Educate me- making concrete wall caps

[Bill]

I have a prairie stone veneer over concrete-filled cinder block wall. We’ve been waiting for months for cap blocks cut to size to finish the project with no definite delivery date.

I’m retired in Montana. Yes, there’s elk in those mountains. Griz, mt lions and wolves too.

I’m considering making the caps from concrete myself, using concrete dye to get a contrasting color.

We will build a low wall under a window for a planting bed, I’d match the stone and then the caps could match.

Has anybody done this? Hard/easy? Getting all the caps to match in color? Any lessons learned?

Thanks!

The wall





What I found on amazon





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[tdwinklr]

sorry, I don't but love the view you have there. Why block it with those trees though?

[BlessedVeteran0305]

Never done it but I would think coating it in colored epoxy made for concrete would be easier to color match than dying concrete. Each stone could have its own tint to it therefore not knowing how much or how little you would need for each stone.

[TeamAmerica]

I would go with precut bluestone or something similar. Pouring your own sounds like way too much work! Love the porch and view!

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[Bill]

Thanks on comments. The pre-cut blocks are what we ordered 4 months ago, and the supplier can’t get a date from the quarry. Building, especially custom homes is outstripping supply of materials like stone here in Montana.

We planted the aspens to the left of the patio so they are out of the direct view of the mountains. I wanted some aspens because they look and sound great when the wind rustles the leaves.

It’s beautiful here, some 20-40 acre parcels of land and 5-8k acre ranches as neighbors.


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[mjhaverkamp]

Google concrete counter tops, would be about the same type of job, you can put a liquid dye in the concrete or you can use a dry shake color hardener, you can mix in a bucket or a wheel barrow, do enough for 2-3 stones at a time, nice place, I will be heading up that way in August, I could bring you some chocolate leuders stone for an elk hunt, lol, I kid.

[Arrowsmith]

I made some 1'x1'x1.5" sample colored concrete squares. One red, one black, one brown and one a mix of red and black. I was thinking about building concrete countertops when we were getting ready to move to Iowa. The samples came out real nice, but even the small sample squares were a lot of work.

We went with granite.[emoji106]

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[Drycreek3189]

No help Bill, but I wish I were your neighbor.

[Kingfisher789]

Why not a granite or wood top?

[Kingfisher789]

sorry, I don't but love the view you have there. Why block it with those trees though?

Trees will grow up….

[Snowflake Killa]

Why wouldn't you use the stone? Beautiful view

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[Bill]

No help Bill, but I wish I were your neighbor.

That’s why people come here to vacation. Or retire. The winters can get rough if you have to be outside or driving to work. It’s so dry that the 20s and teens are not ‘bad’ if you’re dressed right. Below 10 it hurts.


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[Bill]

Why wouldn't you use the stone? Beautiful view

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Because to get the stone caps we ordered, we’re still waiting.

In hindsight, I should have had the guy who did a great job on the textured concrete patio and a step into the house form and do the top of the wall before the masonry guys who did that dry stack elsewhere outside and inside did the wall. Live and learn.


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[flywise]

I’d just slap
Some
Mortar

[Bill]

Google concrete counter tops, would be about the same type of job, you can put a liquid dye in the concrete or you can use a dry shake color hardener, you can mix in a bucket or a wheel barrow, do enough for 2-3 stones at a time, nice place, I will be heading up that way in August, I could bring you some chocolate leuders stone for an elk hunt, lol, I kid.

How long do you figure it would take for the concrete to set up on the molds? I could do 2 at a time- 1 wide and 1 narrow.


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