That time I flooded a patio in Rio Rancho because I ignored the grade

I was putting in a small concrete patio for a friend's mom off Unser last spring. Got so focused on getting the surface smooth and looking good that I didn't check the slope. Had this little bubble level I was trusting, but the ground had a low spot I totally missed. After it dried, the first rain came and water pooled right up against her back door, about 2 inches deep in one corner. She called me the next day and I felt terrible. Had to rent a grinder and cut a relief channel across the whole thing, then patch it with some epoxy mix. Took me two afternoons and about $80 in materials to fix my own mistake. Anybody else ever skip the simple checks and pay for it?

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3 Comments

evan_burns955mo ago

Levels are overrated until they aren't, right? That grinder fix is a solid save though.

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fox.derek5mo ago

Yeah, that "overrated until they aren't" part really hit me. I used to just eyeball everything and laugh at people busting out their levels for small jobs. But last month I hung a shelf in my laundry room using only a tape measure and a prayer. Ended up with a half inch drop across the wall. Looked like crap. Had to redo the whole thing with a level and felt like an idiot. So now I get it. The extra two minutes to grab the level is way less annoying than fixing a crooked project later.

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evaallen5mo ago

That whole laundry shelf story is too real. I did something similar with a picture frame in my hallway last winter, swore it looked straight until I stepped back and saw the whole thing tilting down like it was trying to slide off the wall. @evan_burns95 is right about that grinder trick being a lifesaver though, sounds like something I should try next time my tools get a little beat up.

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