1615 Chaps Way in Steamboat Springs

  The thermometer has dropped to single digits, so inside work is in order. Painting in the garage. Hardware for pocket doors.

  Yesterday's gorgeous sunshine has given way to a cloudy and cool day (storm coming).  Time for the final finishes on the concrete. The chemical treatment on the stairs left a fine crust.  Nelson cleans it away with the power washer, to reveal the exposed aggregate finish. Even the vertical risers have the aggregate exposed. Once again, the chemical treatment has worked its magic. On the driveway, Stein finds the imprint of an aspen leaf. Because the driveway was poured in two sections, there is a traditional expansion edge between the two. Stein and Nelson lay the lines for the expansion grooves on the rest of the driveway. And Stein cuts the grooves with a diamond-tipped blade.

  Pouring the concrete is the easy part.  Then it must be finished. Fresh concrete on the steps.  It takes a couple of hours for the initial set. As the mix hardens, Nelson and Jaime work it with trowels.      Nelson unfastens the framing boards. Jaime works the vertical face. Once the concrete is worked in and set up, Nelson applies the finishing coat to expose the aggregate. The steps will sit overnight. The process is then repeated on the driveway. Stein and Jarle use the bullnose to smooth out the pour. Jaime and Nelson work the edges. Stein, Luis and Jaime hand-work the concrete as it hardens. Finally, Jarle applies the broom finish.

  Once the front steps have been framed, the electrical conduit for the outdoor lighting is installed. The bollard lights will illuminate the walkway. The electrical boxes are for the stair lights. Late in the afternoon, Rocky Mountain Metal arrived to deliver the sheets for the standing seam metal roofs. The 40+ foot long sheets are fabricated on site. Then Nelson, Luis and Jaime carry them over to the adjacent lot, where they are stacked temporarily until installation.

Stein and Nelson set the first 2x4 in place to frame the top landing. Then Jarle and Stein traced the outline for the top steps. Jarle brought over the skid steer to dig out space for the middle landing. The ground is pretty hard. Top three steps. Framing the outsides of the steps. Nelson pounds in the stakes to hold the framing in place. Ready for the foam insulation, the snowmelt tubing and the rebar.  

  WIth all the styrofoam insulation down, the tubing for the snowmelt has been laid down. The tubing is stapled to the styrofoam for now, but will be imbedded in the concrete. Next step will be the rebar.

  It's Indian Summer in Steamboat Springs, and outside Stein and Nelson are framing the driveway to prepare to pour concrete next week. The elegant curve on the west side tapers the driveway to the 24-foot maximum width at the alley. Once the driveway edges are framed, the styrofoam insulation is laid down. Inside, the plasterers tape the drywall joints.   First, the tape and joint compound are laid over the open joint. Then a large putty knife is used to flatten the tape and fill the open joint with the compound. Once the joint compound dries, the walls are ready for plaster.

  After a cool night, the plastic comes off and the patios are washed down. To reveal the exposed aggregate.  (Note the gas line for the firepit.) Nelson is cutting the expansion groove on the hot tub patio.  (Note the electric line through the slab.)

  It's hard to get concrete these days in Steamboat Springs.  Stein turned to Peak Concrete, but the truck couldn't arrive until the afternoon, and even then it was an hour late.  With time running short, efficient pours were critical. The truck was able to back into the lot and use the long chute. Stein and Nelson waiting. The mix came out thick and stiff -- the better to set up more quickly. Luis uses a screed to smooth the wet concrete while Jaime gets ready to trowel the edges. In addition to the front patio for the hot tub, there are two small patios on the north side. This time, the concrete is poured into the skidsteer, and Nelson dumps it in place. Stein takes charge here. After the concrete begins to set up, Luis and Jaime go back over every inch with their trowels. Jarle puts an edge on the new pad. The last step is to spray the chemical abrasive back over the concrete to expose the aggregate. Finally, cover it all with plastic to keep the moisture in while the ...