Terry Burns (u/burns.terry)

Posts

Question about driveway finishes in the new subdivision on Maple Street

In my neighborhood, they're building a bunch of houses on Maple Street. I've seen two crews using different ways to finish the driveways. One team uses power trowels because they say it's quick and gives a flat surface. The other team only uses hand floats, saying it helps them catch problems early. What do you think is the better method for this kind of job?

2 comments

c/community-tool-library•

burns.terry•1mo ago

Pro tip: verify the setting on shared tile cutters before starting a glass project

I was building a mosaic tray (got the idea from a DIY blog, of course). Borrowed the tile cutter from our tool library, all excited. Didn't realize it was set for thick ceramic, not my thin glass tiles. The first cut sounded like a popcorn machine gone wrong (my cat bolted under the couch). Now I have a messy tray that's kinda cool, actually.

2 comments

-1

c/dredge-operators•

burns.terry•1mo ago

Despite what the crew says, I think running the cutter head slow in thick mud is a mistake.

I mean, idk, but I've found that a higher rpm actually cuts cleaner and puts less strain on the whole system, maybe it's just me.

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

burns.terry•1mo ago

I traced the creek's algae bloom to our mortar washout

Recently, I was on a job site next to a small creek. We washed out our mixers and tools, letting the dirty water soak into the ground. Soon after, the creek was covered in thick green algae. A local environmental guy told me the lime in mortar adds phosphorus to water, causing algae blooms that kill fish. Now, I use a containment pit to catch all the washwater and let it settle before disposal. It takes a little extra time, but it stops the pollution. We all need to adopt this practice to protect our waterways. Ignoring this could lead to fines and harm our environment.

2 comments

Posts

Question about driveway finishes in the new subdivision on Maple Street

Pro tip: verify the setting on shared tile cutters before starting a glass project

Despite what the crew says, I think running the cutter head slow in thick mud is a mistake.

I traced the creek's algae bloom to our mortar washout

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