The hillside out front had a collapsed stone wall and a broken pillar that had been there for years. I tore out the bad sections, mixed Type S mortar, and rebuilt the wall and steps stone by stone. Then I brought in pallets of Cambridge Armortec and laid out a flagstone patio with a fire pit overlooking the lake. Built a tall side table from butcher block and pressure-treated to fit the patio scale.
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Before Started with this. Collapsed wall, leaning pillar, brush growing up through it.
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Before Wall beside the steps was failing. Mortar gone, stones loose. Had to come apart and go back together.
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Before Pallets of Cambridge Armortec dropped in the driveway. Mocked up the patio layout in my head from here.
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During Mixing Sakrete Type S in five-gallon buckets. Small batches so it didn't set on me.
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During Steps and wall going back up with fresh mortar. Pavers stacked for the patio next.
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During Looking down on the patio mid-build from an upstairs window. Stacked stone borders going in.
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During Patio surface coming in. Stump still there to deal with, fieldstone stacked for placement.
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During Patio with the stone wall, fire pit, and the lake right across the road.
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After Built a tall side table with a butcher-block top and pressure-treated legs to fit the patio scale.
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After Retaining wall and stairs done. Mulched yard cleaned up around it.
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After Tiered dry-stack walls and steps coming up the hill. This used to be a rubble pile.
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After House and stacked stone wall together. The whole front of the property reads as one piece now.
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Before Slate and block staged on the existing patio so I could dry-fit before mortaring the new wall.
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Before Marked-up planning shot for the new wall — locked in stair and wall locations before laying any stone.
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During Sakrete, bucket, and trowel ready for the next stretch of stone wall at Mohawk.
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During Granite block on the pallet beside the partially built wall. Leftover stone for the next section.
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