Location: Clear Island Waters
Project Size: 17sqm

Our VERY patient client on this project was recommended to me by a work mate who said that if you need a fancy decorative finish, we are the guys to call! Always brilliant being recommended, we work hard for our reputation.

This one here is one of the smaller projects that we do, and to be honest, if it was a cold call, considering how busy we are at the moment, I probably would have passed the job onto another contractor. But on recommendation, even though our client had to wait over 6 weeks, I found some time in our schedule to complete the work.

Our client here is basically separating the home into two sections for bed and board purposes, so a new entrance way has been installed. Existing was also a lovely wet stencil job that had been completed many years ago, and is still today holding the true test of time, big thumbs up to the initial contractor.

However, there have been a couple of attempts at adding extensions at the rear of the property, which have both failed to hold colour and consistency. This is no fault of the other contractors installing, rather, today’s concrete just ain’t what it used to be, this is the reason we don’t use throw on colour anymore, because it just doesn’t hold together on the surface and soon wears through to plain grey concrete.

We talked with out client here about installing colour through concrete, separating this entrance from the other concrete deliberately to identify pathway from entrance. We also decided on a stipple finish, tooled concrete joints and highlighting the edges and joints along the way.

With everything dug out, we completely this one in a single day, chaired mesh throughout, starter dowels at entrance points and able flex against the wall.

Even though this is only a little one, these ones are still sweet when we get to play around with the finish and show our true skills as finishers.

We will return next week to seal the concrete surface, then at a later date to complete some more concreting up the side of the property.

Location: Tallai
Project Size: 121sqm

Our first meeting with our clients on this project revealed the front of this property to receive basically all the wash off water coming off the hill in front, as well as from behind a retaining wall, due to this being the low spot, when getting heavy rain, the area proceeded to flood, come up over the front decking and into the weep holes of the house, of course flooding the inside.

Originally our client was asking for all falls away from the house with a box drain at one end running the entire length of the concrete, being around 22m in length, by the time we got enough falls on a box drain, the whole slab would have been completely lop sided. So instead, we decided on a plan for a “wash bay” area by installing pit drains throughout the center of the slab, creating high spots in between and running all the water to the middle of the slab to be taken away through plumbing.

Usually on something like this we would use 250mm pit drains which as considered standard, however, with our clients request, we decided to install 450mm pits and plumb them away with 150mm storm water instead of the typical 100mm storm water. Basically just leaving no room for error, making sure the job was over done so as to not have to do it again.

So upon starting the project, we took the machine out there to initially complete the excavation, getting all the ground levels down roughly to where they should be, followed by digging out the trenches for the plumbing installation. With all the pits installed and plumbed in, the skillful machine contractor we had onsite managed to negotiate the area with a 5t excavator giving everything a fairly even sub-grade as he went, while filling the trenches back in.

With the ground and plumbing works complete, we returned the next day to install the formwork, along with the SL82 steel reinforcing, 16mm re-entry bars at the internal corners and of course any other fitting required before pouring.

The pour for this one was quite simple really,  we had spaced the pits out approximately 6m apart from each other and roughly 70mm down from the outside levels, so every 3m we would basically just create a level spot with the outside levels, then work around in a circle around the pits making sure it fell towards the pits from each 3m direction.

With the screeding done then the hard work really started.

We had to make some compromises on this one when it came down to our finishing, there were so many different aspects to consider that we gave it the “little bit of everything” approach.

Typically an area like this will work more effectively with saw cut control joints, but being that it was a colour through finish, and any cracking stands out like dogs balls in colour, tooled control joints were needed to be installed. This of course is usually not a problem, but given we were working with the house at our backs on one side and a retaining wall drop off on the other side, it got a bit tricky getting all the joints in, but we got there in the end.

With the finishing itself, colour always looks better with a smooth trowel finish, however it can be a bit slippery if we’re not careful with the finish not to polish the top. Given that it was an outdoor area that was primarily a drainage area that was to see a lot of water, we couldn’t go down this path, instead needing to give it a textured finish with enough grip so as no one will slip on it in the wet.

