DAM Doesn't Stop For Winter

WELL, WELL, WELL, if it isn't January. Err, November. Okay, Snowvembuary, as told to me by an entertaining client.

Yes, this year presented the earliest, coldest winter weather around here in recent memory. As Paul Anderson likes to put it, "water both freezes and thaws at 32 degrees." And for us, as masons, this number matters. While we are perfectly willing and able to work well down into some pretty low digits, mortar mostly is not. Which doesn't stop us from doing our thing, it just changes the game a little.

DAM's masons and laborers are some tough dudes - seriously - and they slug straight through the winter, but we've still got to baby the mortar, grout, concrete, etc...anything with water in it. Depending upon the job we may use hot water, apply blankets for heat, or just tarps, or complete canopies, or all of the above plus small heaters, or like in this case below, on this absolutely fantastic lake (Michigan) home we're working on with Barenz Builders, we've got pretty serious cover and an even more serious fresh air heater running.

So for all you builders out there, let it be known: DAM will absolutely plow through the winter for you. If it's 0 degrees out...okay, even heaters and tenting might not quite get us there until it gets back up to 8 or 10 or 12, anyway. But short of that, we're all in. You're just going to be on the hook (sorry) for the extra cost incurred for us to heat, but hey, at least we can keep swinging, instead of waiting around until April!

Stay warm, everyone, Happy Snowvembuary, and enjoy your Thanksgiving and upcoming holiday season planning!  ~by Karl Zarling

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