The homeowners approved the addition of an overlay. With the second layer of concrete, the concrete mantle became two inches thicker. The bottom part of the mantle stayed the same distance to the ground, while the surface was now two inches higher. We also widened the lip by an inch. We added special edges to the concrete mantle’s lip. The finished edges were at an angle; the bottom of the lip didn’t stick out as far as the top. We applied a second chocolate-brown stain to the concrete mantle’s surface, now covered by the seamless overlay. As a final step, we sealed the surface to protect it from liquid stains and other damage.
Once again, the homeowners loved the changes we’d made to their fire pit. We packed up and left, but we still wondered if they’d contact us again. We were not disappointed; we heard from them again six months later. This time, they weren’t interested in making additional changes to the concrete mantle; instead, they wanted us to work on a grill on the other side of the house.