Outdoor Improvements

In planning, remember that they must stand up under destructive effects of the elements

Probably as a result of increased leisure time, outdoor living has gained tremendous impetus in the United States in recent years. In fact, the home that lacks adequate outdoor facilities may now be considered virtually obsolete.

One of the best improvements you can make for your year-round pleasure is to create a patio, terrace, porch, or other facility for eating, playing and relaxing outdoors, provided such an improvement does not cost much. It may increase the value of your home by more than its price.

Homeowners who plan outdoor improvements often make the mistake of regarding them as mere spare-time projects, says the Portland Cement Association. Actually, your patio will become just as much a part of your property as your garage, landscaping and even the house itself.

Plan your outdoor improvements so that they will stand up under the destructive effects of wind, rain, sun and snow. Unless you make them well and with permanent ideas in mind, that leisure time that you intended to use by relaxing on your patio may be spent in repairing it.

Building a Patio

Patios provide the ideal place to eat and entertain in summer. All you need is a durable surface that will support lawn furniture and is easily cleaned. Try using precast concrete patio blocks for this purpose. They are available in various sizes and colors.

First level the area with a slight grade for drainage. Next excavate to a depth that will accommodate the thickness of the block plus a 2-inch layer of sand. (If you are using block 2 inches thick, that would be 4 inches.)

Position the block in any pattern you like—diagonals, squares, etc.—and tamp them close together. Brush sand over them to fill any spaces that remain between units. You can even place the blocks in individual holes and let grass grow between them, if you prefer.

]Provision for outdoor living is a good investment. This paved area between house and garage is a charming spot for entertaining.

Quarry tile, bounded by a rough stone wall, was used for this fine patio, one of a series of outdoor living areas.

Portland Cement Assn. photos

Flagstones of precast or cast-in-place concrete provide an attractive and durable garden walk.

A solid concrete slab will give you the smoothest patio. You can paint lines on it, and use it for shuffleboard, badminton or other games. If you make your patio of concrete, remember to reinforce it. Although concrete is a durable material and can carry heavy loads (such as a 2-ton car), it cannot resist stretching or pulling forces. And it's these forces that can cause unsightly cracks.
Concrete is subject to tension as soon as it is placed or poured. When it begins to set up, the mass tends to shrink and this causes tensile stresses. Constantly thereafter the slab is subjected to tension. Each change of temperature and humidity causes expansion or contraction, and each contraction exerts forces that can cause cracks. To avoid them, use steel reinforcement of welded wire fabric.

This material consists of a series of crisscrossed steel wires, welded at the intersections, and usually furnished in 5-foot-wide rolls. It looks like fencing. Wires used for patios and driveways are usually spaced in 6-inch squares, and are about an eighth of an inch in diameter. When imbedded in the concrete, the network of steel wires distributes tensile stresses and minimizes "pull" which would damage the slab.

When a crack does form in the concrete the steel wires imbedded in the slab hold its edges together so that it is hidden. The slab continues to act as one unit under loads. There is no tendency for its pieces to vary from this level and develop uneven surfaces in the patio or driveway.

Concrete patio block, spaced checkerboard fashion, provides pleasant visual contrast, protects lawn from furniture. Suggestive of old New Orleans courtyard is the midwest entrance-patio that combines slump brick with ornamental iron. The circular planter could be a sandpile for children.

Plasticrete, a special concrete, is available in block form as well as in circular shapes like these that can be used for dramatic effects. Handsome outdoor fireplace is of concrete "split block."

Installing a Driveway

A driveway can make an attractive addition to your grounds and you can install it yourself.

It should be at least ten feet wide to provide space on each side of the car so passengers can get out without trampling grass or shrubbery. A curved driveway should be about three feet wider because turning wheels require more space. You can make a driveway of concrete, blacktop or gravel. A concrete driveway should have six inches of mix over six inches of gravel. It, too, should be reinforced with steel mesh.

A blacktop driveway can be made of a "hot mix"—asphalt that has been melted and is leveled out by a heavy roller while it is still plastic—or a "cold mix"—a combination of gravel and liquid asphalt which can be rolled with a lawn roller. Either type resists cracking.

You can make an inexpensive driveway of gravel on level ground. Usually it is not good on slopes, because it washes out. To avoid washouts, you can "surface-treat" the driveway—pour or spray a layer of liquid asphalt onto the gravel to hold it in place.

A must in making any driveway is to provide a firm surface beneath it. On top of your tamped-down dirt base, put a layer of clean rocks up to two inches in diameter. Make the layer two or three inches thick and pound it down firmly. Add a layer of stones up to three-quarters inch in diameter and rake them until level. If you have a lawn roller, use it to pound the stones down. On top of this base, place the concrete, asphalt or another layer of stone.

