The late summer of 2020 saw the C Brannon Construction team working in the sunshine on a number of outdoor projects. Outdoor work, like decks, fences, sheds and planters were in BIG demand in Calgary as customers were looking for a little extra sanctuary in the wake of travel restrictions due to COVID-19.
So what does that have to do with stone work in the winter? Quite honestly, everything. One particular job with a major, elevated deck came in late, pushing the build into September and October, with our team finally getting into doing the cultured stone on the deck’s pillars in November. Doing masonry and stone work in cold weather presents a unique set of challenges, however the C Brannon team and our trade partners had no problems rising to the occasion.
We put together a YouTube video to highlight how we put together this project when Mother Nature was not working in our favour.
Like every job we do, it starts with setting yourself up for success. In this case, our team set up a bunch of tarps and scaffold (referred to as hoarding) in the areas we’d be laying down mortar and stone. The hoarding allowed us to keep the temperature at a much more consistent level and above 0 with the help of some propane heating. A consistent temperature ensures the mortar mixes and applies better.
Our team used Coronado Cultured Stone in the entire process, which is a fantastic product to work with.
For the extra challenges of cold weather stone work, the project still came out looking very clean and strong. We can’t wait to show you some updates once the landscaping and planting has been completed next spring!
Are you looking to get an outdoor project done on your home in 2021? Our team is always ready to talk about your next project!