Shopping and Building on a budget

Howdy ya’ll! 🤠 Welcome back. The Shop is purchased and now the slab has to be completed. 

Y'all remember the “cement chunks” from Chapter 1? Yes, I’m on a budget. LOL! Jose is my cement guy. He is willing to work with me. I will have to pay a fair price by the cubic yard. The lot seems pretty level. Hmmm seems. Well it's not. The slab has to be a minimum of 4” thick. Jose suggested 5” after I explained what I wanted to place on top of the slab and drill anchors. The elevation of the lot is sloping. I couldn't see it, but the levels do not lie. When Jose laid out the formwork, you could really see where the cement would go from 5 inches to 15 inches. Jose gave me a chance to fill the 10 inch difference and will only charge me for a 5 inch thick slab, 20x20, with a ¾” drop and 6 inch apron. Here comes my “cement chunks”. LOL! Why waste? Lets save money. I filled the gap by using those chunks and moved some soil in for filler. I don’t own a wheelbarrow, I do own a Gorilla work wagon that I purchased at Home Depot.

I have two 44 gallon trash cans that fit perfectly into my work wagon. Wheelbarrow, work wagon and even big trash cans can be purchased at any of my retailers including Amazon.

Jose is now ready to pour concrete.

The slab looks great! Full curing of the cement can take up to 28 days. I now have plenty of time to call Zach and schedule two consecutive days for the Shop to be installed. * In Chapter two, I mentioned, “whether you're a Texas guy like me or not, you may find my story interesting”. Well I called Zach out in North Carolina. Less than a week later, I received a call from a Steel Company in Joshua, Texas. Hmmmm . O.K…at least I’m receiving good communication. We scheduled the days and times. When it came for the first day of install, three Mexican American gentlemen showed up. Of course me being the conversationalist that I am…”where you fellas from?” I asked. They answered, “Dallas, Texas”. I asked, “not from Joshua?” “No Sir, Dallas.” they replied. 🤔 Hmmmm, “Sometimes, you just got to wonder”. Well, I let them work. See my pictures below.

It’s coming together.

See those bricks at the bottom of his ladder? Also to the left of his ladder? Those bricks will come in handy later on. Trust me, I’m thinking. 😂… “A dangerous pastime, I know.”

AWESOME!!! Came out exactly like I pictured. * I can see my next project being a “DRY pour slab” for the incline, driving up to the 10 foot roll up door. LOL! You can see the height of that slab. I did not expect the elevation, at that point, to be so high. Also, the side door will need an extension of the sidewalk. Remember those extra bricks? Trust me, I have a plan. So join me next time at the Duron Ranch for the rest of the story. Don’t forget to click on my LINKS, Tap the Like button, send feedback, ask questions and definitely Subscribe.

Lowe’s || Home Depot || GroundWork 4 cu. ft. 800 lb. Capacity Steel Utility Cart || AMAZON

See y'all soon! 🤠