: "I really liked the other guy, but this guy was so much cheaper!" (To which I always think: "Yeah, that's what you thought!")
Don't let the bid prices override your guts or common sense; if you do you are asking to be among the many that regret their decision. Sure, you can ask for references and I recommend it, but not yet, why worry about calling all of those references from someone you won't hire anyway?
PRICE
JUSTIFICATIONS
Even after all of these bases are covered you may
find discrepancies of 30-40% in your bids - this is very common. This in no way
means that the high bidder is making too much money or even the most money. I
also don't mean that the low bidder is the one giving you everything you want
for less money - sometimes one technique will bring a job in faster without
sacrificing integrity, while another technique will sacrifice integrity. Ask the
contractor to justify the bid - it won't work to your advantage to divulge the
other bids… but letting them know they are the highest or way up there will work
to your advantage, if you ask them to explain why their price would need to be
higher. Listen carefully, take notes if you like, if you are unclear about what
they are saying they are going to do or why it will cost more that way, ask for
elaboration until you understand - unless your guts have already told you to
take them off the list.
MAKING YOUR
DECISION
Now you have your prices. You have asked for
justifications. You have read the proposals and a list of specifics are included
in the descriptions of work to be done. Narrow it down to two or three and ask
for references. Make the calls. Ask:
References are an important part of the decision making criteria, but don't let them override your common sense either: references can be manufactured; they can be jobs so fresh there is no way to tell if the work will last. And finally, every good contractor had a first customer and ultimately got the first few jobs based on trust and faith.
I have ready many articles about the best way to keep from getting burned by contractors and many of them portray contractors as these potential snakes in the grass. If you don't sort out the vipers you always get bit. I don't think that is a very accurate picture… but maybe I am a bit biased - I mean hey who am I any way, but a licensed contractor? However, having been behind the scenes with companies like: US Homes, Estes Homes, Presley Homes, Dale Web Companies, Toll Brothers etc. and even working with lots of small subcontractors and remodelers over the past three decades, I would have to say that the large percentage of contractors are very hardworking, conscientious and reputable.
The big problem is always this: if you are the one that is ripped of, who cares how many other good contractors there are out there? It never helps to know this after the fact, so caution is advised and I truly believe that your best guidance in this matter is your own built in radar - pay attention to it! Ask all the questions you want and can think of, if you find resistance to answering your questions, remember this: Never hire someone that intimidates you or won't answer your direct questions with a direct answer.
What prompted this newsletter was an email I got a couple weeks back that broke my heart. It was from a single mother that contracted to do a flagstone patio and the contractor disappeared with her money and never finished the job. She picked up Stone Patio Secrets Revealed form me and now she is going to take what's left of the money and do it herself, which in and of itself is fine, but having to do that after you paid good money to have it done is insult to injury!
I truly wish she had read, Stone Patio Secrets Revealed before she got bids.
I think all to often this scenario comes about quite innocently. Without the
edification to converse in detail about the job, the bidding session consists
mainly of:
An introduction.
Here is where I want it.
Some measurements
are taken.
A price is given.
Good bye and adios.
However, if you have enough information in your mind and ready, you can converse about the job. You can carry on a longer conversation and get to know your bidders a little better. I am not simply trying to push my Multitorials here; I simply want to help you avoid the pain of it all! However, they will arm you with the info about how the job goes together before you get bids, not to mention you could use the detailed illustrations in the Multitorials for contractors to know how to bid on the structure. What I am trying to do is convince you to at least go to the library and fill in some of the blanks before you accept any bids. Some of your time is a small price to pay to cover the investment of your hard earned money - much less a double mortgage! Do some homework before you hire for "home work"! You will be way ahead of the game. Last but not least, I want to repeat: don't let the price sway your common sense or gut feeling! Even a thousand dollars difference to get a good job only equates to $2.77 per month on a thirty year mortgage - that can be awfully good insurance!
Thanks for listening!
Love, Light & Happy Building! 
Rusty Cline,