How to Make a Mortar Base for an Outside Fiberglass Column
Fiberglass columns are often used to help strengthen and hold up porches. They are an alternative to wood columns and do not rot or rust when exposed to the outdoor elements like wood eventually will. When you are building something with a fiberglass column, one of the first steps is to create a safe and steady base to set the column in. One of the materials you can use to make this base is mortar. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Spray paint
- Tape measure
- Shovel
- Mortar mix
- Water
- Wheelbarrow
- Trowel
- Bull float
Instructions
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1
Mark an area on the ground where the fiberglass column will be installed. Spray paint the area so you know exactly where you will be digging. Measure the size of the base of the fiberglass column and record the measurement.
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2
Dig a hole in the ground about 6 inches deep and with a diameter 1 to 2 inches wider than the column you will be installing in the hole. Push the shovel into the ground and move the dirt aside.
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3
Set an 80 lb. bag of mortar into a wheelbarrow. Cut it open with a utility knife and dump it in. Add four quarts of water and mix the two together with a trowel. Move the trowel back and forth until it achieves the consistency of peanut butter. Add more water, if necessary, but generally four quarts is the recommended amount for one 80-lb. bag of mortar.
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4
Stir it up with the trowel until it is all mixed together and pour the mix from the wheelbarrow into the base you dug. Fill it up until it is flush with the top of the ground. Smooth out the surface with a bull float until it is level and even throughout. Let it dry overnight.
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5
Touch the surface and verify it is dry to the touch. Set the fiberglass column on top and verify that it fits properly on the mortar base before you install it.
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