Building Blocks for a Perfect Patio. Creating a new living area outdoors is a whole lot easier than adding one indoors.
Sure, you've got to furnish both. But in the backyard, there's no fussing with walls, ceilings, doors, or windows. All you really need is a floor. That's why one of the first steps in planning a new patio is deciding which material to put underfoot, typically brick, concrete, stone, or gravel. The surface you choose plays a huge role in establishing not only the style of your patio but also its cost, whether you can build it yourself, and how you'll care for it over the long term. Follow along to learn which patio material is right for you, get guidance on coming up with a design, and find installation tips for cost-conscious DIYers.
Curving ConcreteStamped and tinted to resemble slate, this poured concrete patio follows the contours of planting beds. Similar to shown: Stamped slate texture on colored concrete, $8 to $12 per square foot installed; concretenetwork.com for a pro near you. Hand Cut Double Dovetail Experiment - by Woodhacker. After admiring the double and double-double dovetail joints that are capable with the Incra and other jigs, I started thinking, “Why not try this by hand?”
So this box is my first experiment with handcut double dovetails. It took me some time to figure out the joinery process, but once I realized a few things about this type of joint, it seemed do-able. It was quite challenging but also a ton of fun. It also does take some degree of patience and precision…which I’m still working on. In this blog, I’m focusing on the sides of the box, but here’s a few pictures of the nearly completed box - Materials.For this box’s sides I used three types of primary contrasting woods, although there is no real reason to do so. The picture below shows the rabbet joint cut on each end of each side – I set the rabbet depth at 1/8” and cut it on my router table. DIY Home Improvement Projects – Do It Yourself Home Repair Guides - Family Handyman.
Fix Sagging or Sticking Doors. Overview The standard prescription for a sticking door is to plane the rubbing edge so that it swings freely.
This always solves the problem, but it's a major hassle. You have to remove the door and lug it out to the garage. When the planing is done, you have to refinish the planed edge. Before you go to all that trouble, try the three shortcuts described here. How to Repair Interior Doors. Problem: Door binds along outside top edge 1 of 2 Loose hinge screws Screws in the upper hinge have stripped or loosened and the door is sticking at the top edge. 2 of 2 Photo 1: Drive in a long screw.
Extend Water Heater Life. 1 of 2 Photo 1: Check the pressure-relief valve Place a bucket below the discharge pipe and gently lift the lever on the pressure-relief valve to test it.
Insulate Basement Rim Joists. 1 of 3 Photo 1: Cut the strips to size Cut rigid foam insulation into strips with a table saw or a circular saw.
Cut the strips to fit between floor joists using a box cutter. 2 of 3 Photo 2: Caulk around openings Run a bead of acrylic caulk around each section of foam to form an airtight barrier. 3 of 3 Box cutter Use a box cutter to cut the insulation to length. Properly insulating and air-sealing rim joists takes patience, so most builders simply stuff in some fiberglass and walk away. Call your local building inspections department before you begin this project. Rigid foam is the best insulation for rim joists. Then cut the strips to length to fit between the joists, again cutting them 1/8 in. short (Photo 1). It’s important to create an airtight seal around each section of foam using caulk or expanding foam (Photo 2). Place rigid roam against the rim joists, then caulk along the insulation. Figure A: Insulated Rim Joists Airtight insulation reduces heat loss through the rim joist.