John Sayers' Recording Studio Design Forum Archive

Thanks so much Rod, both for the condolences and for the blessing on the concrete forms!

You know, it's all your fault that I'm doing this concrete stuff! Remember?

Seriously... It means a lot to have your "thumbs up" -- even moreso now that you're on the verge of being all famous and stuff. Thanks for staying tuned into my project.

--Keith

OK, I just took some measurements for the supplemental crushed rock that is still needed.

• Field (not counting perimter) is about 7' x 14' with an average depth of 10". For the concrete to be no less than 6" thick, I need 4" in this area. 7' x 14' x 4" = 32⅔ cubic feet.
• The front area is about 2' x 11' with an average depth of 14". For the concrete to be no less than 9" thick, I need 5" in this area. 2' x 11' x 5" = ~9 cubic feet.
• The side area is about 1' x 9' with an average depth of 14". For the concrete to be no less than 9" thick, I need 5" in this area. 1' x 9' x 5" = ~4 cubic feet.

That's a total of about 45½ cubic feet, or about 1⅔ cubic yards. I'll probably get 2 yards as I'll probably lose some volume when it's compacted, and it's better to have more than enough.

Plus, I like round numbers!

I just did the math, and 2 cubic yards of crushed granite is about 5,000 pounds -- now I'm definitely looking at having having that professionally delivered -- so much for the "friend with pickup truck" idea!

Althouuuuugh, maybe I'll rent a Saturn Ion again...

I'll probably go through these guys...



I dealt with them years ago when we redid our front yard.

--Keith

I stopped by Hastie's in West Sacramento this morning on my way to work. 2 yards of crushed rock will be delivered to my driveway on Saturday for about $105, which includes a contractor's discount that I was able to finagle by saying "I pulled permits and I'm acting as my own general contractor."

That compares to $45 per yard at the rental place which did not include delivery.

Sharward = Happy Camper!

For now anyway -- I may not be so happy while moving about two and a half tons of rock!

--Keith

Its not that bad, I moved 22.

Wow, what a crazy four days it has been!

Seeing Dream Theater perform in three California cities, driving in heavy rains, hail, and a bit of snow over the Tejon Pass, hanging with a dear friend from my high school days -- then having to move rocks!!

I even had the fortune of catching the band as they were exiting the bus at the venue in Hollywood -- I gave each of them a custom 2 1/4" button showing a montage of photos of everyone in the band (past and present) and each signed my shirt!

I'm probably coming across like a teenage girl, but I don't care -- these guys are my idols musicwise!

The shows were unfreakinbelievable and worth every dollar spent and mile driven.

I feel so sorry for the 2,100 heartbroken fans in or traveling to Salt Lake City whose stop on the tour was canceled due to weather.

Anyway, here's a shot of me looking like a dork in Anaheim...



Here is a fascinating series of pictures of rocks and my state of the art wheel ramp system. I moved enough rocks to be able to pull the cars in and out without having to juggle them.

Dream Theater kicks major ass! John Petrucci is a king on guitar. Amazing stuff. I also love the fact they cove albums from start to finish, They covered Metallicas Master of Puppets album and Dark Side of the Moon. If I had some cash Id but the Met cover CD they sell

I gotta grab more of their stuff, I've worn out the three CD's I have... Steve

Progress!! The rock base is in place for the main pour and it has been tamped manually with the 10"x10" tamper. Thre's room for 6" of concrete throughout the main area and 12" along the edges.

I talked to my concrete guy yesterday -- he's agreeable to doing the rebar work. We'll see how much money that will cost me.

He's also planning to visit me during rainy weather so he can see first hand my handiwork. I hope to get a firmer estimate from him at that time.

More compaction needs to be done -- I was planning to use a plate compactor... But I think I'll wait and see what my concrete guy has to say because he may have one and maybe he can do it on the same day he does the rebar.

I'm thinking that April will be the month I will see a slab!

--Keith

Keith,
Maybe I missed it a couple of thousand posts ago but what is going in that big gap between the old slab and the new slab???

..db

More reinforced concrete! But that will be a separate pour.

There will be a gap of a couple of inches between the main slab and the L-shaped area at the north end and northwest corner.

Good news -- I just met with the concrete guy (Victor). He gave me his "thumbs up" on the forms and he will be running some calculations over the weekend. He has access to a plate compactor and is able to do that as well.

Assuming the pricing is reasonable, here's the plan:

• On "day one" he will compact the base with a plate compactor, line everything with plastic, and set the rebar.
• On "day two" I will have the city inspect the forms and (hopefully) sign off on them.
• On "day three" he will have six bag ready mix concrete with fiber mesh delivered, wheelbarrow it into place, screed, and finish the surface. He'll also set J-bolts for me at that time.

Note that these days are probably not going to be consecutive. The concrete guy will probably do my job when it's raining, since he's somewhat behind on his other jobs due to weather delays.

It's dangerously getting close to slab time!!

--Keith

i'm excited for you dude ... after that's done, only a little more work to do

seriously, hopefully the rest of the project will at least SEEM to go faster. i want to see some stud walls going up

I too am hoping that once I've dislodged myself from slabness related work that things will move along more quickly.

However, I've really mellowed out about maintaining a schedule. I'm very laid back about completing it. I'll get done when it gets done -- no sooner, no later. People ask if it'll be done before summer, and I just shrug my shoulders anymore!

I still recall when I wanted to be done before Christmas 2004!

Thanks for the enthusiasm, Dan -- I can always count on my favorite cheerleader!

--Keith

6-sack mix, huh? Man, I didn't think ANYONE did that anymore without arm-twisting; had to threaten my guy before he agreed. Cool... Steve

BTW, your concrete may look a bit "hairy" after it's cured, but it will wear off; it's just the fibers not all laid down. Mine's so smooth now you can't even tell the stuff's in there.