A concrete driveway usually is made 6 inches thick to take care of heavy delivery trucks. If you plan such a driveway, first level out the base so that the finished pavement will have a uniform thickness. Set down 2x6 forms for its entire length. A line level hung on a cord stretched from one end to the other will help to set and align the side forms at the required level. Top edges of the 2x6s opposite each other must be at the same elevation. Support them firmly with stakes.

How to roof a porch-patio

Sub-surface portion of this backyard porch-patio baked in the sun or collected snow and rain until this attractive shed-roof was installed. The entire project was completed in just two weekends.

Roof is of clear fiberglass, supported by ¾-in. pipe. The supporting pipe is threaded at one end for flanges; flanges are holed to take screws.

A 2x4 rafter support is bolted to house, top left, in predrilled holes that prevent splitting siding. Upper ends of 4x4's are cut at angled step, top right, so they rest on house support and are easily nailed. Outer ends of the 4x4's (3) are •wedge-cut to rest easily on pipe flanges that are screwed to them. A rubber sealing strip, that matches fiberglass corrugations, goes along house end of finished frame.
George Tilton photos

After frame is painted to match house, fiberglass installation begins. Holes are predrilled to receive special aluminum nails; neoprene seals go under the head of each. Last corrugation of each panel of fiberglass is not nailed. Instead, it is coated with clear mastic that provides bond to the next panel.

Wire Reinforcement Institute photos

When installing concrete drives or walks, welded wire reinforcement is a good investment. The reinforced drive above has served two families for five years and is in perfect shape. The driveway below is in the same neighborhood. Not reinforced, it is badly cracked in less than one year's time.

When laying out a turn, make the radius of the curve not less than 18 feet. Lengths of ¾ inch lumber can be bent around stakes or heavy stones to serve as forms. Soaking them ahead of time enables you to bend them around a sharper radius. After placing the forms, put down the steel mesh which will serve as reinforcement.

The most important element in the project is the proportioning of portland cement, fine and coarse aggregate and water. The recommended amount of clean water is 5 gallons per bag of portland cement when sand is average wet, or 4½ gallons when the sand is very wet.

How to reinforce concrete

The welded wire fabric is unrolled below atop half the ultimate thickness of a concrete slab. A second layer of concrete will be poured at once, to bring slab to full thickness. Alternatively, reinforcement is placed before any concrete is poured. It will be tugged up into mid thickness during the pouring. Dummy joints of walk are only lor looks. Welded wire fabric runs continuously 25 or 30 feet between walk's contraction joints.

Usually a good mix consists of one part Portland cement by volume to 21/4 parts sand and 3 parts gravel or crushed stone (maximum size 1 inch)—to be mixed with the predetermined amount of water. If these proportions make a mixture that is too stiff, too wet, or which is hard to work, correct the next batch by changing your proportions of aggregate. Don't change the cement and water content.

Mix the concrete well, then place it into the forms and spade it along the sides. Make sure it gets completely under, over and between the mesh. The concrete is struck off with a strike board to give the desired crown or valley. The strike board— a 2x4 or 2x6—should rest on the edges of the side forms. Work it in a saw-like motion to level the concrete.

Preferably concrete should be placed to the full depth of the driveway in one operation. Finish off with a wood float a few hours after the concrete has been placed, or when the shiny film of water has disappeared. Unlike a metal float, a wood float leaves the surface rough enough for good traction. For greatest strength, the concrete should be moist for 72 hours. Leave the forms in place at least three days after the concrete has been placed.

Fences for Your Property

A wall along your rear lot line can help increase the effectiveness of your outdoor living space. It will provide protection against wind, debris and intruders.

It is important to build your wall of durable materials. A wall or fence that will require constant maintenance may be worse than no wall at all, for it will detract from the appearance of your property. Concrete blocks have proved popular because you can lay them quickly and they provide a strong wall that will stand up under wind, weather, and the abuse of children at play.

A driveway can add considerably to your grounds. A blacktop drive like this can be made of gravel and liquid asphalt rolled with a lawn roller.

Driveway tips and ideas

On level land, gravel driveways are quite practical, inexpensive. Gravel should not be used on slopes unless surface-treated for permanence.

Photos by the author

A concrete driveway is usually 6 inches thick to withstand the punishment of heavy delivery trucks.

If home is on busy street and space is plentiful, a turnaround area for car should be considered.

When garage is located as this one, driveway can eliminate the need for installation of a walk.

