The Honest Builders
The Honest Builders Podcast is a straightforward look at the construction industry. Each episode covers real conversations about building projects, renovations, running a construction business and the realities behind the job.
It's for homeowners planning a project, anyone working in construction, or businesses connected to the industry such as suppliers, architects and surveyors. The podcast explores how projects actually come together, what challenges arise on site, and what people should know before starting a build.
Expect honest, real discussions, industry insight and practical experiences from people working in construction every day.
The Honest Builders
The Honest Builders | Episode 2 ft. Kane, Landscaping Manager at Granite Construction
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The Honest Builders is the podcast where the people who actually build things tell you how it really works. Hosted by the team at Granite Construction, each episode pulls back the curtain on the construction industry, covering everything from project processes and common pitfalls to the relationships, decisions, and expertise that go into creating homes people love.
In this episode, Steve is joined by Kane, Granite Construction's Landscaping Manager, for a conversation that gets into a side of the build process that homeowners often underestimate until they see it done properly. Kane has been part of the Granite team from early on, and this episode gives a real insight into the person behind the projects.
Together they cover what quality landscaping actually looks like and how to spot the difference between work that will stand the test of time and work that won't. They talk through how landscaping quotes are broken down, what to look for and what to question, and why the cheapest option rarely tells the full story. Kane also shares some of the past projects he's most proud of, giving homeowners a tangible sense of what's possible when landscaping is treated as a craft rather than an afterthought.
It's an honest conversation between two people who care deeply about the standard of work that leaves the Granite site, and a reminder that the finishing touches are anything but.
Welcome viewers. My name is Steve, and I'm the owner of Granite Construction. We set this podcast up to show you know what's what it's like day to day in the in this industry and give you as a homeowner an insight of what goes on, what's behind the scenes, and how we get to a finished project. We're going to invite guys on, guys and girls that work with me on a day-to-day basis, their architects, suppliers, clients, and even other contractors to explain about you know how they see the industry, the issues we face. And today I have got my landscaping and groundwork manager with me, Kane. Kane's been with me now four years. Just under four years. Just under four years. He started with me as a subcontractor with another company, but he's he liked what we did, saw what where we were going, and progression for himself. He's now progressed up, as I said, to our landscaping and groundworks manager. So he looks after all the landscape. We haven't got a picture of his landscaping there, but if you take a look at our Facebook or Instagram Instagrams, you will be able to see his handiwork. So, Kane, thanks very much for coming on, mate. I know I've took you off your day-to-day stuff.
SPEAKER_00Not a problem, Steve.
SPEAKER_02So, how long have you been in the industry? What where did you start?
SPEAKER_00Growing work itself. I got into landscaping when I was 16. Got into labouring basically, labouring for the other lads, doing whatever. For me, I've always been about progression, as you obviously can see yourself. So landscaping was labouring was always it's it's good to get involved in because you learn the graft. Exactly. Yeah, you learn the hard graft side of it, you learn the basics. But then obviously, if you want to progress, you can see what you want to do, you can see what you can't want to do, you can see the good, you the bad. So yeah, with me, I wanted to progress. I started paving, started with block paving mainly at first. Yeah, um, got on a little bit, then obviously more into venturing out into like landscaping, groundworks, a bit more into that. Um, but yeah, ever since I've started it, loved it. 16 years old. Don't get me wrong, me back me back says different, but what we play with day over day over 40, yeah. Yeah, something like that, yeah. But yeah, we get on, we get stuff done, and obviously you've seen the masterpieces that get created. I certainly have. I certainly have. Um good team behind us.
SPEAKER_02That's it. So um obviously we've we've got quite a large landscaping team, so you know, and we do cover every part of it. So just explain what parts do we cover to the viewers.
SPEAKER_00So we cover everything, we cover down to fencing, pulsing, block paving, um, block work, uh, footings, dig outs, um anything really resin, resin. Resin driveways we've done. Resin, yeah. So got a few lads behind us that can help with the resin. Obviously, I've done resin for a while anyway. So the new lads are coming on, uh learning and and taking on the trade. Yeah. So uh yeah, resin bound's another good one, leading it, leading its way out there. Um, so yeah, anything you could do a little bit of brickwork as well, you know.
SPEAKER_02A little bit of brick, you can turn your hands pretty much all of it, and the eye for details there. That's exactly that, exactly that. Um, and that's you know, I saw, you know, I think I'm a um great believer in finding talent in in hidden places, and as I said, I found you through another contractor. Um, but what made you want to join Granite? What was the the reason?
