Chip and Clada Self-Portrait

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                                   Building Our House in the Caribbean

                                                                  Step 52 - Constructing the Apartment Patio and Steps
         
                                Pavers                    Zuni on gravel
                  
We bought Turkish marble pavers in Miami.                  Next we had the first load of gravel delivered.
  patiot prep2  patio prep3  patio prep5
  We had to remove so much top soil using a pick axe and shovel...much more than we anticipated...over a foot in some areas.          

 patio prep4  We put down fabric and then tamped gravel down.  This is the pumproom landing.

           Pavers laid in front of pumproom
pavers laid in front of pumproom2pavers laid in front of pumproom4
          Then we put down more fabric with sand on top of it, screeded and leveled.  We used the transit to ensure a good slope.


     Chip loves the tile saw, but isn't fond of the curved cuts on the pavers     
Chip loves tile saw

                    pavers sprayed  pavers swept  irrigation lines
                         Chip sprayed the pavers and raked sand into the joints.     Irrigations lines had to be run under the steps.

   
Chip tampers stepsSteps1Steps2
               Steps3steps4
Steps done
      Constructing the steps was time-consuming.  Chip thought he was experiencing "groundhog day" because they went on and on.

                    manspace irrigation lines 
manspace irrigation lines2  patio irrigation 
                            We had to installed electric and irrigation lines in multiple locations.  Everything was dug by hand.


chip and glenmore in pumproom  Glenmore installed the wiring in the pumproom so we were watering with drippers

Chip handles rafters    gravel installed
top soil removed2
         Chip moved lots of timbers.                  Then the process is repeated...removing top soil and filling in with gravel.

      gravel installed2Zuni on new gravel pilegraveled tampered
          After watching Chip hand tamp the gravel all day, Clada got the bright idea to rent a plate vibrator and the gravel
                                              prep step was completed in one day for both upper patios.

                                 happy clada  Clada is one happy camper with that day's progress.

                  sand goes downsand rakedsand raked2
                                                  sand tamped2
zuni loves the project2
Chip shoveled, raked, and tamped lots of sand.  We used the leftover sand from last year's plastering job.   Zuni loved this phase of the project.

                                                                  Downstair pavers finished
                                                                    The stairway looks great from the upstairs patio.


   more pavers2  more gravel2  more pavers3
               Chip was really motivated to get this first large patio done...but you can only work so long on your knees.
     This project, including the lower landing and stairway, took from March - June 09, and we still have 2 phases to go!
 


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