Thanks, TM!
They are very nice men. They speak no English and could very well be rolling their eyes at me but the work is getting done and it looks nice, which is all I really care about.
The ledge will be plaster with LS tile accents.
Hello from an excited Newbie in Bixby Oklahoma!!
- Thread starter Nursenini
- Start date
Thanks, TM!
They are very nice men. They speak no English and could very well be rolling their eyes at me but the work is getting done and it looks nice, which is all I really care about.
The ledge will be plaster with LS tile accents.
What a breath of fresh air! So nice you can "trust" them so they can keep on working. With the current work to "copy" they should be able to bust the rest out quick!
Did they have set pattern to follow? I like how it does NOT match on the ends when you are looking at the spa from inside the pool. Makes it more natural.
Kim:cat:
Did they have set pattern to follow? I like how it does NOT match on the ends when you are looking at the spa from inside the pool. Makes it more natural.
Kim:cat:
No, no set pattern per se, just a random mix of 50% Granbury, 25% buffalo surface and 25% finnegan surface. I don't think it's being applied in those percentages, but I like how it's looking so I'm not saying anything about the percentage differences.
Stonework still in progress, going on a solid week. They have worked every day except Sunday and today (one had an appointment). The "lunch breaks" have been quite long at times (over 3 hrs yesterday), but their boss isn't on site and I'm not the one paying them hourly. They have to finish the front of the scupper wall, do the cap stone on everything, do some filling of holes in the mortar and possibly seal it all (not sure about that...). They are doing a good job. We like the way it looks and they even tore out and rebuilt a section of the firepit that I didn't like. When I talked to him about it (mostly gesturing) he knew exactly the spot and what I wanted. Makes me think he KNEW that spot didn't look good!
Here's some eye candy for your viewing pleasure :
Here's some eye candy for your viewing pleasure :
Great progress! All your tile and stone selections look so great together. I love the firepit!
Hi Sheree!
Yesterday, when I met with the head Mason and found out his guys would not be here today, I mentioned that we were supposed to get plaster on Friday. He said they have gone ahead with plaster even when the stone is not done. I told him I would call the PB to make sure that did NOT happen with my pool. I sure don't want stone being chipped and laid after plaster and water are in my pool! Those stone chips are flying EVERYWHERE!
So, I called PB and told him I wanted to wait until the stone was done. He said he was very relieved to hear that since just 30 minutes before my call, his plaster guy called him to tell him his cement truck broke down and he can't even get the parts until Friday. It works out for both of us.
Gutters are scheduled for 7/11. I don't have a date for the pergola (this guy is behind schedule and my fan is on back order), and I don't know when equipment is coming.
I spoke with PB about the deck again. We'll see if we can get anything more done with it...
Thank you, Big! It's been such a long road (almost 7 months since contract signing, over 5 months since dig day), it FEELS like it's never going to end but we are probably just a couple of weeks out now. We are ready (I think..)!
Thank you, Marla! It is quite a bit of work, but with all the siesta time sleeping in the shade in my yard, it could probably be done by now. They need to at least start the cap tomorrow since I am supposed to approve it and I will be at work Fri, Sat & Sun.
Thank you, Suz! Do you think so? I'm not sure about my waterline tile selection anymore. Of course, that ship has sailed. I do like how the stone looks with the deck color (or the parts of the deck with good color
).I love the firepit, too! I wanted him to make it bigger but they insisted that was as large as they could go..I don't know why...
Thank you, Suz! Do you think so? I'm not sure about my waterline tile selection anymore. Of course, that ship has sailed. I do like how the stone looks with the deck color (or the parts of the deck with good color
I love the firepit, too! I wanted him to make it bigger but they insisted that was as large as they could go..I don't know why...
