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Laying landscaping stones on a slope requires you to dig down to a specific depth to avoid problems later on. Learn about laying landscape stones on a slope with help from a home design professional in this free video clip.
Whitewashing may not be quite as much fun as Tom Sawyer claimed, but it is an efficient and simple way to take a cinder block wall from utilitarian to utterly fabulous. Exact formulas vary, but most whitewash is a mixture of water, slaked lime, salt and chalk that hardens to a crisp, clean white finish. Cement blocks are porous, so you may need several coats of whitewash to get the effect for which you are looking.
The "Bull's Blood" beet plant (Beta vulgaris "Bull's Blood") forms a 6- to 10-inch-tall rosette of stunning purplish-red leaves. The foliage is excellent in salads and makes the plant ideal as a landscape ornamental or in mixed containers, as well as vegetable gardens. Beet roots are 2 to 3 inches in diameter and have a dark red color and sweet flavor. Select a planting site that has six or more hours of daily sun and well-drained soil. Plant seeds in early spring for harvesting in late spring or in the fall for harvesting in late fall to early winter. "Bull's…
Landscaping rocks and slabs always requires you to keep a few key tips and tricks in mind. Find out how to landscape rocks and slabs with help from a landscape designer in this free video clip.
Lava rock makes a really good tool for giving your yard its own distinct look and feel. Landscape with lava rock with help from a landscape designer in this free video clip.
Landscaping with brick pavers is a very common way to add a walkway to your overall landscape design. Landscape with brick pavers with help from a landscape designer in this free video clip.
If your house is favored with a beautiful view of a rising or setting sun, or panoramic landscaping, then you can take full advantage of this view with a wall of windows. If you are building your own home, you can incorporate a wall of windows into your design. If your home already exists, you can add on a patio that incorporates it. However you choose to use it, a wall of windows is sure to give you and your guests many memorable entertaining experiences.
Block walls are common additions to gardens. They can provide protection and a feature. An arched entrance is one way to add a decorative touch to a block wall. The process of building a block wall with an arched entrance is quite labor intensive, but should be achievable by most keen DIYers.
The term “sewer cover” can refer to several closures used in the systems that dispose of wastewater from homes and businesses. They include manholes fitted on systems connected to city sewer services and inspection ports above septic tanks. Their purpose is primarily to allow inspection access from the surface, and for the introduction of maintenance equipment as necessary; some are large enough to allow maintenance personnel to climb through. They can be square, rectangular or circular, made of iron, cement and -- increasingly -- fiberglass. All covers are designed to fit into a frame, sometimes called a tray, which in…
Bricks laid to create pathways and drives should always be arranged in a staggered pattern; this reduces the chance that inaccuracies will jar the eye. To give the appearance of curving, you set the angle of one brick typically slightly off-true from its neighbors, then fill the gaps with brushed-in builder’s sand. On the outsides and in the centers of curves, this illusion works well. On the insides of curves, where the angles are extremely tight, cutting the bricks is often necessary.
Cinder blocks are rugged, artificial building blocks meant to withstand enormous forces. Suitable for building heavy load-bearing walls such as foundation walls and retaining walls, cinder blocks do not have a very pleasing look, however. If you need to build a wall that can bear a lot of weight but wish for the look of brick instead of cement blocks, then build a cinder-block wall for the strength, and attach a brick façade to enhance the appearance.
Cinder blocks, also known as concrete masonry blocks, are used commonly for building strong and long-lasting foundations. Building your home's foundation with cinder blocks allows for a spacious basement or crawlspace below the first floor. Like all cinder block walls, foundation walls are susceptible to bowing or cracking when high amounts of lateral pressure are applied. A cinder block retaining wall also commonly will bow and bulge out when heavy soil presses against it. Repairing a bowed wall early prevents it from collapsing.
Rolling bookshelves are constructed in a similar fashion to standard bookshelves, with the addition of rollers on the bottom to allow them to move freely. This prevents the bookshelf from damaging either itself or the floor by scraping along the ground as it moves. With the addition of a short barrier on the floor to prevent the shelves from moving sideways, you can build bookshelves that roll along your wall from standard DIY materials.
Block walls may bow inward due to external pressure on the wall’s surface. The pressure is generally caused by the weight of backfill soil against the wall. Bracing the wall with carbon fiber/Kevlar stabilization straps prevents the bowing from worsening. The straps hold the blocks in their current position, adding supportive strength to the structure. The straps act in the same way as steel I-beam braces, with the light composite material being both quicker and simpler to install than the traditional bracing.