SPEAKER_00If I'm honest, when I first joined with you guys, the way all the work was done, the way everything was was basically if you need anything, you get it done there and then you don't need to ask, it's always about customer satisfaction. So with your side of it, I know you do your pricing and whatever, but you've always told us anything needs done, get the customer happy, get it done. So that side of it for me is good because if I with I don't want to name anyone, but with the last person, the little bits you have like if something wants to be done, there's always how can I say like bodge ways of doing it, yeah. Cutting corners, yeah, exactly. There's always there's always ways to cut corners, and that's not what we're about, really. And obviously, when I first joined on with you, we were subcontracted on for you. So we're still working for you, but through you, sort of thing, and um, yeah, I could see it all. So obviously spoke to you direct and jumped on board of you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and and obviously you drive a digger, yeah. Um, you know, dumpers, all the other stuff, and you you train the guys now. Um, but the reason obviously I took you on and you you know this is just the eye for detail, the attention to detail, the way you you presented yourself, the way you you look after them after the clients, you know, because again, you know, landscaping, it's one of them, it's not forgotten, but it's one of them sort of in the back of your mind, oh shall we do we do a patio, shall we not do a patio? And then when clients get prices, they get this massive range of prices. And I know you had your your own business at one time, and you would have found it as a um uh doing your own work that you know prices can range, you know, you're fighting against companies, you like and you're in your mind you're thinking, how is someone pricing it at that? It can't possibly be done. And going back to that cutting corners, bodging it, yeah, that's how it's getting it. Yeah, they're they're laying over existing patios, they're they're not digging out driveways, they're sinking. You know, why does that happen, Kane? Why does a driveway sink?
SPEAKER_00Main part is dig out base. So a lot of people believe that if you can just dig out your your normal sets um like depth, for instance, like your your average depths 200, 200 to 300 mil. A lot of people see that as right, I can use 200 mil. In fairness, you take that down, depending on what groundwork you've got underneath. You've got um like clay, for instance, wet groundwork, yeah. That's all got to come out. You've got to go to the maximum you can. Sometimes you have to go a little bit deeper if you've got it severe. But yeah, there's a lot of there's a lot of people that manage to get it done by not doing it correctly. Obviously, in granite, we don't do that. You've seen it yourself, everything's done above and beyond.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because we want longevity. We want we want if a client does sell a home, then the next person that moves into the home gets longevity because you know they will ask, oh, where was where was that done? And they may want some more work done. So it's all about you know satisfaction, satisfaction. A few and and then when we drive by it, you know, in 10 years, 15 years, knowing pride of work done, man. Yeah, we did that, and it's still good, and you know, they've parked a tank on it and the driveway's still holding up. Um rusted transit, yeah, exactly. Oil all over the drive. Um, but yeah, that's that's what we're about, and you know, and it is a big part, you know, even patios, you know, the building a patio up, and I mean tell the viewers, you know, what what is the makeup of a patio? How do you build a patio up to get it to to lay porcelain on?
SPEAKER_00So for us depends on what groundwork heights we've got with, for instance, coming out the back doors or whatever, but main build-up, we use type one MOT. Um, we normally use around 150 to 250 mil, depending on, as I said, about the groundworks. Yeah. Um, if we lay in porselain, then we do a 50 to 60 mil um bed underneath the porselain. If we're laying block paving, we use grano dust. Yeah. So even down to granite dust, a lot of the companies that do lay block paving, it's it's always been laid on sharp sand. So sharp sand, it it always holds a smell. Foxes weed, dogs weed, anything like that, it always holds. So we obviously use granite dust to prevent any of that, to prevent sinking. So it's laid on stone, so you never get any of that. Not only that, drainage. Main main key part of it, yeah. Exactly. Main key about it always is drainage. If you don't sort out your drainage in the first place, there's no point putting a good-looking product on top because it's always going to have problems underneath. So that's the main part for us. We obviously dig out, get the groundworks in. Well, we check drainage first, then we start, then we start the build-up, type one.
SPEAKER_02And it's all about the prep work. Get the prep right, the the other bit comes in.
SPEAKER_00It's all when it's all when good popping to a builder's yard and getting a finished product that looks finished and putting it on the floor because it would look it would look brand new, but it all depends on what's underneath. Yeah, that's the main key part.
SPEAKER_02And you know, why? So, you know, the biggest thing again goes back to this is where this variation of price comes from, you know, like um guys are cheap because they do things cheaply. It's the hidden costs, yeah. And it's the things what again, you know, and I say this when I'm looking at houses and looking inside of houses, we can only see what you can see. We can't see anything else. If we find something underground, you know, and uh but how do we approach things like that? You know, I know you don't deal with the pricing side of things, but we approach it as a view. Would you say that you know we don't want any hidden costs, we don't, you know, we if we if we see something, we normally just get on and get it done, don't we? Exactly.
SPEAKER_00That's the attitude that I've always had from you guys, and obviously the managing side from Lee and whatever. Anything needs to be done to get like to get it done correctly, get it done. Obviously, you deal with your side of the cost afterwards, so we don't ever see that side of it, we just see the the not the rough side, but we've obviously got to get in the bad side first to make it look good. So um our side of it, we we just get everything done, obviously. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So tell us about um let's go back to the last couple of projects we've been working on. So, what have you been doing in the last couple of projects? What ones? So we've got well if we go, let's go to you and we've got Leon C.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, we've got you and Leon C. So um obviously out in the back garden we've done uh just under 170 square metres of porceline. Um which as you see this morning, all cleaned up, looks looks a nuts out there. Um 170 metres of porcelain, we've done 80 square metres of turf. We've done just over 40 bays of uh nine foot feather edge panels, uh well nine foot feather edge finish, sorry, but six inch panels. Um, and obviously out there it just looks immense. Yeah, it does it does look so it's unreal, it's it's a masterpiece.
