Random crap with Uno.

[Spacy]

He's one of the few I never got facebook info on, and I'm 90% sure I only had his RL info on MZO. 

If you want Togas' contact, I have him on my facebook feed.  I think he just kinda gave up gaming when he founded his own firm and had his kids. 

[Unorthodox]

Hey, how's your house coming?  You get all moved in? 

[Unorthodox]

Mystery apparently approves.



Started on the fire pit last night



It was getting dark and I had my floods out, so I dialed up the orange on them.  Note how the stones facing the lights reflect. Can't wait to get a fire going and see them all doing that.   

[Buster's Uncle]

What Halloween redress ideas so far?

[Unorthodox]

Nothing this year.  Just the fire and stones and pumpkins.  It makes its own statement.

[Buster's Uncle]

It totally does.  Easy to build a theme around or incorporate into a standard harvest one.



-Just, lots of redress possibilities down the road, and I'm eager to see what you come up with over the years to come...

[Spacy]

How deep did you bury them, and how deep is your winter frost line?  Here frost is 2.5', 4' under pavement.  I expect that will play a huge role in how stable they are. 

Also, the concrete pad looks like it was just a 4-6 inch thick small slab - basically a sidewalk.  Depending on how well that is attached to the rock and the other pads next to it will be a big factor in how well it holds up. 

[Spacy]

Hey, how's your house coming?  You get all moved in? 

Moved in.  But, lots of little issues. 

Cable (& internet) are not properly wired, and I think we are at the point of having to rip out a lot of drywall to fix things.
Basement (where all the bedrooms are) keeps getting groundwater into the heating vents (which are below the slab), so we have to rip up all the carpet, chop out the concrete floors, install what basically is a french drain, then put it all back together.  Work scheduled for Mid-May, and we are just living with the stink til then.
Found an illegal sewer tap, that is causing a lot of extra stink.  Getting that fixed with the french drain.
Pool isn't working yet, have to do 12K worth of mechanicals on it....
Furnace we podged them together, but will have to replace all three of them in the next year or two.  AC due to winter we haven't really tested, but the systems are a good 20+ years old so expect them to not work too well.
Roof keeps leaking near a skylight - roofers have tried 3 times now to fix it, but every new rain / snow melt it starts back up. 
Painting of main rooms is done.  Mostly a question at this time of getting the furnishings we want.  Not in a major rush to do that, though. 

The money pit is sucking money fast and hard, but we knew it would and love the place still.  Hopefully, late summer / early fall we will have most of the work finished and be ready to host a holiday or two. 

[E_T]

Mystery apparently approves.



Started on the fire pit last night



It was getting dark and I had my floods out, so I dialed up the orange on them.  Note how the stones facing the lights reflect. Can't wait to get a fire going and see them all doing that.   

Neat!!  Bet you can't wait to do some creative lighting in the area!!  I remember you posting that one thing on lighting long time ago and this seems to call out for it!!

[Unorthodox]

How deep did you bury them, and how deep is your winter frost line?  Here frost is 2.5', 4' under pavement.  I expect that will play a huge role in how stable they are. 

Also, the concrete pad looks like it was just a 4-6 inch thick small slab - basically a sidewalk.  Depending on how well that is attached to the rock and the other pads next to it will be a big factor in how well it holds up. 

 

The earthworks under the stones are how they build the freeways here, with cobble, road base, then the stones/concrete.  (yes, they use concrete on the roads as it's more durable than the blacktop)  So, the earth under shouldn't freeze/move but the big stones + concrete are 2' deep rebar reinforced.  You're likely seeing where we had extra concrete so poured just a bit wider at the surface. 

In fact, the entire path would be the equivalent of a 30-40 MPH dirt road in one of the more rural areas here. 



Fun fact:  I'm knapping the stones around the pit. 

[Syn]

The concrete in Washington lasted over 50 years before getting too bad and needing replacement. With asphalt you're lucky to get 10 years.

[Unorthodox]

The concrete in Washington lasted over 50 years before getting too bad and needing replacement. With asphalt you're lucky to get 10 years.

We've had a few stretches of roads where it caused problems, but otherwise it's better. 

[Unorthodox]

The lime grout color after dried



Tonight's progress.  We're actually going to add another right to the top of this one for a touch more height.  POSSIBLY FIRE TOMORROW...



Sunset on the stones.

[E_T]

Fun fact:  I'm knapping the stones around the pit.

I noticed in the pictures, looks good so far...

I also noticed that the air port on the pit is away from the hedge.  I would have thought that the fire light that plays through it would be more subdued light play on the hedge rocks at night, but maybe not...

Hope the mortar your using for the knapped stone is thermally stable...

[Unorthodox]

Ah, you misunderstand. 

This here be a modren gas firepit thingamabob.  That hole is for the on/off valve, not for fire/air. 

The fire ring will be up tippy top in the copper bowl, which will be full of lava rock.  Not opting for fire logs, though I damn near DID buy the fire JETS instead of ring for a 4' tall flame, but my senses eventually prevailed there. 

The copper bowl acts as a heat shield for the masonry below.  Not that there will be much heat heading DOWN anyway.  Kinda like a really BIG gas range in a marble countertop.  The fire goes up and the metal beneath protects the marble from cracking under the heat.