A Windsor wall is a retaining wall made with the distinctive Windsor bricks, which are solid and rough-hewn in appearance and about the size of a standard cider block. They lend themselves to decorative landscape and retaining walls with their rough finish on three facing sides, which allow a builder to add interesting angles to the completed job. Ground preparations are vital for a quality job, and accurate work at every step will ensure an even and satisfying final product and an attractive retaining wall.
Retaining walls in a landscape make a steep area more manageable, increase planting opportunities and limit erosion. One relatively affordable and easily utilized retaining wall material is treated timber. In many situations, the retaining wall consists of only one side or multiple sides that meet at 90-degree angles. But there are times when a retaining wall that curves is desirable. This curving is accomplished my making angled cuts at the ends of sections of timber. The timber ends must be cut so that they fit snugly against each other, and they should be treated with preservative.
Building codes require railings on structures that exceed a set height, usually 2 feet. Aluminum fences are light construction, reducing the load that bears on the wall, and the prefabricated panels are simple to install and built to code. Outdoor structures and hardware are subject to water intrusion and corrosion, so take care in the selection of materials, and the installation. Check with local building officials about specific height requirements and other regulations that may apply to railings.
A helical tieback is a system that includes a metal shaft, called an extension rod, with metal plates on one end, known as helical plates, that are screwed into the soil. The other end of the extension rod is threaded, so you can screw the entire assembly into the earth with a high torque drill. The use of helical tiebacks to stabilize existing retaining walls is an economical way to treat the problem of a shifting or bowed wall. Often, a retaining wall moves because of the structure of the subsoil. If the subsoil is not stable, it can shift,…
Man-made ponds require a large, flat piece of land so they do not cause drainage problem. One way to flatten land is to dig an area out of a hill and install a retaining wall to hold the rest of the hill back, away from the flat area. A retaining wall holds back hundreds of pounds of soil so it must be sturdy, otherwise it will fail and the soil will fall into the pond. If the retaining wall next to your man-made pond seems to be leaning, replace it before you end up with larger problems.
From ancient Egyptian times to present day, the use of brick cornices in architectural design ranges from simple to elaborate. Not simply valued for their beauty, brick cornices -- which are set near or on the top of a wall -- also maintain a practical application. These architectural extensions at the roofline aid -- varying in degree depending on the design -- in channeling rainwater away from the wall below. Incorporating a cornice into your brickwork adds a distinctive accent to your project, whatever it may be.
Retaining walls perform the task of keeping slopes or raised areas in your garden from toppling or spilling. You can use retaining walls to flatten sloped areas for the creation of raised flower beds or to enclose decorative areas on your lawn. Erecting a straight retaining wall proves relatively simple, though building a curve into a retaining wall requires calculating the radius of the wall's curve. The radius of a curve depends upon the building material you use.
From whimsical to practical, a sunroom provides a room to grow plants, relax with loved ones, read a good book or just bask in the sun surrounded by nature. A detached sunroom allows you to position it where the view is best or where the morning sun streams in before the heat of the day. To build the exterior walls, attach 2-by-6 stud walls to footers or a slab foundation. These provide more support to exterior walls, which must bear the weight of the roof and structure above, as well as better insulating capabilities. Use other load-bearing wall construction techniques…
Not all stairways are enclosed. Stairs to an unfinished basement often may be left open in original construction; however, a homeowner who wants to transform that into living space will want to add a wall. Some stairs to basements are built along one wall, but finishing that basement for a playroom, workshop or other use will require adding a wall along the stairway. Building a stairway wall is much like building any partition wall that bears no load. A stairway wall needs a top plate, bottom plate and vertical studs in between.
Curved pavers allow you to install a curved wall so you can follow the natural contours of your yard or garden. Before you install your own wall pavers and stairs, think about the path that you wish your wall to take. Install stakes in the yard that follow the desired path, then connect the stakes with ropes. Pretend that the wall has already been installed, and use your yard this way for a few days. If the placement of the future wall creates any inconvenience, move the wall according to your preferences.
Running from side to side, between the studs outlining the rough opening and supported by partial studs called jack studs or trimmers, the header supports the weight of the door or window. In newer homes that use prefabricated trusses for the roof and ceiling, the header does little else but frame and stabilize the opening. In older homes, load-bearing walls support the rafter system and headers become critical to the structural strength of the entire house. When building a header for a non-load-bearing wall, simply nail a board of the same width and thickness as the plates between the studs…
A knee wall is a short wall used to block off oddly-shaped spaces, such as along the angled edges of an attic. The knee wall covers the space, helping to provide a clean, finished look to the room. If your home has a staircase that extends out of a wall and has an open space beneath it, you can build a knee wall to block that space off.
Unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise, a wood-burning stove must be 36 inches from a combustible wall to be safe. To safely install a wood-burning stove closer to the wall, a noncombustible wall must be erected in front of the combustible wall as a heat shield, and a space must be left in between the heat shield and the wall itself. Many homeowners believe that a shield of stone, tile or brick over a combustible wall will provide adequate protection from heat, but this is inaccurate. Stone, tile and brick, while not combustible materials, still conduct heat from the air to…
Metal roofing, specifically steel, is a common material used in commercial and residential buildings because it is durable, lightweight, and fire-, spark-, wind- and hail-resistant. If your home or building is constructed out of concrete block walls, attaching a steel roof becomes more difficult. Ordinary screws cannot be used to secure the steel roof into place. Concrete screws, which can be found in most hardware stores, along with anchors, must be used to attach the roof to the block wall.
Building codes require installation of fire blocking -- short pieces of horizontal lumber nailed between vertical studs -- in frame walls higher than 8 feet 1 inch, to slow the spread of flames inside the walls. Lumber material is acceptable for code, placed between full studs, usually at the midway point of the wall height. You can shift fire blocking to serve as nailing surfaces for wall coverings, in locations where the studs won't be sufficient. Houses in warm climates, as well as other structures, may be built with 2-by-4-inch walls. The same size of material is required for blocks.
Shear walls increase the resistance of a structure to lateral forces. These walls use framing techniques similar to normal exterior walls, but use a sheath made of plywood, structural insulating panels or oriented strand boards attached to the outside of the frame instead of diagonal braces. This sheathing connects the vertical framing members of the wall, transmitting lateral forces toward the wall's foundation.
Whether you hone or fill your outdoor pavers, the result is similar -- stone that has fewer holes and imperfections. One method involves removing a layer of the stone while the other merely requires filling in the stone as it is. You don't have to decide between honing and filling, as many stones have gone through both processes. A honed stone can become shinier, however, than a filled stone if you use a fine-grit sandpaper.
Building a wall unit around a bedroom window creates extra seating and storage space by combining a wooden frame bench in front of the window with a set of plywood-clad cupboards. The two sets of shelves, formed from a two-by-four lumber frame clad in plywood and seated above the cupboards, box in the window to create a small sun well, making a feature of the existing light source.
The International Residential Code requires that habitable spaces in homes, such as finished basements, have escape windows in case of an emergency. Called egress windows, these features need the soil dug up around them so the window can open and also to give you enough space to get out. This below-grade opening is often bordered by a metal covering called a window well, but you can also build a retaining wall. You must, however, follow the code requirements when choosing the wall's dimensions.
The process to install fieldstone onto brick walls to update their aesthetic appeal takes about one week, most of which is drying time for mortar and grout. The hands-on work generally requires fewer than 10 hours. A few supplies from a hardware store or home-improvement store are necessary to get started, as are fieldstones, a type of naturally shaped stones often used to cover exterior walls, fireplaces and garden features.
The special considerations involved in building a wall where joists are parallel include how to anchor the wall to the underside of the joists and how to provide a nailing surface for ceiling coverings along the wall's upper edge. The most common solution is installing short pieces of framing lumber, called blocking, perpendicular between the joists. The blocking provides a nailing surface for walls that fall between joists and serves as an evenly spaced fastening surface for finish materials, such as drywall. In some circumstances, the wall's top plate aligns with a parallel joist, which provides an anchorage surface, but…
The term '"knee walls" refers to walls about 4 feet high or lower that are found in parts of the home where space considerations might prevent the framing of a full-sized wall. Knee walls show up frequently in finished attics where homeowners must accommodate the slope of the roof rafters when remodeling. These types of walls are usually partition or non-load bearing walls, meaning they do not bear any of the structural weight of the home.
Building a stud wall is one of the easier jobs in any construction project. A stud wall is essentially just a reinforced wooden rectangle. However, many older houses settle over time. This often leads to uneven floors, where the distance between the flooring and the ceiling on one side of the room is not the same as the other side. Building a stud wall on a floor like this requires a little extra attention to detail.
Adding veneer to your stairs makes them smoother, safer and more aesthetically pleasing. If your stairs are a cake, then veneer is the icing. It's a layer that you don't need, but one that makes your stairs look more complete. To properly veneer the steps, you have to seal the veneer in place using mortar, almost like tiling a floor.
