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Has anyone run across readily available, bagged, proportioned concrete mix with air entrainment for freeze-thaw durability? - Adding an entrainment additive, which is usually quite strong, requiring very accurate dosing in a small batch. I have seen many, many sidewalks and driveway patches go...

You will not find too many mobile concrete batching tucks just because of the economics (low demand and high maintenance/acquisition costs). Dick

Nothing dramatic this morning in MSP Minnesota. Was -4F at 8:00 AM with sun and no wind. I had an 8:00 Drs appointment and did not wear a jacket (tuck-under garage). Now, at 11:20 AM it is -10F. with bare streets and 2"to 4" of snow on the grass. Just boring similar weather ahead for a few...

Deek - I am a little lost. Is the garage really made from block and not brick. Often, people mix up there terms. I had a home that was built of 12" clay block, but a 4" thick brick wall cannot support a roof load by itself. - Could the wall be made of 2 bonded layers of brick (8" thick total)...

For the fourth day in a row, I thought about painting the hand rail on a stairway. I kept putting it off because it was inconvenient and unsafe to not use the stairway in a 3 level split level home. Fortunately we have 4 TVs so I can always see a football game without endangering someone. Dick

You should excavate to get down to strong bearing soil and at least to the local frost depth If is on an exterior wall. - It must not be a very long beam span if no center pier was specified. Will the addition have a crawl space or basement? A fully grout grouted pier is usually 16"x16" unless...

Too often, people are hung up on the air temperature. Due to the weight and mass of masonry products the over-riding factor is the temperature of the materials (units, sand, water, etc.). For curing of a wall, the temperature of the materials governs. Any good contractor will have the sand on...

tuffy - The answer is "BAH HUMBUG!!" When the kids like it and the neighbors do not complain, the warm feeling when you drive home is a big factor. Neighbors may complain about the light and traffic and glare, but they may either turn off all lights or add some for the next year. Grand kids...

Scrooge/Tuffy - So when does the cost of electricity have an effect on the decision made once a year? Dick

They are not acceptable for use on a deck that is attached to a permanent structure(home). The permanent structure is isolated from frost heaving, but the outer support of th deck cannot allowed to heave upward. - They don't always come back down. Dick

There could be a problem if the uplift from frost is considered. The biggest foundation area is the concrete center-piece that will get frost under it while the lower soil could still be damp and provide no resistance for the "spider-legs" that can be raised or bend. Having the outer part of...

frodo - Just in case you decide to sow some oats or grass in the middle of the night? Dick

Soparklion11 - That unit you show is really not a good unit for a retaining wall unless there some secret hidden in or behind what is seen. When you lay a conventional shape block like that on top of another, the block can just slide with any soil pressure below and any soil crumbs act just...

To my knowledge, all of the major acceptable retaining wall units are laid with the tops level (side to side or end to end). Some have the raised lip on the front and some with a downward lip on the rear. This provides the shear resistance and the necessary geometry to have a built in setback...

mikejurasw- When you are dealing with older homes, there are some very strange wall and ceiling/roof construction methods. It is not a regimented and close-minded as current construction. The older homes often had details that were dictated by the general plans local practices and materials. I...

I think the 2'-6" interpretation of the code regarding "engineered" projects may be a local one or out-dated. When it comes to requirements, a code jurisdiction can adopt any reputable industry standard or model code. An engineered wall is not just anything over 2'-6". A code can specify the...

Snoonyb- I think your "pre-mixed" is generally referred to as "Ready-mix" in the construction industry. Ready-mix does not use common cement, but uses any one of the types of Portland cement (Type I, Type II, Type III and Type IV and the most common types). Ready mix is delivered to the site...

Usually any brick veneer with an air gap has a WRB (water resistant barrier) to shed any water and the brick have "weeps" at the first course to drain any moisture that is collected. - That is the common method. Brick is is not necessarily "porous" and depends on the clay used. The hard...

mpls- You have two different problems - 1) The settlement can be handled with mud jacking, but you may see residual spots when the mud was pumped under the slab. If you are really concerned about the appearance remove the old concrete walk and about 12" of the soil, put compacted base in...

Keep in mind that a "license" is no guarantee of professional quality. In many places, a license is a cheap way to be allowed to work in an area if the applicant pays the minimal fee. Did you have any references or did you just go by the yellow pages or a flier handed out? A free estimate is...