Patios, Walkways & Driveways
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Laying a Paver Patio
Even beginning do-it-yourselfers can master laying pavers without mastering the techniques of mixing and spreading concrete. Since no concrete is involved, you can start one day and finish another.
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Laying a Curved Edge
Even though bricks and pavers are rectangular and tape measures are straight, walks and patios can have curves and angles. After you've laid a patio or walkway, you can use a handheld portable masonry saw to shape the edges. Lay the patio as you normally would, laying the...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours
Crowning a walk
Walks, like patios, should be sloped 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot. But rain running down the slope can turn the ground where it empties into a swamp. Mortar walks are more of a problem because they are essentially sealed while sand-based walks provide a little more natural drainage....
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours
Laying a Mortared Brick or Stone Walk
When you build a mortared walk, you build two surfaces-the one you see and the one that supports it and prevents surface cracks caused by freezing and thawing or rain. Build a support pad but place it 2 to 3 inches below grade. Lay a base of gravel-tamped well-for drainage and...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours
Laying Out with Batterboards and Mason's Line
Another means of laying out a patio is to use batterboards made form 2x4s and mason's line. By sliding the line along the horizontal bar of the batterboard, you'll be able to bring the sides into square. Batterboards are positioned 1 or 2 feet outside the area for the...
Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour
Brick and Paver Patterns - Basket Weave
Basket-weave patterns require no cutting if you plan the borders correctly. Start in the middle of an edge and lay three short rows to create a stepped pyramid. Once the rows are laid, work diagonally, filling in the steps until you cover the surface.
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 3 hours
Installing Low-Voltage Landscape Lighting
Low-voltage landscape lights — those that are 12-volt AC — literally are a snap to install. The lighting parts snap together, and the connectors snap into place. The cable looks like a lamp cord.
Skill: Beginner
Time: 2 hours
Resurface Your Concrete Driveway
Rejuvenate the appearance of your concrete driveway by applying concrete resurfacer.
Skill: Beginner
Time: 4 hours
Building a Concrete Walk
Building a concrete walk involves three projects: setting the forms, mixing and pouring the concrete, and finishing the concrete. The strength of the slab depends upon materials below the surface. A slab usually sits on a 4-inch gravel base that provides drainage. Wire mesh running...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 4 hours
Laying Bricks on a Sand-and-Gravel Base
A base of sand over gravel supports concrete bricks as well as it supports concrete pavers. The bed for brick, however, is slightly different: The landscape fabric goes over the stone rather than under it. Paver bricks come in various sizes. Each is smaller than its given size...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours
Laying a Mortared Brick Patio
Bricks can be laid directly on a sand-and-gravel base, but for a long lasting patio, lay the bricks on a concrete base. A 1/2 inch layer of mortar applied to the top of the concrete holds the bricks in place. Once the bricks are laid you apply more mortar between them and shape,...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 4 hours
Laying Out Perpendicular Lines
There's really no tool made to square up two sides of a patio. The framing square, which comes closest to being useful, is too small and often inaccurate. The Greek master of geometry, Pythagoras, devised a theorem for verifying perpendicularity that builders still use today....
Skill: Beginner
Time: 1 hour
Laying a Tile Patio
Adding tile to a concrete pad will create a distinctive addition to your outdoor living space. Look for tile that is designed for outdoor floor use and has a PEI (porcelain Enamel Institute) wear rating 3, Water absorption of 5 percent or less, COF (coefficient of friction) rating...
Skill: Intermediate
Time: 2 hours
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