SPEAKER_02Um the way I I'm sorry, viewers, if you want to see it, it's obviously on our uh our Facebook, our Instagram. Um take a look at uh at this project because this was levels all over the place. Um the the ground levels because it's uh sloping ground, we had to come out the doors, didn't we?
SPEAKER_00So over a metre in difference from the back to the meter as much as a metre. So between the levels of obviously getting your patio with your grass and the cabin to make everything seem like it's not not just everything just sinks down, you want it so it's usable and nice. So, yeah, all the levels that took a lot of time.
SPEAKER_02And then we've got staggered fencing out there, haven't we?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly. Every panel down there has dropped 60 mil as it goes down just to create the fall and and just so it don't look like it goes along a couple of times. Yeah, it comes down on the ski slope. Exactly. Yeah, um, obviously, every every every post has all been concreted in fully, so even though they went double graft, we concreted up a little bit of this.
SPEAKER_02And then we did double gra and then we did concrete underground as well, didn't we?
SPEAKER_00Concrete underground today, the lads are there in concrete in the other side just to prevent the because obviously the fall in the in the groundwork is is a bit unreal, but um obviously we've got through it, the lads are there doing it today, finishing up. So um yeah, so looking after the neighbours as well. Exactly. Yeah, it's not just it's not just the customer, we've got to keep the neighbours happy, got to keep everyone happy. So that's the main part really.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um, and then where was we before? I can't think. Oh, we was in Langden Hills, Langdon Hills project. Um, again, you know, we it's quite funny that project because it started pretty much on uh on a piece of cardboard um and then escalated, and again, that's on uh on our Facebook and Instagram. Um, but yeah, so tell tell the viewers what what did we do there? How did what was the product? Yeah, step downs out, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So similar similar again. We had we had a major drop down. I don't think it was as deep. No, but um, yeah, we had major drop downs, so we've managed to come out level with that one. Um we've dropped down two steps, sort of insert the steps inside the patio as well, so you've got all porcelain faces. Um, same again there, a fair amount of grass there. Um, so yeah, that one was it's we we have our problems with our heights, but we managed to we all deal with it, don't we? Exactly. We don't we don't have problems, we have solutions. Solutions, exactly.
SPEAKER_02Never a problem, only a solution. That's it, mate. We get through it. Exactly, and we're just about to embark in some absolute mad project. Um, but again, you know, we'll surprise the viewers with that later on because they were gonna be there probably four four months, I suppose, maybe doing this. Umreal. Um, but it's uh an absolute outside the box project, and I know a lot more to learn again, yeah. A lot more to learn, you know. Um and as I said, like you know, we're not gonna tell you too much about this yet. You're gonna see it, you're gonna see the videos of it, but we will talk about it um in the coming months uh when we've done it, because I think it's something that you know other people will go for because if you can't go up, you've got to go down exactly. Yeah, so let's uh yeah, let's we'll talk about that one. Um, so what's the the best parts of your job, Kane? What what's the most enjoyable bits? What do you enjoy out of this?
SPEAKER_00The best part for me is at the end of the job when you sit back and you sit and you think hold up, all these months of going through the wet, bad weather, getting through what we've done, and then you sit back and then you can see the finished product, and you think, hold up, me and of not just me, me and the guys, all the lads, we've done this, and it's like yeah, it's it's just immense to see see what comes out of it. It's not just standard stuff either, it's it's top of the range, high qual high quality. It's like yeah, it's unreal.
SPEAKER_02It's unreal, it's and it is, and I and I you know, I've I say this to you all the time, you know, what what you guys produce, and I'm not just saying this because you know it's my company, these guys are the best in the business, you know, they don't cut corners, I won't let them cut corners. Um, Kane won't let them cut corners because we pride ourselves on what we do, you know. It's about pride, this industry, and if you've got pride in your work, the customer ends up with a dream, and and that's what we've all we're we're about, you know. That's why you're here because you, you know, I'm I'm and I'm not gonna talk out of term, but like you know, I'm sure you have seen the shit in the industry.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I've worked for a lot of people, I've worked for a lot of companies, I've probably worked for over 20-30 companies and people separate. You yourself, perfect, never had a problem. It's good as gold, mate. Yeah, thank you, Kay.
SPEAKER_02No, I'm not and I paid you to say that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, cheers for the 50 Steve. No, but in in general, mate, in general, I'm sure I'm sure everyone's everyone's been through it, everyone's gone through good and bad, and once you get settled, you know when you're settled. And for me personally, I know I'm not I know I'm sorted. So like as long as I keep you happy, I keep everyone else happy, I keep the jobs running fine. As you say, no cutting corners. No, that's the main thing. And not only that, word of mouth, if we do a bad bit of work and they go, hold up, Kane done this, or Kane's like like Paul done this, or whoever, whatever's gone on, we don't we don't do that, we don't want that. So we cut it out. If we can see it, before it's even done, we'll get it done before you guys or somebody else can see. Exactly. I mean like it's done before anyone else can see.
