Can't We All Just Get Along?

I'm sorry to say that this week the weather has been no friend of mine!  It's been an especially rainy summer here, and that does not help progress for outdoor building projects, including our pool that  is nearing completion.  The shell was scheduled for installation this week, but that has been delayed.  Our electrical inspection did pass for the outdoor lighting, and the trenches are once again filled, but otherwise, there has been little progress.

I have had some people asking about a couple of things I made reference to in recent posts, so this would be a good time to address those!

First, someone asked me what a "French pattern" is in pavers.  You may recall that I showed photos of our Travertine installed.

This seemingly random combination of pavers is actually a careful combination of 4 sizes--16"x24", 16"x16", 8"x8" and 8"x16"--in a pattern that repeats every 12 pieces of stone.  This image shows the repeat.

To put an even finer point on this, there is also a pattern called "London pattern", which is the same repeat but with smaller scale pieces.  The reason I chose the French pattern over the many other choices such as

is that the French pattern gives a seemingly more random feel to the overall appearance, particularly when you're working with natural stone like Travertine where there will be a considerable amount of color variation in the product.  And, as the name implies, the French pattern offers a classic, European look!

Also, I was asked if I can really condone the use of PVC columns instead of wood.  Well, quite simply, the answer is a resounding YES!

I have seen to many expensive outdoor structures succumb to our humidity not to appreciate the benefits of the PVC.  The choices of pressure treated lumber--particularly trim pieces--are somewhat limited, and even the best PT wood can't hold up forever.  The finish on these colums is matte, so they don't have the appearance of the shiny, vinyl fencing that does often look like plastic.  I promise you that for all the world they just look like extremely finely made wood columns...and even better, they are paintable!  (Which these will be.)  You'll have to trust me on this one!