Another Brick in the Bin!

Our backyard garden was the plan for this summer's project for me to work on.  I finally got around to it in Sept after all the other busy-ness stuff was completed. I was free to tackle the eyesore, and replacing it with something more proper and meant for this purpose.

The previous owner was resourceful.  He reused what he had on hand.  The problem with bricks is that they are a sponge for moisture. And all that moisture it retains, freezes causing it to eventually crumble.  For the entire time we have lived here, I've watched this brick deteriorate.  I tried patching it as parts fell off.  But it was well past the best before date. 

It actually needed more than TLC, it needed to get removed and replaced.  The other issue with bricks is that it's heavy. The clean up and disposal took some effort.   After a buddy helped me source these blocks, I was able to begin the work to redo the garden.

Bit by bit, one day at a time, I managed to take it all down, dispose of it and prep the footings to lay the new blocks down.

I have never seen a product like this.  It's not what I was thinking, but it's a great system.  After looking a some products on line there are other stone systems that help landscapers can turn a ghetto backyard into a Cesar's Palace in a fraction of the time.  It's amazing.  

I didn't know the name of this product we picked up, I was trying to figure out how I should install them.  I didn't want to do it wrong and I'm so thankful to an architect buddy, who found out for me what product it was in an instant!  He even sent me the installation instructions for it.  The corners are done using a plastic insert to connect the fascia stone to the cement block.  It's so clever.

Since we picked up these blocks as leftovers from a house job site that had to purchase a skid of them for their retaining wall project.  I couldn't find where to purchase the plastic pieces, so I designed & printed my own, based on what I saw in the install video. I only needed 3.   It took me a few designs to arrive at the one that worked the best.

Weather has been summer like, but Fall was here and Winter won't be far behind.  I didn't want the broken brick to be sitting in the driveway and I didn't want to be working on this in the cold.  So whenever I was home, I worked on it a bit.  It didn't take long to remove all the bricks from where they were set in, but getting rid of them took some time.  I disposed of it here and there, little by little.   

Most of it in a bin.  Getting it to the bin in the car took a few trips. And getting it in the car took longer than getting out!  But thankfully it's all gone!

Next was installing the blocks.  Mixing cement takes effort.  I'm not a bricklayer, when I see those guys set up a wall.  My hats off to their skill.  This was dusty and laborious work. I was able to get it all the blocks cut and laid down in a day.   I had ordered the remaining 18 cap blocks I needed to complete the garden wall, so I could focus on just the caps and wanted the space to be clear for cutting the corner pieces.

The other challenge I had with this product was that it comes in 2 beige versions.  Which one was this? They both looked like it could this one or that.  I had to bring it a piece in to ensure I ordered the same caps as I had.  Good thing, since from the photo I could not be 100% certain and would have ordered the wrong set of caps. 

After many years of dealing with crumbling bricks.  We have a nice clean garden.  We are down to a few small projects left to do in our home.  It's a nice feeling.  I cannot wait til we are done.  But then I'm thinking.  What will I do?   I know.  I can chill-ax.