SPEAKER_02You know what you you know more what you're you're looking at because you're closer to the attention to detail, exactly. Yeah, it is the attention to detail because you're you're only uh you're only as good as your last job, you know, your last project. And we run a lot of obviously landscaping projects at any one time. So um exactly that, you know, every project's run the same. It doesn't matter whether it's a three by three patio or like you said, 170 square metres of porcelain, it doesn't matter. Every project's the same, you know. We go in and I mean we've been in a rectified stuff, um, we obviously do our damp work as well. So there's a lot, there's lots of parts of your landscaping groundwork that hidden the clients don't see. You know, you're the guy that comes in when we've got damp on the inside on an existing building, you'll be the guy on the outside getting us below ground, getting the the water away that people don't see. And unfortunately, you know, way materials are gone, is it does cost money, you know, um, and it does cost labour time, and it is stuff you'll probably never ever see again. But the biggest thing is we're curing the problem on the inside, which is what we need to do, yeah. For the long term, yeah, exactly for the long term, because that's what it's about. We don't want to see problems in the long term, you know. We don't want the callbacks, we don't, you know, we like to see our clients again, but we want to see them for the right reasons, not the wrong reasons, yeah. But I mean, we have back been back to snag work, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's things happen. You know, clients see things we miss.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we we are human, aren't we? Uh you're human, obviously. So, but we always go back.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. We're there to correct it if it does. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So that's one good thing. Yeah, and that's that's what we like to do.
SPEAKER_02What's the worst part of this job then?
SPEAKER_00Groundwork, groundwork, worst part, rain.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, that's it. That dreaded water stuff that comes out of the sky.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think we've had three months into the new year and we've had three months of rain. Yeah, yeah. So cosmic. Yeah, we've we've we've obviously we've managed to get through some days. Some days, one good thing with being in with you and everyone being in house with everyone with the trades, yeah, and uh and the different work here and there. A lot of us we can do other work. So although we are ground workers, if it does rain, you'll happily put us inside. So that side of it. But weather wise, this obviously this since uh January we've been at Ewin, we've been doing all groundworks outside, we've managed to get through just about with the luck of the uh gazebos. Gazebos, yeah. We've gone through three of them, so three of them in three months, but we're obviously they're good to carry on, so lucky enough we're on to the sun now.
SPEAKER_02But again, like you said a minute ago, you know, it's finding a solution to to work through it, yeah, to crack on because you can't lose three months of a project. I mean, we have lost time on that project, and we've probably lost three, four weeks, maybe this side of the year already, and then we lost time last year when it started raining and cold weather and stuff. Because again, I mean, you tell the viewers you you obviously you can't lay in cold. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so any anything under minus, we don't we don't touch at all. So obviously, we always check weather for the night ahead. So if we're laying porcelain today, I'll always check the weather to make sure over the night it's not going to freeze. If it does, then we'll get some Hessian mats and obviously get the get the mats out. But to be fair, we try and prevent just laying it in general, just so you don't happen. Um so yeah, coldness and and rain is definitely our worst.
SPEAKER_02And one thing I've seen now, I I obviously follow a lot of Facebook pages, I look at a lot of Instagram and stuff like that, you know, because I like to see what other companies you're doing on the outside. Explain this um the the way to lay porcelain, sandstone, stuff like that. I I've seen things around where people put dollops of cement around and then they they put the the slab on top.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the old acer spades.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so does that work? Can you do it? How do we lay it?
SPEAKER_00100% that does not work. So obviously, as you can imagine, if you've got a flat tile on top, you've got five little dollops on basically feet, so that's what you're creating. You're always gonna have air pockets underneath, water can always get through, moisture can get through, coldness can get through. Second, that does that, any anytime it will just blow it, it will lift, it will lift anything. So, what we do with installing pulsarin, not just pulsarin, natural sandstone as well. We uh everything's on a full solid bed, screeded. Uh, we use trowel so everything's bang flat. Uh, we then prime everything, so everything's done with a slurry mix on the back of sandstone, pulsarin, even blocks edges. So if we lay driveway edge in, a lot of a lot of people will just uh like trap it in, sort of thing. Yeah, like put a like I don't know, a concrete edge in. But even if we do a concrete edge around the edge, all of our borders still concrete. The main thing of coming into a driveway is your boulder, so coming in, it's always in and out, main bit of traffic, always got concrete, otherwise you're you're going to end up with sinkages. So these are the yeah, these are the sides that it may look the same, but we the technique and and the way of installing is different, so yeah, there's a lot to it that people don't see.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but um, yeah, but we do it the right way, so exactly, you know, and again, I know you don't get involved with pricing and costing stuff, but when we price and cost projects, I'm pricing and costing because I know you're doing it the right way. Yeah, we're not cutting the corners, we're not you know using cheap material. Um, there is a difference in material, there is a difference in stone, there is a difference where you can go and buy stuff. Um, we use various different suppliers, uh, main one being Pave World down at um Stanford. Stanford, that's it. Yeah, so we use them quite a lot, and they got a massive range of products where clients you you know can walk in your viewers, you can walk in there down in Southwind. Like I said, they're they're called Pave World, we use them all the time, but they do everything we need.
