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Tis' The Season

     It’s four days after Thanksgiving and we are right at the official start of the holiday season. At McFall Masonry and Construction, we are patriots. We love our country, and we are not afraid to show it or speak of it. It means a lot to celebrate Thanksgiving, for it celebrates the beginning of this great country we call the United States of America. We love Christmas, and always wish people a Merry Christmas. I personally have never met anyone that was offended by this. We should respect the beliefs of all freedom loving people.
     It’s interesting… our great country is different. We are truly blessed. Most countries have no outdoor kitchens in their backyard (if they even have a backyard). They don’t have beautiful stonework around their indoor fireplace, or outdoor fire pit. I doubt you’ll find a nice stamped concrete patio at the back of homes in most countries. 
     Here at McFall Masonry and Construction I have mentioned several times of the importance of how something is constructed, and the strength and engineering of the project. The strength is usually never seen. We never see the rebar in the concrete we pour for you, but what if it’s left out? Your patio looks the same. Normally, you don’t see that your patio is 4” thick, but it must be. What if it’s only 2” thick? You don’t normally see that. You don’t see the rebar in the 12” thick concrete foundation for your retaining wall, but what if it’s not in there and the foundation is only 6” thick?
     When we see the news, or go online and look at the pictures of war torn countries or countries that have just experienced an earthquake, if you have a trained eye, you’ll notice the concrete streets all torn up and there is no rebar. You’ll see buildings made of block or brick that are just ripped apart, look for the rebar, you don’t see it most of the time, look for the grout (concrete) in the block, it’s not there. There would be less destruction if these things were constructed correctly, simple engineering.
     I realize that we may not need to fear a bomb dropping on our patio, but what about a tornado or an earthquake? They seem to be more frequent and getting closer and closer to the DFW area. Just the expansive soil we have here can move patios, retaining walls, planter walls to the point of the need to build it right. Yes, this usually costs more, but we have a saying “pay me now or pay me later.” We often are paid to fix somebody else’s bad mistake and you pay for your project twice instead of just a little bit more the first time.
     Remember, prices are down this time of year, give yourself a discounted Christmas gift and call or email us.