33
votes
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
I've done it two ways. Take a coat hanger and bend a 1" 90 degree at the end of a straightened out hanger. Insert the bent edge down into the seem and twist the hanger so the 1" piece turns ...
- 83.8k
19
votes
Hanging string lights from stone
I would only drill that stone as an absolute last resort. That not only damages it in an unrecoverable way but opens it up to faster degradation from weather, especially if you're in a frost zone.
...
- 144k
19
votes
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
I've recently seen a video but can't find the link. Consider a Flexible Joint Knife, or the equivalent in a fairly wide spatula. Get a pair of them, to enable uniform lifting.
Slice from each edge of ...
- 11.2k
19
votes
Should my contractor have installed a new concrete patio on top of sod and an existing patio?
It's clearly substandard work, but unless you have a contract specifying standards of work, have fun getting it sorted.
Soil prep
reinforcement
expansion joints
All appear to be lacking.
I'd bet on ...
- 223k
18
votes
Patio gate not at right angle to the house
you should angle the post that's by the house. It will increase the functionality of the gate hardware.
If you're worried about looks, you can always take a piece of fence plank and install it from ...
- 83.8k
16
votes
Accepted
Are loose-stacked bricks a suitable base for concrete steps?
The bricks are very dense and make a good fill.
Not having the steps covered does not make them structural. Structural is something that supports something else.
If you don't want the bricks to be ...
- 38.2k
15
votes
Prevent puddling on patios
Standard engineering advice for "flat" exterior surfaces is that they actually be sloped at 1/8" per foot (which is close enough to 1cm/meter as to make either perfectly acceptable) for drainage ...
- 223k
14
votes
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
Try using a pressure washer and a wet/dry vac to erode the sand and debris in the gap between the pavers. That'll hopefully get you to a place where at least the paver block can wobble freely, which ...
- 32.1k
13
votes
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
Just to add to the various hints, and complete the picture of available techniques, professionals who do this a lot would use a vacuum slab lifter, something like this:
Source: Express Tools
However ...
11
votes
Can structural bricks be used as pavers for a patio?
For brick driveways the most important part is a solid compacted base--crushed quarry rock or shale, not crushed river rock. Sand is normally used, not mortar.
For a “green” drive, place the holes ...
- 103k
10
votes
Patio gate not at right angle to the house
I had a similar issue but a small angle so it wasn't worth bothering to fix it.
I think you definitely have to go with the second orientation. (square up the gate opening)
Are you using 4x4 or 6x6 ...
- 121
10
votes
Accepted
Installing a sliding patio door...why does the entire frame have to be square, level and plumb?
Out of square doors/door frames either do not close (if really bad) or seal properly; a 1/4" can create a significant gap in between the door and weather stripping allowing significant heat/AC loss.
...
- 9,801
10
votes
Accepted
Does the quality of fill dirt matter?
If you were pouring a slab over this -- and required decades of stability -- you might need to worry about your fill. Organic matter and other debris that will break down over time is appropriate for ...
- 3,382
9
votes
What is the purpose of a 6" base gravel layer in patio installation?
It mainly serves two functions:
The density of the in-situ soil usually is uneven (due to voids) throughout the site, and difficult, if not impossible, to compact to the desired strength (eliminate/...
- 3,392
9
votes
Accepted
What is the North American term for sand used in making mortar for laying a sandstone patio?
"Washed concrete sand", or "masonry sand" is sharp-edged so it packs well and holds its shape to some extent. It also tends to be coarser than playground sand, for example. Common ...
- 144k
8
votes
Accepted
Can I remove the doors before installing a sliding patio doors frame?
Don't do that! You will never get the frame aligned properly in the opening if you take the doors out. If you can't handle the door yourself, get someone to help.
To elaborate a bit more. The ...
- 23.5k
8
votes
Patio gate not at right angle to the house
Something that might be an alternative option: don't use square gate posts, but triangular ones, or octagonal ones or whatever shape you need to get the angle right.
- 285
8
votes
Installing a sliding patio door...why does the entire frame have to be square, level and plumb?
Doors are made in rectangular shapes with nice right angle corners. When the door's frame sides are plumb and the top and bottom are level that defines a rectangular shape of the frame.
Having both ...
- 65.7k
8
votes
Can structural bricks be used as pavers for a patio?
I am going to say they can... but no.
There are tons of varieties of bricks that are used for pavers. There is no reason to go with your garden variety house brick.
To be clear the OP is ...
- 50.1k
8
votes
Should a paver patio slope in the direction of yard grade?
You can slope pavers, yes, to avoid water settling, especially if you have drainage issues at the site. And sloping is not level, so it will be different from your house, which is level. Looks good to ...
- 8,646
8
votes
Which is better for a patio: 16 ft or 8 ft planks?
It's entirely an aesthetic and practical decision. It doesn't affect the integrity of the deck in any meaningful way, and moisture will collect at the joist-decking interface regardless.
I prefer ...
- 144k
7
votes
Accepted
Making a temporary walkway
Your local home center(Lowes/HomeDepot) should have 12inch x 12inch concrete patio blocks for about $2 each, even less if you find some with chipped corners. Since it is a short term project I would ...
- 11.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Handling water flowing over a patio
Running the water over the patio is a bad idea you will constantly be cleaning debris, dirt and the slippage factor from slime and such. If you are just dying to run it over I would build a wall ...
- 677
7
votes
How can I remove rust stains from outdoor vinyl flooring?
I'm not sure why you'd try to salvage that material. You can plainly see in the third photo that it's badly degraded. It needs replacement.
If that is rust stain it has likely pervaded all the way ...
- 144k
6
votes
Does an outdoor outlet mounted on a patio ceiling require protection from a GFCI?
In my opinion (not AHJ). You don't need a GFCI on receptacles that:
1. Cannot be reached without the use of special equipment.
2. Are being used for a specific duty.
However, the receptacle shown is ...
6
votes
Accepted
How to modernise this raised concrete drain in the middle of patio?
Yes that appears to simply be set on top of a spacer which is then set on top of the buried box. You should be able to lift it off, with some effort, and also keep in mind that some adhesive or ...
- 23.5k
6
votes
How can I lift a sunken paver in the middle of my driveway / patio / walkway / sidewalk?
What works for me is using two pruning saws.
Place one in the gap on each side of the paver, then twist each one so the teeth grab the paver. Then lift.
Easy.
- 1,466
6
votes
Are the straps in my patio chairs supposed to be loose?
If the cushions are really thick - 4"+... then loose webbing makes sense. If the cushions are thinner then the webbing will eventually break. It really depends on the cushion that is going ...
- 50.1k
6
votes
Accepted
What is the proper way to protect house from raised patio installation?
In my opinion, there is no amount of metal that will keep termites out of the siding. The smallest gap is all it takes for them to get in. Even with a membrane under the metal. The laps of the siding ...
- 36.4k
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