That sinking feeling...

r896neo · Post: # 96518Post **r896neo** Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:59 pm

Got that sinking feeling today as i was priming some concrete steps in preparation to be over laid with pavers.

I had mixed up a quarter bucket of sbr and cement to prime them only to set it down and watch in slow motion as it tipped over and completely emptied down the sloping shared driveway behind me.

Spent an hour hosing and brushing.....

Mon Mar 24, 2014 10:14 pm

ouch!
we have all been there
LLL

Post: # 96528Post **Tony McC** Tue Mar 25, 2014 10:56 am

Isn't it strange how time seems to slow down and stretch out as soon as you realise a bollock has been dropped, and the whole disaster plays out in slow motion as you impotently stare and watch with a mouth agape.

Awful feeling!

Nigel Walker · Post: # 96537Post **Nigel Walker** Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:40 pm

A few weeks ago, I was putting the finishing touches to a drive. All that was left to do was joint the kerbs on all the steps we had built. The steps were constructed with Marshalls Tegula Kerbs laid with 10mm joints. The joints had been raked back to allow for a 10-15mm fill of Black Dyed Mortar. There were 2 steps at the front door, 1 at the side door and 6 on the patio. Total joints of 130 No. The bad weather had meant that we could not get them done before laying of paving, so we laid all the paving and managed to get it compacted and sanded
Started jointing at 8.30 am with the weather forecasting sunny all day - no chance of rain. Just got the last joint striked and brushed, I stood back to admire my work and then.......big clap of thunder and within 30 seconds torrential rain. I stood and watched as black dyed mortar was running all over the newly laid paving.
Like Tony said, it was in slow motion. No chance of covering up or doing anything.
The black dye was everywhere, even going over the Aco Channels and all over the road !
I must admit, this was the first time I had cried since banging my thumb with a 14lb hammer !
Anyway, we decided there was not much we could do and I was very pi**ed off, so we went home at 1pm.
Returned following day to a nightmare. It took us 5 hours to clean up. Luckily there was that much rain that the cement had been diluted to the point where it didn't permantly mark the paving.
The UPVC door had black staining 4ft up !!
We then waited 2 weeks before the forecast was good enough to do it again.
These things happen now and again - That's life !!

Tue Mar 25, 2014 4:54 pm

dont you find that dye always fades to charcoal grey nigel?
i have used water based and pigments a lot in the past and 18 months later its like it never happened
LLL

Nigel Walker · Post: # 96541Post **Nigel Walker** Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:38 pm

LLL
The black dye does dry lighter. We make it quite strong so when it drys it is more the colour of the Pennant Grey kerbs. The liquid dye does dry darker than the powdered stuff but is a bugger for staining whilst using it

Latest job with steps, I have used Marshalls Drivesett kerbs and used neat SBR and cement slurry to brush the sides and laid the kerbs tight together with no joint. Looks great, extremely strong and no chance of mortar staining !!

Tue Mar 25, 2014 6:42 pm

I have some steps soon with about 60 trad teg kerbs
will just lay with 3:1 mortar,with penant grey I agree the dye will weather to the same colour

LLL

Post: # 96581Post **Tony McC** Wed Mar 26, 2014 11:40 am

On a step where the client insisted on dark grey joints between the granite risers, I managed to get one of the resin mortars to stay in place.

Lovely clean job and no fade risk!

Post: # 96652Post **seanandruby** Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:47 am

Sorry but i had to laugh as memories of my balls ups come to mind. As lll says...we've all been there :p

DNgroundworks · Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:30 pm

If i ever need a dark coloured mortar i just pick up a bag or two of easipoint, isnt that easier?

DNgroundworks · Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:32 pm

I also used GFTK alot last summer on steps and risers etc, i used 'buffalo' tape on the risers sticks miles better than the standard duct tape.

r896neo · Post: # 96712Post **r896neo** Sat Mar 29, 2014 2:25 pm

I must have taken clumsy pills as the carnage continues....

Yesterday when loading a skip at the top of my ramp my phone fell out a hole in my pocket bounced off the ramp and into a road gulley. I burst out laughing and then got my long arm drain gloves and retrieved it. thanfully my gadget arm was just long enough to reach and fish it out of the stinking water.

Here is a photo of the calamitous setup and the drain in question

Fair play to samsung the phone still works despite being fully submerged for a couple of minutes, but is a little cloudy...

Post: # 96714Post **seanandruby** Sat Mar 29, 2014 5:22 pm

on days like that it's best to shut up shop and head for the nearest boozer :;):

Post: # 96765Post **Tony McC** Mon Mar 31, 2014 10:51 am

Oh, that gully should be covered over, if only to keep out the inevitable shite that will spill from the skip and the stored materials.

I've lost count of the number of jobs where a client has complained because the "drains have stopped working" only to find a gully or chamber half-filled with sand or excavation spoil that could so easily have been prevented with a bit of visqueen trapped between grating and gully-pot.