Tuesday, June 12, 2012

90 Degrees? Time for Hard Labor.

I have a knack for planning hard labor when the barometer rises....last week, I managed to schedule a sidewalk demolition and rebuilding for the hottest week of the year so far. Go me!

For years, the sidewalk leading from my driveway to my side door has been in serious disrepair. The first winter I lived at my house, my "eco-friendly" ice melt also managed to start melting my concrete. Once the process started it couldn't be stopped. A little bit like the Wicked Witch of the West.



You can see how all the rocks are coming up, its losing its....I dunno...concreteness? Does that make sense?


So, I did what any self-respecting Single-Female Homeowner would do. I called my dad. I said, hey dad, you know my concrete thats melting? Should I rent a jack-hammer? I think he was slightly afraid of the glee in my voice and quickly vetoed that idea and suggested a sledgehammer instead. I said to him, but daaaaaddddd, I don' think I have the brute strength for a sledgehammer. Trust me, I did whine several times throughou this entire process abou not getting to use a jackhammer. So, Dad got a sledgehammer and some other tools to use with it that I don't know the names of and we broke up some concrete on a beautiful summers day. It actually was pretty simple, once we got going and could get some leverage under the pieces.


No more concrete!

Oh, right...except for over on that giant pile...


Luckily my local handyman (dad) is also my local hauler and took it to the dump forthwith. Only $10 (which I still haven't paid him for....)

Next up...hole digging! We had to go about 7 inches down for the base, the sand and the pavers.

Lucky for you, there aren't any pictures of the hole digging. Let me give you an image. Me. Sun. Sweat. Sun burn. Shovel. Dirt. Very exciting, I know.

Day 3, time for the good stuff. I called in reinforcements. This time, lucky for me, my brother Carl let slip that he was going to be in town that evening so I called in in to duty. The man is a master. Not only did he do some master cuts with the asphalt saw (dudes, I rented an asphalt saw and CUT THE DRIVEWAY) he shoveled concrete like nobodies business. He had the hole filled in about 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure I didn't really need to be there at all.


They're such good workers! I'll keep em! (PS, isn't my Dad's new truck big pimpin'?)

Carl also manned the plate compactor. He got a little giddy when he started that bad boy up.

Work work work....all day long....


Until finally.....

So pretty!