Let there be light!

Covid 19 project

Since there was plenty of time at home during the pandemic, I decided to finally finish our fire pit and patio area. Here are a few photos of the project and end result.

Fall 2013

When we built the house we knew that we would eventually complete the landscaping over a number of years.  Instead of planting things on the west side of the house next to our fountain, we decided to go whole hog.  We moved the fountain near the front of the house, installed a stone walkway to get to the fountain and street, and built a fire where the fountain used to be.  Turns out that installing an underground natural gas line requires a bit more effort that a wood burning pit.

We first moved the fountain, then the real work began.  The fountain we chose to install is cut out of a 7,000 pound flat stone that matches the six retaining walls surrounding the house.  The plan required a level surface, which took two weeks of digging and leveling the area.  Then we dug 6" deeper an filled the area with a bed liner for root control and gravel for stability and fireproofing, and two conduit lines, one for electrical and another for the gas beneath.

We moved all the dirt to the property line to create a more secluded area and partial wind break.  Then we moved the stone in place.  We should have used a track hoe but did not have the necessary space so we used a heavy duty bobcat.  OSHA would be proud. Okay, maybe not.  Moving the stone into the correct location took a while, especially getting it level.

The next step was laying two inch flagstones as a floor.  Some of the stones weighed over 100 pounds so it was tough work.  Finally we built a retaining wall around the new pit to increase the secluded feel and actually retain the dirt pile, which will be landscaped next spring.

BBQ is finally finished

BBQ

We are installing an outdoor BBQ just outside our kitchen.  When we built the house we had a natural gas line hookup right under the new BBQ.  I built the frame out of metal because of the fire code.  The granite countertop was set in place yesterday and is the same granite that we used in the kitchen.  When I had the granite folks come out to measure the template I was shocked.  I assumed they would measure with a tape and pencil in a drawing.  They put up a laser on a tripod, and using a palm pilot they measured dozens of times with a small reflector.  Once done, they told the palm to compute and an exact drawing appeared on the palm.  They used this at the shop to print a life size scale on vinyl, then stuck the vinyl to the granite and cut it, then polished it.  The fit is absolutely perfect.

The next phase is to install stacked stone that matches the house on the front of the BBQ.  

We're finally finishing the terracing work on the eastern side of the house. Here is a dump truck, one of 100 delivering fill dirt. We will build tow retain walls (I think) using the rocks in the photos.

Awesome dudes