I really do think so! From the pictures, your waterline tile fits perfectly with everything else. But to maybe put your mind at ease a little, I really think the waterline tile will slip way down the list of importance once the water is in. It could just be me. My waterline tile is more functional to me, such as, is the waterwater too high or too low. The waterline tile helps me spot the level. I have found myself looking at it more lately while I'm in the pool due to reading posts about indecisions or concerns about waterline tile. I chuckle cuz I remember some of my wonderings that no longer matter to me at all - is it too dark? too many darker/lighter pieces grouped together? a grout line too thick or thin here and there. One thing for sure... next pool I build (lol!), I will know what to fret over and what not to. But how can you know if you've never built a pool, right?!
I see some of the same color in the stonework that is in the waterline tile. It looks great!
LOL! Thanks for the hindsight perspective! I'm sure you are right! I do like how it is all coming together. This has been much harder than it was to build my house!
Oh that's good, PAGirl! I was out to the stone yard with that tile and my plaster sample multiple times and tried really hard to coordinate it all! Thank you!
It looks great Nini!! Truly! I really like your waterline tile a lot!
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NINI!! I cam looking for your thread as I KNEW you had something to share! GIRL! Look at all of that work!!!!! Yeah with less sleep and more chipping they could be done but what they have done is worth waiting for. LOL on him KNOWING just what spot you did not like.
Yeah NO plaster until that work is DONE!
Your water line tile? There is NO other tile you could have picked that would go as well! That go purrfect with your stone work! Do NOT second guess that at all. Your plaster is going to POP with all of that!
Here is hoping they can/will start the coping. I wonder..........hummmmmmmm is the coping stone THERE? I would ask them to do some over the finished stone work TODAY so you can see what they are thinking. They should be able to show you a "sample" of that work
So the plywood that has the big chunks of stone on it......is that the stone they are working with? Do they have to chip all of that down to make it fit? WOW! SO glad it is not me doing that job! Their hands and arms must be tired and hurting when they are done!
Getting SO close! Hoping the PB has some good news about the patio soon
Kim:cat:
Yeah NO plaster until that work is DONE!
Your water line tile? There is NO other tile you could have picked that would go as well! That go purrfect with your stone work! Do NOT second guess that at all. Your plaster is going to POP with all of that!
Here is hoping they can/will start the coping. I wonder..........hummmmmmmm is the coping stone THERE? I would ask them to do some over the finished stone work TODAY so you can see what they are thinking. They should be able to show you a "sample" of that work
So the plywood that has the big chunks of stone on it......is that the stone they are working with? Do they have to chip all of that down to make it fit? WOW! SO glad it is not me doing that job! Their hands and arms must be tired and hurting when they are done!
Getting SO close! Hoping the PB has some good news about the patio soon Kim:cat:
Maybe the long breaks are common with tile crews? Mine seemed to work 30 minutes for every 45 minute break and took 3 hour lunches or sometimes the entire afternoon off. Our 3 day tile job turned into 6 and PB seemed quite annoyed with them. Your stone work is very intricate and it's pretty hot out. I know how frustrating it is to watch them sit on their butts though. It's like "come on boys, get to work!", while it seems they are lazing around on the porch chit chatting, eating, and playing on their cell phones.
Love watching you have this progress. Getting so close!!
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Love watching you have this progress. Getting so close!!
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Five months!! I'm at 2 months and I have to fight the urge to "youtube it" and finish it myself
I guess neither of us will be swimming by the 4th of July. Hang in there...it'll be worth it soon. Your stone work is just beautiful btw.
I guess neither of us will be swimming by the 4th of July. Hang in there...it'll be worth it soon. Your stone work is just beautiful btw.
It's looking really nice!! Soon..... And you'll be glad for all the effort and time
Thank you all for the nice comments and encouragement! Hope everyone had a nice safe Independance Day yesterday! We, of course, did not have our planned pool party because the pool is still in progress, but a nice time was still had by all and I did not have to host!
We are at 2 weeks now of masonry work. Hoping they will finally finish today! Overall, it looks ok. Not exactly what I had planned or envisioned but, at this point, I'm just over this build and want this all to end and these people to go away.
-We didn't end up with the correct percentage of stone mixture (50% of the large white-ish stone, 50% equal mix of the brown and gray-brown stone).
