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  • From: "Gaden@ziplip.com" <Gaden@ziplip.com>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Stained Urbanite
  • Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2003 20:02:19 -0700 (PDT)

Re: Ingrid's - Construction of garden retaining wall from broken patio
concrete.


Had you considered using a rock-making technique instead of staining? This
isn't intended to be detailed instructions but an overview.

You break up your concrete into managable chunks. Place them onsite in a
rough shape of the desired result. Add any other building rubble like brick
pieces, empty bottles etc. to fill in the gaps. Less gaps, less concrete
needed.

Handfulls of concrete mix used to roughly bond the chunky bits together.
Chicken wire is moulded over the aggregate to a rock-like shape (or cliff, or
waterfall, or cave, or boulder shapes). The wire moulding is firmly wired or
twisted under some of the rubble.

A dryish high sand concrete mix is slapped over the mesh and worked into the
shape. Old paintbrushes, files etc (any firm edge really) is then used to
carve/shape into natural rock finish. Creative license to hack and smooth
into natural appearing imperfect forms.

Final stage is the use of coarse sand and cement pigments to age-stain and
finish the surface of the project. There is quite a range of powdered cement
pigments available. It depends on what you want the final 'rock' to look like
- weathered light sandstone, dark mossy granite etc. The powdered pigments
are basicly flung onto the still moist concrete in random patterns and shadow
lines to approximate the look of moss, algae, lichens etc. The old paintbrush
is used to smooth in the colours together as desired.

Hope I've explained that okay. It is a cheap useful method for using up old
rubble, and other collected junk such as bottles etc. It is surprisingly easy
to get a good result. And you can be as detailed and creative as you wish. In
a sense, the rougher you are, the more natural looking the finish. Makes a
good family project as it is chunky and hard to muck it up.

There are several good videos on this topic that give you good step by step
instructions. Afterwards, you can use the yoghurt method for encouraging the
natural growth of lichens etc. Or if moist enough, mosses.





  • [permaculture] Stained Urbanite, Gaden@ziplip.com, 06/23/2003

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