How to Build a Dry Set Brick Patio With a Curve

A brick patio adds outdoor space for relaxing and entertaining. While it’s easy to design a rectangular dry-set brick patio and install it, the straight lines might not do anything to enhance the living area. Curved patio edges are not that difficult to create and they may give the illusion that the brick patio is larger than it actually is. If you have some do-it-yourself experience and a strong back, you can build a dry-set brick patio in your own backyard.

1. Preparing the Patio Base

   • 1

     Design the layout of the patio. Allow adequate room for your family’s activities. Consider what patio furniture you plan to place on the new patio as well as where you intend to set the barbecue grill. If you want to use the house as shade, work that into your design.

   • 2

     Mark the boundary of the brick patio with stakes and string. Allow 6 to 8 inches more than you included in your design. This gives you some room to work with the bricks as you set them. As you set the string on the stakes at the level you intend to lay the bricks, allow for a slope of 1/8- to 1/4-inch per foot away from the house to allow for drainage.

   • 3

     Dig out the patio area with a shovel. If you have a large area, rent a skid steer loader. A depth of 9 to 10 inches provides a solid base and puts the bricks at or slightly above grade level.

   • 4

     Compact the subsoil with a plate compactor. Cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of angular gravel. Rake the stones until they create a level surface. Dampen the gravel with a garden hose. Compact it in place with the compactor. Add another 2- to 3-inch layer of gravel, rake it level and compact it. Continue adding gravel until the gravel surface gets to within 3 inches of the string guide you set up in Step 2.

   • 5

     Set up parallel lines of 1-inch conduit pipes to use as screed guides on the gravel base. Screeding is the process of leveling the base by filling low spots and lowering high spots by rubbing a long, straight board over two parallel pipes. Space these pipes no more than 7 feet, 6 inches apart. Try to arrange them so that you can do the screed work from the edge of the patio. Once you have a pattern established, press the pipes into the gravel base about 3/4 inch. If you set a paver on top of the screed pipes, the paver’s top should extend 1/8 to 1/4 inch above the string line. If it doesn’t, raise or lower the pipes accordingly.

   • 6

     Place several shovels of gravel between two screed pipes closest to the house. Set a straight 8-foot length of 2-by-4 on the pipes. Work the board back and forth as you pull it toward you to level the gravel. Keep adding gravel until you complete that section. Add gravel and screed it in the remaining sections of the brick patio.

   • 7

     Run the plate compactor over each section of the patio. Do not disturb the screed pipes. At this point your base should be solid enough to not leave a hand print.

   • 8

     Pull the screed pipes. Try not to disturb the gravel as you do so. Lay additional gravel in the trenches left by the pipes. Compact it into place.

   Laying the Brick Patio

   • 1

     Snap a straight line parallel with the wall of the house, using a chalk line. Snap a second line perpendicular to the first. This gives you a right angle to lay all your brick from.

   • 2

     Set the bricks, starting at the right angle. After you set the first brick, bring the edge of the next brick up to the first and drop it into place as close as possible to the first brick. Avoid scuffing the gravel underneath as you lay bricks in the pattern you selected for the patio. Extend bricks beyond the boundary where the curved edges are to be.

   • 3

     Lay 1/2-inch conduit pipe on top of the set bricks in the shape of the curved edge. Use a sharp metal object, such as a chisel, to score along the line marked by the pipe. Remove the pipe.

   • 4

     Cut along the scored line with a cutoff saw. In most cases you don’t need to remove the brick from the base to make the cut.

   • 5

     Lay a soldier course of bricks along the entire perimeter of the patio. Place the short edge of the bricks firmly against the last row of bricks you laid. If you prefer, lay a sailor course, by placing bricks end to end along the perimeter.

   • 6

     Set the flanged edge of the paver edge restraint firmly against the soldier course. Drive the pins that come with the edging into the gravel base, using a hammer. Cover the remaining opening between the brick patio and the lawn with topsoil.

   • 7

     Sprinkle sand over the entire patio. Use a push broom to work it into the cracks between bricks. Set a protective pad underneath the plate compactor and go over the entire patio with the compactor to settle the sand. Add more sand and compact the patio again.

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How to Change the Transmission Fluid in a Toyota 4Runner

The 4Runner is an SUV sold by Toyota Motor Corporation around the world. The 4Runner has a unique transmission pan that allows fluid to be changed without removing the pan. Transmission fluid should be changed every 25,000 to 30,000 miles under normal operating conditions, according to Toyota. For extreme driving conditions, the interval should be halved.

1. • 1

     Crank the engine and let it run for 30 minutes prior to changing the fluid. Transmission fluid must be at operating temperature before a change. Turn the engine off after the specified time. Park the 4Runner on a level surface and engage the parking brake.

   • 2

     Place the drain pan under the transmission pan. Remove the drain plug and let the fluid drain into the pan. The fluid will be hot; make sure you are wearing gloves and stay away from the flowing fluid.

   • 3

     Remove the old drain plug gasket from the drain opening and discard. Place the new gasket in its place and tighten the drain plug bolt.

   • 4

     Pop the hood and remove the transmission fluid dipstick. Insert the funnel into the opening and add the recommended amount of transmission fluid (depending on your year model). Replace the dipstick.

   • 5

     Crank the engine and toggle through all of the gear selections with your foot on the brake. Allow the engine to run for 10 minutes. Turn the engine off and check underneath the vehicle for leaks.

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How to Build a Cinder Block Column

A cinder block column is a effective anchor for a wall or fence. It can also be the core of any number of facades and, if done correctly, will provide a stable and lasting base for your intended project. Cinder block columns are fairly simple to construct, easy to maintain, and even easier to customize.

1. • 1

     

     Reinforcing bar adds strength and flexibility to a foundation.

