Rant: my whole week got wrecked by a stubborn piece of granite

Last week I was helping a buddy build a patio in his backyard, and we hit a huge slab of granite about two feet down. We thought it was just a big rock, but it was part of a solid ledge. I mean, we tried everything. We rented a jackhammer for a day, which cost us $85, and it barely made a dent. My arms were shaking for hours. After three days of this, we had to call a local guy with a mini excavator, which set the whole project back. It just stood out because I've dug up plenty of river rock and shale before, but this granite was like concrete. It really showed me how different rock types can totally change a simple job. Has anyone else had a project completely stalled by the wrong kind of bedrock?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_perry903d agoMost Upvoted

Ever notice how the simplest jobs always have one hidden thing that flips the whole script? It's never the big, obvious problem you plan for. It's the one rock, the one stripped bolt, the one weird pipe in the wall that wasn't on any plan. That granite wasn't just rock, it was the universe's way of reminding you that your plans are just suggestions. The real work is always dealing with the thing you didn't see coming.

the_sean3d ago

But sometimes it's just a rock, man.