OK, that's it! I am sick and tired of hiring useless people who don't know a thing they are doing! I mean, just because you are holding a hammer in your hand, doesn't make you a carpenter. Similarly, wielding around a mason's trowel doesn't make you an expert in construction either. But unfortunately, you can't tell a person's lack of experience just by looking - So it often comes out too late, when you have already hired someone to get some cement work done... So after years of experiencing one type of disappointment after another - What is your solution??? My answer, is to simply do it yourself! Seriously, buy all the tools, as whatever you'll spend on the tools, you'll instantly get back from the savings you'll make by not hiring any labor... Anyway, I was tired of hauling heavy stuff on a few steps of stairs. May be once in a while, but still, moving a heavy plant container, or something heavy from the car, often took a lot out of me, (not physically, but mentally)... So I decided to make a concrete slope/ramp over the steps, thus ending the matter forever - As now I only have to unload everything from the car just once, and straight into the trolley! Which can easily go up or down these 2 ramps that I just built! I first created a mess with a sledgehammer, as I completely destroyed the steps which were already made over there. So on top of this I then created a new cement edge (so that the new ramp would be at a shallower angle). Best of all, I didn't get to see any stranger's butt-ugly face working in my yard, (and carelessly destroying all my plants). Yes it look longer, but I did it with complete peace of mind - And not even a single blade of grass was threatened! Anyway, these pictures are from the first slope/ramp.
yes S-H its always better if you can use your own skills to accomplish what you need done......and usually a lot cheaper! Very nice job on the ramp. I would be scared id mess the mix up or something hehe. Im sure you feel a lot better that no one was trashing any of your yard, i would. Best of all you can feel proud of your accomplishment!
I agree. Doing a job yourself ensures you get exactly what you want. You feel a sense of achievement too knowing that it's all your own work. Buying the tools for a job saves you money in the long run as you'll never have to buy them again for any other work that needs done. Well done!!
Awesome job S-H. I love fixing things by myself also, normally software related I think a lot of things can be fixed by consulting the Net. I find YouTube tutorials particularly awesome. Within reason of course - electrics are a no-no!
Very nice job. It is sometimes very difficult to get the idea of what you want across to someone else so doing it yourself can be the only option. And big footed clods can drive you crazy when you see how much you have to clean up or repair after they have been there.
Actually, it's very hard to get the mixture wrong - As long as you follow the simple rule of three-two-one... Where you mix 3 parts by volume of gravel (or small rock chips), with 2 parts by volume of fine sand, and finally add to this 1 part by volume of cement. Next you add water - And you instantly get the best concrete you can image, one that indeed will stand the test of time! I know, already I have saved so much on labor that the tool are now practically for free! And while working on this, I actually felt as if I was back in my childhood, watching Fraggle Rock TV show's Doozer construction taking place! Very true indeed, as today you can find a tutorial video of just about everything on YouTube. I actually like to watch all the cooking recipes (specially those of pizza), which people have uploaded on YouTube! Actually Toni, it's a bit more complicated here. As most of our cheap labor consists of illegal migrant workers from Afghanistan... Their own country has been in a state of war and infighting since the Soviets invaded (35+ years ago). So they usually cross over into Pakistan for a better life. Afghanistan hasn't even had any healthcare for decades now, (hence the spread of diseases like polio from Afghanistan into Pakistan). Also majority of them are very badly addicted to opium and heroin, (and to support this habit they often resort to stealing too). So I think you can now imagine the headaches... But on the plus side, they do make for extremely cheap workers. However they have absolutely no formal education, so if the job requires any higher level of skill, then they usually fall flat on their faces - But a lot before that, they first totally mess up your project, in a last ditch effort to cover up for their initial shortcomings, (and at the same time also succeed in destroying anything else nearby)... And on top of this there is also the language issue, as whatever they speak, very few can understand over here in southern Pakistan. Now to handle all of this, it is sometimes very easy to simply hire a construction contractor, who (instead of you) will then be constantly screaming and swearing at those workers. But in my entire life, I have NEVER come across a contractor who was honest... Have any of you??? Because truth be told, I have practically combed the entire world - And never found a single one who wasn't a habitual embezzler... So for this job, as it was a very small task - I decided to do it myself. Partly because I wanted to learn this skill, but mostly because I just didn't want to experience all those headaches again... Anyway, these pictures below are from the 2nd slope/ramp - Enjoy!!!
