Got back from Arizona and finally fixed that tricky archway.

Learned a new mud trick from a builder out there. My curves look perfect now.

3 comments

3 Comments

Wait, you learned a mud trick in Arizona? That dry heat cracks everything, I figured good mud work was impossible out there. My cousin tried to patch his patio in Phoenix and it just turned to dust. How did you even keep it wet long enough to shape those curves? I'm honestly shocked you got anything useful, let alone perfect arches.

victor5748d ago

My first summer in Nevada showed me how tough dry heat is for mud work. I feel for your cousin; I've seen mixes turn to dust before they set. Shaping those curves needs good timing and lots of water, which is hard work. I used wet burlap covers to keep things moist. It takes a lot of patience, but when it works, it feels good. So pulling off perfect arches in Arizona is really something.

benlewis7d ago

Yeah, your cousin's dust patio is classic Arizona mud work. I've seen more failed mixes than I care to admit, and it's always a race against time. Sometimes I wonder why we even bother, but then a good arch comes together and it's almost worth the sweat. Don't give up, though, because when it works, it's pretty satisfying.