-Rather than random placement of the larger white-ish stones, there is a distinct up down pattern that reminds me of polka dots. It wasn't very apparent to me on the spa at first, but now that the wall and firepit are done, I can really see it.
- We ended up agreeing to a cut edge on all of the flagstone cap instead of a chiseled edge. The head mason claimed the flagstone I chose was too difficult to do that to because it flakes and they would go through lots of stone, the stone is expensive and it would cost him a lot more $$. The cut edge is ok. I don't hate it. I would have preferred the chiseled edge. But, I don't understand why it would cost HIM more $$...I didn't pay an up charge for it. The Sahara flagstone is what was recommended to me at the stone yard as being the hardest and best flagstone to hold up against saltwater, and to my understanding, all flagstone flakes. It's the nature of the stone. Plus the Sahara is the color I wanted.
-The scuppers are not centered on the wall and don't have even spacing. We have 24" pedestals on each end and a 9' section in the middle. Well, the 9' is actually about 9 1/2' or a little more. We have 4'6" to the center from one side and 4'10" to the center on the other side. There is a 4" difference in spacing between the scuppers as well. All of this was not apparent until they built the wall and placed them in the rock. They did this on Sat while I was working. Hubby sent me a picture and I could tell in the picture that it was off. Went home that evening and put a tape measure on it and sure enough!
We decided not to have them tear out the wall and just move on. No one else will know or care and, as I said, I'm over it.
Gutters were installed today! They look great and from what I can tell, looks to be a good job! Finally, something done right!
I texted PB when the gutter guys were done to ask about the rest of the schedule. No reply yet.
When these guys are done with the stone, I'll put up some additional pictures.
Headed to work!
We are at 2 weeks now of masonry work. Hoping they will finally finish today! Overall, it looks ok. Not exactly what I had planned or envisioned but, at this point, I'm just over this build and want this all to end and these people to go away.
-We didn't end up with the correct percentage of stone mixture (50% of the large white-ish stone, 50% equal mix of the brown and gray-brown stone).
-Rather than random placement of the larger white-ish stones, there is a distinct up down pattern that reminds me of polka dots. It wasn't very apparent to me on the spa at first, but now that the wall and firepit are done, I can really see it.
- We ended up agreeing to a cut edge on all of the flagstone cap instead of a chiseled edge. The head mason claimed the flagstone I chose was too difficult to do that to because it flakes and they would go through lots of stone, the stone is expensive and it would cost him a lot more $$. The cut edge is ok. I don't hate it. I would have preferred the chiseled edge. But, I don't understand why it would cost HIM more $$...I didn't pay an up charge for it. The Sahara flagstone is what was recommended to me at the stone yard as being the hardest and best flagstone to hold up against saltwater, and to my understanding, all flagstone flakes. It's the nature of the stone. Plus the Sahara is the color I wanted.
-The scuppers are not centered on the wall and don't have even spacing. We have 24" pedestals on each end and a 9' section in the middle. Well, the 9' is actually about 9 1/2' or a little more. We have 4'6" to the center from one side and 4'10" to the center on the other side. There is a 4" difference in spacing between the scuppers as well. All of this was not apparent until they built the wall and placed them in the rock. They did this on Sat while I was working. Hubby sent me a picture and I could tell in the picture that it was off. Went home that evening and put a tape measure on it and sure enough!
We decided not to have them tear out the wall and just move on. No one else will know or care and, as I said, I'm over it.
Gutters were installed today! They look great and from what I can tell, looks to be a good job! Finally, something done right!
I texted PB when the gutter guys were done to ask about the rest of the schedule. No reply yet.
When these guys are done with the stone, I'll put up some additional pictures.
Headed to work!
Bummer that you're having issues at the end. I'd have to have them fixed as lack of symmetry is something that really bugs me. That's one of the reasons we went free form. If we had a geometric shape it would have to have absolute symmetry or I'd just spend all my time staring at the asymmetric parts. I'm an engineer though and we're a special lot.
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