     Prepare the foundation of the column by digging 6 inches below the surface where you want to place the column and in a square one-and-a-half times the size of the column you want to build. Fit reinforcing bar into the hole. This can be any piece of metal but commercial reinforcing bar is best. Mix and pour the concrete into the hole and level the surface.

   • 2

     Wait for the concrete to set. When it is set, measure and mark the corners of the column centered in the foundation. Mix the mortar according to the directions provided and apply to the first block. Be sure to not leave any gaps or air pockets in the mortar. Place it in the centre of the marked area. This will serve as a guide for the following blocks.

   • 3

     

     It is critical to level the first course to prevent lean.

     Apply mortar to the base and sides of the block that will be touching the other blocks and place them within the marked area. Place them tightly against each other, leaving around a 1/4 inch of mortar space between each block. Remove the mortar that squeezes out with the trowel. Level the first course before continuing to the next.

   • 4

     Apply mortar to the top of the placed block and lay on the next. Be sure to arrange the blocks so that the mortar lines are off set. If you have mortar lines that line up, it will provide a weak area in the structure of the column and could lead to cracking and failure. Apply a liberal amount of mortar to each touching side of the blocks, making sure not to leave any pockets and leaving a consistent space. Continue to scrape the excess off with the trowel and level each course both vertically and horizontally.

   • 5

     Insert wall ties into the mortar joints by pushing them in if you intend for your column to be part of a wall. The ties should be inserted at no less than 1 foot apart, or every other block. The ties will hold firm when the mortar dries and will provide a strong hold between the column and the wall.

   • 6

     

     Appling a capstone to the column can give it a unique look.

     Fill the cinder blocks if you desire. This is not a necessary step but it will add strength and stability to the column. To fill the blocks, insert a piece of reinforcing bar that will reach from the bottom of the wall to the top. While holding it in the centre of the space, pour in concrete. Wiggle the bar as you pour to help remove any bubbles.

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How to Lay Pavers Without Digging

You want the aesthetic appeal of a paver walkway or patio, but you don't want to break your back doing it. While it is true that most people choose do dig down into the earth a little bit in order to remove the surface vegetation and keep their pavers set firmly in the ground, you don't have to go that route. It will still take some time and effort, but there is a way to install pavers with no digging, and in fact, very little heavy-duty work at all.

1. • 1

     Lay a sheet of black plastic over the area and hold the edges down with stones, bricks or your pavers, to kill the grass and any other vegetation that may be growing there. Ideally, do this during a hot part of the year, as this "soil solarization" will kill the weeds and pests by causing them to overheat. If you're laying pavers as a patio, lay plastic over the entire area, plus about 1 foot on each side. For a walkway, lay the plastic about 6 inches wider than the desired walkway area on either side of the projected walkway.

   • 2

     Allow the plastic to sit on the area for about four weeks, or until all the growth underneath has died away. Lift a corner of the plastic every week or so to check on the progress.

   • 3

     Rake the area with a sturdy metal rake to smooth out the surface. If you're installing a patio, aim to make the area as level as possible, raking more dirt into certain areas if necessary.

   • 4

     Tamp down the area with a tamping tool.

   • 5

     Lay "no-dig" paver edging at the edges of your desired paver area. The installation for this material is different for every brand, but typically, you'll only need to lay down the edging, slide spikes through the holes in the edging, and then use a hammer or mallet to drive the spikes into the ground. Place the horizontal anchor tabs on the edging facing toward the projected paver area, or away from it -- the choice is up to you. Either way, the vertical "wall" of the edging will help hold the paver in place.

   • 6

     Spread about 1 inch of paving sand over the area, and then smooth it out with your rake.

   • 7

     Lay the pavers over the sand in the configuration you want.

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How to Build a Bench With Patio Blocks

Patio blocks, also called landscape blocks, include a family of cast-concrete masonry units used for paving patios and walkways and for building retaining walls, garden walls, columns, planters and other outdoor creations. You can build an attractive durable bench with landscape blocks made for standard walls and columns (as opposed to retaining walls) and any rot-resistant lumber or timbers of your choice. One popular bench design features two freestanding block columns bridged by wood planks or timbers to form the seating area.

1. • 1

     Prepare a stable base for each column. Typically, a good base includes a 4-inch layer of crushed stone, tamped so it is smooth, flat and perfectly level.

   • 2

     Lay the first course of block for one column onto its base. Butt the edges of the blocks together to form a square. Use a 2-foot level to make sure the blocks are level across the top.

   • 3

     Measure over from the first column and set the first course of blocks for the second column, using the same techniques. The distance between columns establishes the length of the bench’s seating area. Use a long, straight board set across one side of both columns to make sure the columns are properly aligned.

   • 4

     Set the second course of block on one of the columns, offsetting the joints between blocks in the first course in a 1-over-2 pattern (as applicable). Check with the level to make sure the blocks are level across the top and the column is plumb (perfectly vertical).

   • 5

     Continue setting courses in alternating patterns up to the desired level for the bench plank. Repeat to bring the second column up to the bench level. Cut a plank or timbers to overlap a portion of each column equal to one block width, or half a block length, as appropriate, using a circular saw, reciprocating saw or handsaw.

   • 6

     Position the plank or timbers on top of the columns and anchor it with exterior-grade construction adhesive or a suitable concrete adhesive.

   • 7

     Complete the course of each column, using whole or cut blocks, as needed; cut blocks as directed by the manufacturer. Add two or more courses of block, as desired, to complete the main part of each column. If recommended by the manufacturer, glue the top one or two courses in place with concrete adhesive.

   • 8

     Finish the top of each column with broad paving blocks or cut squares of flagstone, if desired. Glue the top pieces in place with adhesive.

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