Concrete – It’s What We’re Good At
Over the years I have done a lot of things. I never imagined when I married my teenage sweetheart that we would be deep in the throws of everything concrete - but here I am and I have to say, it’s a rewarding and interesting world.
Matt’s Grandfather was a mason. He knew how to build and he taught my father in-law the ins and outs of concrete and stone work. It is a lost art these days, and I realize it must have been hard work for those guys lifting the heavy stones and laying the mortar in between. Looking around at the stone work in our area I notice it is also a work of art.
Matt and his Dad have always been working together. In addition to the carpentry, they were also creating things with concrete. They made sidewalks and curbs, foundations and chimney repairs. He grew up knowing how things went together and he also learned the importance of how small details can become big problems if you miss them.
We had to learn the hard way in the beginning; putting the pieces together to make concrete fireplaces, with many needing to go in the “not for sale” pile. After consulting with the folks at Flare Fires in New Zealand we would try again. The problems became less and they became smaller. The quality was there but aesthetically they still could not go out. We consulted with a retired concrete engineer who looked at everything and gave us some very important advice – she was very resourceful. Matt began to rethink our reinforcing metal and came up with his own way of manufacturing the structural cages. We invested in our own small batch concrete mixer so we could get consistency and more control over the quality of the mix. We sourced quality products to go in our mix design, and after many hours working out the math on the proper ratios, we came up with really strong, really great looking fireplaces.
Now to consider the next project... we are working on a similar product for the chef who has a small space, but big barbeque ideas. We love and use what we make - we wouldn’t sell them if we didn’t!