Colorbond is a brand name for metallic fencing materials manufactured and used primarily in Australia. The fencing is made from interlocking steel panels designed to be used primarily for residential decorative use, although it has some commercial applications. The fencing is available in a number of colors and can be quickly installed in a backyard, but using Colorbond fencing with a retaining wall requires extra steps.
A retaining wall supports the soil behind the structure and prevents the earth from covering the sidewalk. Even though retaining walls will last for many years, improper drainage and excessive moisture will compromise their structural integrity. If the retaining wall cannot do its job properly, it will not keep the soil away from the sidewalk. Adding weep holes -- to allow the excessive moisture in the soil to drain out from behind the wall -- is just one of the ways you can correct the drainage and moisture problems without having to rebuild the retaining wall.
Building block walls is a fairly straightforward process that any do-it-yourselfer with some spare time and basic construction experience can accomplish, but advanced methods are needed from time to time. For example, while a small wall (around 4 feet in height) doesn’t need any reinforcement, anything larger than that will require placement of rebar in the wall. Steel rebar acts as a reinforcement when combined with the strength of concrete, and for large walls you will need to place it vertically as well as horizontally.
When adding a wall into an existing finished room, it is often desirable to leave the option of removing the wall at a later date. When the room has carpet already laid down, the only way to build the wall so that it can be removed without problems is to place it on top of the carpet. Doing so is not a problem and many builders will get the results they desire.
An embankment wall turns a difficult slope into two functional outdoor spaces while also adding interest to your landscape. Landscaping blocks are designed to go around curves. Use them to follow the contour of your slope or to add a graceful curve to a stark, flat hill. You can build an oval embankment wall in a flat area to create a raised planting bed. Fill it with colorful flowers for a landscaping accent or use it for an easy-to-tend vegetable bed.
A partition wall is a lightweight wall built inside a existing house. Such a wall is used to divide one large room into two or more smaller rooms. Because a partition wall doesn't support any weight, you can build one out of small, lightweight materials such as foam core. This makes the wall quick to construct and easy to carry. While you'll use wood to frame the wall, foam core boards will serve as an effective outer facing that requires no construction expertise to put up.
A steep section of a landscape can present numerous challenges related to mobility, landscaping and erosion. One practical and attractive way to address a problematic area is by installing a short retaining wall. A retaining wall can be built from a number of materials ranging from timber to mortared brick. One relatively fast and simple retaining wall construction option is poured concrete. To build this type of retaining wall, a large enough area for the footing and wall must be excavated and forms to contain the poured footing and wall must be properly built.
Cross ties are not only used in railway construction, but due to their heft and sturdiness are also used to create landscaping retaining walls. Despite their high resistance to weathering, over time one or more of the individual ties may dry-rot, which compromises the wall’s ability to remain strong and hold back the soil. Replacing the aging ties maintains the beauty of the landscaping material while preserving the structure's integrity.
Placing a fence atop a retaining wall can give you additional privacy or protection from would-be fence climbers cutting through your yard. While these fences may provide you with a little added security and privacy, replacing them once a retaining wall and fence are already in place can be a bit of a challenge. Accounting for the retaining wall and removing the old fence are the primary obstacles.
Travertine marble pavers are ideal for pool decks. Natural stone, they stay cool even in hot sun and don’t fade. Travertine is also tough, standing up to wear and tear, and slip-proof when wet, an important poolside safety feature. If a stone needs replacing, that’s easily done -- without affecting the rest of the paved pool area. Installing travertine pavers is fairly straightforward. You can do it yourself with careful planning and preparation, especially if you opt for natural sand joints rather than mortar. Setting travertine marble pavers in sand supports good drainage.
The best way to build a wall in an uneven space, such as a basement, is to piece it together in place. To do this, you'll need to secure the wall's top and bottom plates before installing the studs. This will allow you to custom cut the stud to fit the space if the ceiling and floor do not run exactly parallel to each other. Spaces may become uneven due to concrete slab settling or if a structure was poorly constructed.
As with all real estate, it's all about location, but waterfront property is a special case. These homeowners must consider the area’s weather history, increased insurance costs and maintaining any aesthetic improvements made to the property. Most homeowners are surprised to learn that physics trumps mortar when a stone waterfront wall is built, especially if you build it plumb or engineer it to tilt backward slightly so the wall hugs the shoreline while protecting your land against Mother Nature.
