Cart-Away®

Stamped Concrete

If you are considering using stamped concrete on your next landscaping project, you should bone up on the subject a bit before jumping into the mud (concrete guy’s term for ‘concrete’).

The very best way to do this is to go to the World of Concrete in Las Vegas.  I know.  You are laughing.  World of Concrete?  Yes.  It is the leading edge of everything that has to do with concrete and you will be amazed.  I invited my sister to attend one year when it was held in Orlando, nearer her Florida home.  She was blown away by the counter tops, the stamped patios, and the color.  She was going to just drop into the show and do her little brother a favor by saying how nice it was.  She stayed the whole day.  Over 75,000 people go to this trade show each year.  If it is new and has to do with concrete, it is happening at the World of Concrete.

 

Stamped concrete is a project for advanced do-it-yourselfers.  You really need to talk with contractors, get prices, weigh the savings vs. the risks and labor of doing it yourself. 

 

I can’t vouch for or recommend the company, but I have to send you to http://www.concreteforever.com/ to see a wonderful gallery of concrete stamping and color jobs.  Just click on the thumbnails to see more detail.

 

The following two articles should give you the confidence to attempt a stamped concrete job:   http://www.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/stamping-concretedo-it-yourself-and-save-money-468720.html  (if you use a cart-away trailer rather than a readymix truck, you have better control over your color)   and   http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080330130224AAN30RShttp://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080330130224AAN30RS   (not too much info but a good start at some of the things you need to do)

 

This article covers everything from stamped concrete to overlays to color to stencils:

http://www.extremehowto.com/xh/article.asp?article_id=60181

 

One good resource with a nice chapter on stamped concrete is from Sunset, “Complete Masonry Book.”  Look for it at your library or you can get it at most booksellers and home improvement stores (Amazon link - http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Masonry-Techniques-Decorative-Materials/dp/0376015950/ref=si3_rdr_bb_product)

 

What ever you do, be sure to look at lots of stamped concrete projects, find out who did them and talk with those people.  Done right, stamped concrete looks great and lasts as well as any surface.

Lawn Tips - water wasters

Our local waste agency, Yamhill County Solid Waste, recently sent out a "Renewsletter" with lists of resources and lots of tips for preventing waste and preerving environmental quality.  Among those tips were tips on saving water with regards to lawns.  Lawns take far more water than most crops.  They also use far more chemicals than most farmers use for a similar space.  The end result is lots of water carrying lots of chemicals off the lawn and into storm drains - not a good situation.  It also wastes water,the most used commodity on earth and one of which there is a limited supply.  Here are the tips:

1. Raise Blades.  Keeping your mower blade at three to four inches high allows your grass to grow deeper roots to compete better with weeds.  It allows you to water less because it has better temperature tolerance.  It also prevents erosion.

2. Grasscycle.  Leave your clippings on the lawn to nourish the soil.  It is a natural fertilizer and helps the lawn retain moisture.

3. Sharpen your lawnmower blades.  Sharp blade make clean cuts.  Your lawn will look better (no brown tips) and it will stressed less.

4. Clean up.  Fertilizers and other waste should be cleaned up so they don't end up in the storm sewer system.

5.  Me Moderate.  Don't apply fertilizers and other phosphorous-containing materials unless the lawn needs it.  Consult a local expert.

6. Leave clover.  Clover is a helpful nitrogen fixer.  It helps create a dense turf.

7. Water smart.  Water only when necessary.  Deep soak to help develop root structure.Water in the cool part of the day to avoid evaporation (late night or early morning).

For more information on this subject, I recommend the following sites:

http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/lawn/

http://www.bewatersmart.net/

http://www.lawn-care-tips.com/watering.html

Landscaping/Blogging - What's the Connection?

As you can tell from the many posts regarding BlogWorld, this blog has strayed from its purpose for a few weeks while we have let the BlogWorld Experience sink in.

What lessons did we learn at Blogworld that will inform us and our readers about things connected with hardscaping, landscaping, concrete projects and the Cart-Away Supply franchise?

Blogs are amazing forums.  You can discuss with experts and amateurs alike any and all questions that you have regarding your next project in your yard or the next contract you have to design and build a new patio for a client.  You can ask a question and get answers from all over the world.  

Blogs create communities.  I may have a passion for practical planning and preparation prior to tackling a landscaping project.  Their might ot be another person like me in my local area.  However, I might find twenty like minded souls via my blog.  We can discuss matters near and dear to our hearts and build a supportive, informative community.  

Faith Popcorn, the trend spotting guru suggests that "clanning" is a major future trend.  People will look to join communities of people like themselves whether by hobbies, professions, or other similarities of thought or history.  As people have retreated to their homes and become more isolated, they are looking for outlets to share their histories, their passions, to be connected.  TV does not listen or respond to you. The internet, especially through affinity blogs has that feature: it talks back.

In the next weeks, I will attempt to post more often and about subjects of interest to you.

Do you have a topic you want to discuss?  Hit the comment button and make a suggestion.