SPEAKER_00Um not only that, they've got the best quality. Yeah because a lot, I don't obviously other guys that people that are going to see this themselves that lay porsing and whatever. So if it comes to like bullnosing your faces, you bullnosing your curves, your your um your steps, anything like that. A lot of porselain nowadays, as soon as you go back a minimal layer, you end up with a white chalk line all the way through. Yeah, same again, you pay top quality money to get the better stuff. So if we do come into cutting, we don't we don't have that. Not every slab needs that, you could go others, but yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean we've used uh edging trim, aren't we? Uh yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we've used we've used tile trim. Um so yeah, that the pulsing quality with Pave World is is definitely there. Um not only that, they've just bought our new products to help us as well with our steps. So for instance, we're laying patios and to help us save cost and time, they've already got pre-no uh pre-ball nosed steps in in stock ready, so you don't end up with a white line, just all that stuff is hidden, like not hidden, but other people don't see it. Whereas obviously we know it, we we see it daily, yeah. And um, yeah, the quality in the material is is definitely the the main part because no one wants to sit there and put not dodgy but bad bad materials down, for instance. Yeah, a lot a lot of the time as well. Sometimes you have 600 by 900, whereas some places you can get a 605 by 900, so you could be the odd five mil out. And although it's only five mil, when you come to five mil spaces and everything's got to be symmetrical and bang on, you can't be doing that. So, as you say, with paved world quality, quality is immense.
SPEAKER_02And you know, one thing that I saw when I first met you was how you laid the patio, and you use uh I don't I don't know the technique. Known from the discs on the top.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I use the five mil uh spacers that are obviously pre-built for pulsing, they've got little grippers on the lid. A lot of people don't like to use them because they say that they they pull the corners up. I don't use them to lift slabs because, as you know, perfect base. So the slabs go down flat as they are, we tap them down in place. All we do is use them just for gripping, just to hold them in place. So if, for instance, we are tapping this slab down, it doesn't move that. And not only that, on uh slopes, so like if we're laying, I don't know, on a different gradient and we're going down, no one wants their pull string to start sliding as you're as you're laying. So a lot of that, yeah, they they grip, they help.
SPEAKER_02That's just all tricks you've picked up over the years, things to make your life easier, things to give a better finish. Yeah, um, yeah, I mean, and so yeah, we we obviously do a lot of level work because there is you know raise levels and lower levels and stuff like that. Um, we've done flush patios as well, yeah. Like literally straight out of the back door under the seal and and out. We've done, I think we've done round the seal above the seal as well, aren't we? Yeah, we did one. Um I'll tell you what to talk about. Let's talk about our King's Road project. Um, so what did you do over there? Well, that that was a huge project. So explain uh you were there pretty much from the start. I know you were on our project beforehand, but yeah, explain what we did there. That's a good one to explain.
SPEAKER_00Anytime I think of King's Road, I just think of 40 grab lorries that pulling up out of the front day in, day out.
SPEAKER_02And how much volume is in a grab lorry, like without it being you know, soaking wet and stuff.
SPEAKER_00Uh I believe they take 16. Yeah, 16 tonnes. 16 tonne, yeah, 16 tonnes. So 16 ton, we we end up with 42 grab lorries out of there. So that was just to get groundwork down because obviously, as you come in, all their groundwork was almost up to their top bit, like not close to the house, but from the back, it was up high. So yeah, we dropped everything down, um, footings went in, huge reinforcement, like walls, reinforced walls. Um, and then yeah, obviously, we've got our ground levels set to height, what we needed them to, and it's it's it's it's a usable garden. So, obviously, as you know, when we first went there, four four or five tiers in it. Yeah, they had palm trees and that's it. Don't get me wrong, nature wise, it looked nice, yeah, but um level wise and usable for obviously their children, it it wasn't really good. Same again, that had uh I believe around 110 square meters of turf. Um to be honest, no, but I believe 180, yeah, yeah. It was quite a bit turf, yeah. Then the pulse was 190, yeah, just on the 200 square meters of pulsing, same again around there.
SPEAKER_02And there was probably more bricks in that retaining wall than probably I don't know, five extensions.