For this we have two options, either a broom or stipple finish, with the stipple not only giving a better texture, but also looking a bit neater than a broom, this option was of course chosen.

Now also take into consideration we had many storms around at the moment, and it was hot as hell with 14m.cub of coloured concrete on the ground from Hytec, that goes off like a bomb even in Winter, we certainly had our backs against the wall getting everything stippled out.

But we got there in the end, with everyone chipping in to chase the final 20sqm or so.

Overall this was an interesting project. One thing I love about the side of the industry I work in, is that every project seems a little different and has it’s own hurdles to overcome. Not only was drainage included in this one, but drainage this side is usually reserved for commercial carparks, and getting everything to not only look good, but work properly was a little bit of a challenge and in the end, mentally rewarding.

Quite literally the day after we poured, the rains finally came with around 100mm falling in a 24 hour period, with news of everything working as it should, we’re please to move on now to the next challenge.

Thank you as always to our client, your business is appreciated.

Location: Gilston
Project Size: 97sqm

Pricing this project up at the start of the house build, as typical, it took a few months before the time came around for us to start the work. Surprisingly enough though, the builders hand over date was spot on the money (highly unusual), so if anyone needs a recommendation, just let me know and I’ll pass on the details.

If you read my last update into the project archive, I ran off on a little tangent in regards to the new NBN that is going in everywhere and this project was no different. Facing a rather steep section from top of road into the garage, the client also had the NBN that had been installed, directly in the middle of where the driveway needed to go.

After chatting with NBN, it was then decided that we would work around it as their $3000 fee for moving it was out of reach for the client. What made this even more entertaining, was that it has been installed at the incorrect height for our council xOVer specifications, so after some lengthy conversations on the phone, it turns out NBN is going to have to return and lower the pit anyways (out of their own pockets at least).

We began the first day here just with the usual sub-grading and removing the concrete curbing, along with some boxing up of the first section. Lately, we have been breaking our colours pours down more into smaller sections, I do give the reason that we are making it look the best we can, but I fear we may also be getting a bit old and soft these days towards larger pours.

Coming back the second day, we installed the rear patio section along with the front door entry section (with falls to a pit drain). We also set in place the new box drain for in front of the garage all ready for new concrete the following day.

Having a pretty steep hill with multiple run offs to both drains, we decided the next day we would break that pour down as well, allowing ourselves enough space and time to get back for our control joints and proper finishing.

Having a days break then due to a rain day, we then return the following Monday to finish off the front of the xOver section and leave out client with a brand new, “Shadow” coloured driveway that will be all ready for sealing in a few weeks times.

Our client for this project was a tradesman himself, and it’s always a pleasure working with / for people with a good head on their shoulders as well. Very easy to deal with, recognised our quality of work, and helped make the whole setup a much easier experience than it can be sometimes working in such a difficult part of the industry.

For now I’m back doing some spraying for the rest of the week along with putting some exposed down on Friday if time permits.

Location: Mount Nathan
Project Size: 170sqm

We quoted this project over a year ago now as a rough estimate, then returning once it was nearing completion to finalise the pricing and details to go into it. Not much changed from the original quotation, just needing to add a pump to the cost to get all the concrete placed.

We began as always with the removal of the concrete curbing, followed by a full sub-grade of the areas for the new concrete to be placed. All the formwork was installed, followed by the steel reinforcing which was tied and chaired into the concrete, we were ready for some new concrete throughout.

The colour our clients chose was CCS Water Buffalo, which at first comes out a pretty strong brown tone, but once curing takes place over the next few days and the water dissapears from the concrete, the colour will tone back nicely to match the rest of the colours on this new house.

With the driveway being finished with trowel machine and the paths and rear alfresco hand finished, we had an early mark today being knocked off by 11am all stripped and ready to move onto the next one.

Thank you to our clients for not only getting us to price the work over a year ago, but making sure we were the contractor they called back to complete the work. Sometimes, getting an early price like that, some clients use that pricing to get a cheaper price somewhere else. It’s good to see people knowing the quality contractor they wish to use and sticking by their choice.

As always, your work was very appreciated and all the best with the finishing off of your lovely new home.