SPEAKER_00I'd expect that left down wall had to be a good 30, 40 metre metre length, just the left wall, but then obviously the return and back down. So yeah, same again. Obviously, that that just just that brickwork alone was immense amount of brickwork just to retain the garden and and get it down to a level that was needed. Um, I believe it was was it 12 inch as well? So it was it was yeah, it was, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Is it 13 inches?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was 13, yeah. So it was 13 inch, so same again. A lot of like you get you people would try and get away with a nine-inch block on belly. I've seen people try and get away with four-inch retainers, yeah. No, but um, yeah, so it may last until tomorrow, but we're not about that. No, um, but yeah, obviously, don't get me wrong, sometimes you get away with a nine-inch wall, but as you say, 13 inch went the the full perimeter all the way round. Um, not only that, it was it was the end property as well, so it was bounded onto the golf course, so obviously you've got to make it secure. Um, yeah, over there the the groundwork was immense. Again, um, great job, great job. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And then we did uh obviously we done raised planters in that as well. Client client would wanted raised planters, we put lights in the planters.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I believe it was 13 inches at the back, wouldn't it? Then you had a four inch at the front just to create the flower beds in it, just so it didn't look like a wall.
SPEAKER_02Just no one wants to see a uh yeah, with uh with a flower bed, and then we put all the drainage holes through the bottom so it drains out into the grass, and then we run drainage through, didn't we?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, drainage all went through. We had uh we had a few sideways put in in the corner um that that ran all the way through, um dispersed off that, and then obviously all their natural uh rain water that all dispersed into that as well, into the sideways. So um, yeah. Obviously, when we first went there, I don't know if you remember we had the swimming pool that was there. There was a swimming pool that was there, there was a bit of raised deck.
SPEAKER_02We didn't really know it was there, we didn't weren't sure what it was.
SPEAKER_00No, we didn't realise it was there. Same again, hidden. So you you come in, you see a bit of decking, you believe, oh right, lift the decking up, you're down to groundwork. No, we lifted the decking up, we found a pool. So it's things like that. We had to obviously rip it out to make sure it was filled back in correctly, yeah, whack it down in stages. But um, yeah, it's them little things that that that come up when you when you uncover stuff.
SPEAKER_02And um I actually forgot about the swimming pools.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, to be honest, I just did. Until I was just picturing it in my head about obviously we had the old conifers, conifers, the swimming pool. We had all the sand banks that was pre-built into the floor, so all our filters were pre-built in. Yeah, yeah. So we had to remove all them, the shed that went down under like not underground, but a little bit down into the ground.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, the drop next to us. What was that? Nearly probably 10 foot?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's got next to us, eight to ten foot, yeah. That was a drop down.
SPEAKER_02We had to fill in and concrete up to retain everything. Um, and then obviously, then we we worked round the house and came out, and obviously then we changed how the driveway was set out because originally it was a set of steps, um, sort of running parallel with the house, running down in front of it, which was a bit strange. It took away the doorway, you couldn't get cars on there, and then we we moved them, didn't we?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, before rip out all on the front. Yeah, set them back a little bit bit more, just a little bit wider and bigger. Just obviously they've got young kids there, so you don't want no small little steps. Let the kids and not only that, there was a good hype because obviously being in Benfley, the the drop-down, it was a very severe drop. So yeah, they're nice and wide, big steps, so no, they're not trip hazards.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. And we set all that up ready for resin, didn't we? So, you know, um, which we'll you know, when we're clients ready, we'll we'll go and put the resin. Yeah, and we had to put a retaining wall in there as well, didn't we? Because uh there was a bit of a strange setup with with how the driveway was linked into the neighbour's pathway, and there was no defining line.
SPEAKER_00So it was almost yeah, it was a bit weird on that one, but same again, just to keep the like obviously outside of it happy. You put your own wall in up in front. Yeah, we got that up. Um obviously got all the groundwork in for the driveway. So um the driveway went in 150 mil of uh permeable concrete, so that has no fines in it, which allows the natural drainage to come through, so the resin will never puddle, it'll never hold any water at all. Yeah, um, that's the main key as well. Obviously 150 mil of permeable concrete, so no fines, it just allows everything to basically flood through natural drainage. Uh obviously the drainage was taken care of underneath before we prepped all that side of it. But yeah, all our resin gets laid on concrete. Um permeable concrete. Permeable concrete, yeah, exactly. So it's just 20mm stone. That's all sometimes it depends on the gradient. So on the on the on the driveway, we'll have a like um a thought about it on whether it needs 10 mil or 20 mil. Sometimes 20 mils are needed for the bit more strength. Yeah. Um, paths and bits like that, we you obviously you can use 10mm. Um so yeah, and then obviously we get it set. So I'll say it 15 to 18 mil below our finished surface level, get it ready for whacking. To be honest, starting from when we actually pour in the concrete, we go let I'll go level with a pop paving, and I'll then I go round it with a whacker. So the whacker sinks me the 15 to 20 mil needed on the resin. Yeah, then obviously you get your rough little gauge and uh like rough little measurement and all the up your resin.
SPEAKER_02So and I know you know, I know we do resin and we've done a number of them. What's the the biggest one we've done? What was it? There was one that you guys there was a lot of you over there, wouldn't there?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the one in uh I believe it was Lane and Hills. Lane Hills, yeah, it was yeah. So was it Dunn's one? Dun Dunton, yeah. Yeah, Dunton, yeah. So I believe that was 220 square metre. Um tarmac was had its variations in it.
SPEAKER_02Because that had a tarmac base. So we didn't lay the sub base in there, the previous contractor did, and we obviously we checked it and made sure it was all alright. But because you you can lay on purple tarmac.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so before all it was all done, it was all laid on tarmac. So they like to try and do three different layers of tarmac just to allow the flex, and obviously, so you don't get too much in it. I'd rather not do that because obviously I know we live in the UK, but sun can obviously heat up tarmac, it can have its movements, so concrete is our way forward, just so we as you say, 10-15 years down the line, we want to drive past, we don't want to see that side sunk, we don't want to see it dipped. Yeah, yeah. It's done right in the first place. But um, obviously, that one there was a very good tarmac uh base. It was it wasn't um off the top of my head, I can't remember exactly what it's called, but that one was just a pure stone tarmac done in three layers. So when I obviously I had to put in the boulder around all the edging, cut off the edging, dug down a little bit. That was uh that was in three layers of pure stone tarmac, so obviously we we knew that that was good to go off. Um not only that, it would have been there for a year or two, wouldn't it?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's been sat for quite a while.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so we had a major cleanup off of that the day before, let it have a dry up. Next morning, I believe there were eight of us there, eight lads. Um, obviously, we primed it in the morning, got it ready to obviously get the resin done. Then yeah, we take us about an hour or two to set up all our stone resin in each pile what we need.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and our uh all our product came from our friends at uh Resin R Us. Resin R Us, that's it. Yeah, um so next day delivery. Next day delivery, yeah, yeah. They looked after us, got all the stuff there. Um and uh yeah, there was a lot of you over there.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, so there's eight of us there, we had one man on the on the mixer. Um obviously that one man was more than capable by himself, so everything's done by timing. You have four minutes per mix, every mix, second that four minutes it's done, you've got to get that out, get the next one in, give it a little clean up. Um, yeah, we had eight of us over there, I believe three of us on the trails, a couple of lads on the barrows. Yeah. And 210 square metre.
SPEAKER_02And two guys massaging your backs.
SPEAKER_00That's it, yeah, yeah. We had the old uh we had the blower out as well for the old air con on the face, the old wall could be. Yeah, because it was red hot, wasn't it? It was it was spoiling, yeah. Yeah, but it it went down fine, it went down, not a problem. Um, I believe we started about 10 and we finished around five-ish. So it was a full day with no break, no, no stopping whatsoever. You can't stop with resin, can you? Because of the seams, yeah. Exactly. You've got to keep a live edge all the time. So, and not only that, exactly that, you've got to keep a live edge. So, it's all went and good putting resin down, but you've got to know how to put it down, you've got to keep your your edges live because there's no point uh trialling this side, going along a little bit, coming back, and that side's already set because it can set as quick as that.
SPEAKER_02So yeah, because with hardener and stuff, exactly, yeah. And you've done the you did the resin course, didn't you? Yeah, done the resin course, yeah. Yeah, and we did a little bit of patio, not patio, a little bit of uh porch area, didn't we? Of of slabbing out the front of it, we took it right wall to wall. That was it, yeah. So it was a new build, it was a new build development. Um, and it was one of the the new builds over in uh like Keynes have said, uh Duntain Hills. And um we uh yeah, they're unfortunately their paving's not of the greatest of quality. Um it's far and down, it's fine down for you to move in. Yeah, exactly. Uh they do the bare minimum as well. Yeah, um, we did do uh Kane didn't work on that project. I can't remember why. I think it was might have been Nest Road or something like that at the time. Uh and Nest Road was two new builds we we did, and you did all the drainage over there, you did all the patio laying over there, you did all the driveways over there. I mean, they were two big driveways as well.
SPEAKER_00That was a huge job over there. I believe you had uh so it was about 100 square metre each side on Pulse Lane, you had about 50 square metre each side on the path coming down to the driveway. Uh there was 120 square metre driveways, both sides, permeable block paving. Yeah. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And again, see you were saying earlier, you know, I know it's my company, and but the the thing with that, they were two new build houses, and we could have thrown, as you said, a patio in that would have done the job.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02But we didn't. We went to the level of porcelain to give the quality. And funny enough, I've got uh one of the owners of one of those houses coming on the podcast. Um, uh, I think we're actually either going to do it at his house. I don't know if he'll come here or not. Um, but you know, I asked him, you know, so that tells you the quality of the build that uh and and that's a new build home, yeah. Um, and I remember getting a message off him, and I actually of both both the clients, because we built two new houses there, um, both four-bedroom detached, one was slightly bigger than the other one. Um, but I got messages off of them, you know, them clients. We weren't working for them, they bought the homes, but just to thank us so much for such beautiful homes. Like, and and that's when you know you've done your job well, you know. Um that was our own work that in in that, for instance. We weren't contracted in for anybody, that was that was our own houses. But when you get someone message who's bought a home to thank you so much for what they've bought, they know you know they've spent their money wisely. I mean, I love Nest Road. Like, if I'd wanted to be in that house and live in that house, I would have I would have had the right ham on myself because it was it was beautiful when it they was and it's again it's not going back to just you know sort of blowing smoke up our ass. It's it they was beautiful, they was they was built right. Yeah, I mean I think you help I don't know if you did help inside, but you know inside. No, but it's like the yeah, the area was good, you know, your your sort of 15-minute walk to the seafront, you you've got the local vicinity. Um, and I think if you'd moved them houses, maybe I don't know, one postcode further towards South End as such, you'd been looking million-pound houses. Like um, because they were stunning and they kept and we kept them in keeping with the area, but like you we were saying a minute ago, we could have just thrown in enough for two cars, yeah, uh an old bit of patio, but we didn't.
SPEAKER_00We did full driveway, full full driveway, grass in the pack. You you left it as a finished product. They went in there not having to do nothing whatsoever. They had grass, they had porcelain and uh top spec porcelain patio. Yeah, all drainage was in properly, they had porcelain steps, the the faces of the steps were all uh were all faced. Yeah, so yeah, as you say, we we could have gone to like juicing, we could have got the little yellow uh that's it, the little buffs, what what every new build gets. Yeah, obviously you took pride in that, you didn't. You let us well, we all done the porcelain, so yeah, yes, that that shows it all for for for your own buildings, for your own houses, you could have done anything you wanted, yeah, still sold them, got the money, but you chose to put higher spec stuff in, and that that shows it.
SPEAKER_02I think it uh and it you know, that's where we first met, but um it just goes back to pride, and that's where I saw you was, you know. I watched because you know I I watch everyone and see what they're doing, and I could see value in what you had. You was how the way you went about things, like and I watched the others there, and it was like I don't know. I did I mean they did work for us for quite a while, and that's you know, you stayed on, but fortunately enough I managed to uh poach you uh and get you over. Um it you know, and you saw progressions.
SPEAKER_00It's done good for both, really. Yeah, I think so. I think for me, definitely as well. So I haven't got to worry, I haven't got to worry about work tomorrow, I've got to work, I haven't got to worry about work for the next years. Yeah, so that side for me is is great, yeah.
SPEAKER_02But um, yeah, so your general life at uh granite, as you've said, you enjoy it, it's good quality work, we do great quality jobs, and you know, we're we're not uh you know an expensive company, but the service we give, the level of materials we put in, it does differentiate between the one-man bands.
SPEAKER_00It's always going to be hard because Facebook is the worst for it. Yeah, because on Facebook you can put a post up, I need so-and-so done.
SPEAKER_02And there's a I I looked at one, actually, this will make you laugh. So I looked at one last night, and it was for I think it was about 40 square metres of paving, and there was a hundred and eighty comments on the post. How on earth does a client get through that?
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Like, you've got no chance, have you? You've got to go through that, you've got a lucky dip. It is lucky dip, you don't draw the short straw. That's it, yeah. Yeah, and you end up with someone decent. Don't worry, there's a lot, there is some decent out there, but there's there's more than there's more than worse out there than than what it is. And Facebook, any man can go and buy a truck, start a business, and and as I say, as I said earlier, you can go and buy a porcelain slab, pull it down, it looks finished, it looks pucker. Yeah, it's not it's not just as easy as that.
SPEAKER_02No, I agree, and I and I have seen like you have the good, the bad and the ugly.
SPEAKER_01Definitely.
SPEAKER_02Um, and it does go back, you know. It this is uh an investment in a client's home, you know, it's an investment you're you're gonna live there, whether you live there for two years, three years, four, five, ten, whatever, it's an investment you own. You're gonna be spending your hard-earned cash. So pick the right company, do your due diligence, go and see their work, speak to other clients they've had, speak to clients that they had two years ago because that's how you'll know how good the work is. If you can talk to someone that's had work done two years prior and their patio still looks the same as the day it was laid, you know, other than cleaning it and looking after it, then you know you've had a good job done. Yeah. Um, well, Kane, I'm sure you've got plenty to get on with this afternoon. Um, I know I uh I took you out of your day today. Uh that's obviously why you're you're ready to go again this afternoon. On the sunny day as well. I see on the sunny day, like a rainy day. Yeah, yeah. Um, even though it was supposed to be rainy today, somehow the sun's come out. Um, but thanks very much for your time. Thanks for giving the the viewers an insight into what you do. Um, if you'd like to see Kane's handiwork, go on to our Instagram, our Facebook, our Instagram's granite underscore build, our Facebook's granite construction. Um, you'll see the pictures of the handy work, you'll see our drone footage, you'll see our 360 footage, you'll see all the things that Kane does and his team and what he puts together. Um, and it's it's special. And if you want to come and see our work, just get in contact, you know. Um we like to be different, we like to be better. So there is a difference, but you'll understand why when you come and see our work. So, as I said, I'm Steve, um, I am the owner of Granite Construction, and this is the Honest Builders Podcast. Thank you mate.