1. The Chromalox DTW-26 snow-melting mat con of insulated heater wire on galvanized mesh

2. In driveway installation, conduits are placed on gravel-aggregate or insulating cement sub-base

Chromalox photos

5. Properly positioned, heater mat looks like this. Units are 18 inches wide, 10 feet long.

6. Conduit box is capped. If cement sub-base is omitted, top aggregate sub-base with vapor barrier.

Preferred size of block is 8x8x16 inches. These will produce a wall 8 inches thick, with courses 8 inches high. A wide variety of patterns is possible. To get a lattice effect, you can lay block with uniform open spaces between units in each row. You can get a three-dimensional effect by slightly recessing units at regular intervals in each row. Or you can combine different sizes of block: units 8 inches long might be alternated with 16-inch units to make an attractive pattern.

You don't have to restrict yourself to 8x8xl6-inch units. In most sections, you can get a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Split block and slump block, 4 inches high and with a rustic or stone-like texture, can be used. In some areas, even curved units are available. They make walls with distinctly "different" lines.

Split block actually is a solid unit. It gets its name from the manufacturing process in which units, generally 8 inches thick, are split to give two 4-inch-thick facing blocks. The rough side is then used out. Split block usually is gray, but coloring is sometimes added to make red, yellow, buff or brown units. Because of its rough surface, this block often resembles stone.

Slump block is also a solid unit. It resembles adobe or weathered stone. The consistency of the concrete mix allows the block to slump slightly when removed from the mold, giving it an irregular appearance as though hand-molded. Slump block also can be colored integrally.

3. Healer mats are carefully unrolled. They go 1 ½ inches beneath ultimate level of the driveway.

4. Power leads are brought up to conduit box. Units connect in parallel, must be well grounded.

7. Alter installation of heater mats, final l½ inches of concrete is poured and smoothed out

8. All leads are drawn through this rigid, rustproof conduit to outlet box in home's basement.

9. Completed installation; 40 sets of the Chromalox heater mats are installed in driveway and walk. The 18-inch-wide mats can be placed so two tracks will be cleared where the car's wheels will run.

Fences for your property

At right, a simple board fence that gains distinction from overlaid design. Note construction details, varied picket fences in drawing on this page.

Various patterns of grille block also make a practical material for screen walls. With these perforated units, you can get shelter from wind, sun and light, without cutting off your view. Designs run from plain squares and oblongs to involved patterns of circles, diamonds and triangles. These units are usually 4 or 6 inches thick.

Any outside wall should be laid on poured concrete footings which are on firm bearing soil, below the frost line. The footings should be as thick as the wall is wide, and twice as wide as the wall is thick. Applying this formula, an 8-inch wall should have footings 8 inches thick and 16 inches wide. The footing can be poured into a trench if the soil is firm. Otherwise 1-inch forms, backed up by 2x4 "studs" 16 inches apart, should be used. Oil the in-sides of the forms for easy removal after the concrete sets.

Western Pine Assn. photos

This beautiful view is set off by a beautiful fence, inspired by a Chinese design and constructed of western pine. A tile is set in center of each panel.

If the wall is to be over 2 feet high, use steel dowels to tie it to the footings. Three-eighth-inch bars about 24 inches long are suitable. Place these in the footing before the concrete hardens, at intervals of about 4 feet. Work out the spacing in advance, so that the bars will project into open spaces of the first two courses as the block is laid. Fill the spaces with mortar or concrete to secure bar and wall to the footing.

For ordinary work, the Portland Cement Association recommends the following proportions for mortar: 1 part masonry cement to 2 or 3 parts mortar sand in a damp, loose condition; or 1 part Portland cement, 1 to 11/4 parts hydrated lime or lime putty, to 4 to 6 parts mortar sand. These proportions are by volume. The water added must be fit to drink. Enough water should be added to make mortar that is stiff but "buttery" enough to adhere to vertical surfaces.

In hot, dry weather, mortar stiffens quickly and needs frequent remixing to keep it workable. If the mixture becomes too stiff, small amounts of water may be added. In temperatures of 80 degrees or higher, you should discard mortar not used 2½ hours after mixing.

Lay your first course with extra care to make sure that the finished wall will be straight and true. Spread a full mortar "bed" along the footing. Then "butter" the block with mortar along one vertical side. Place them in position, pushing downward into the mortar bed and against any previously laid block. Lay three or four blocks, then use a mason's level to make sure they are in line and even. You usually can knock a block into line by tapping it with the trowel handle.

If you want, you can leave the excess mortar at the joints undisturbed for a rustic effect or you can get a finished effect by tooling the joints with a round or square bar while the mortar is firm but has not yet set. This operation compacts the mortar and helps insure tight joints. Tool horizontal joints first, then vertical ones.

You can get a "different" effect by emphasizing the long lines of a wall. Do this by tooling horizontal joints and leaving vertical joints flush.

Retaining Walls

A retaining wall requires special treatment, since it must hold back tons of earth. If the wall is lower than three feet, additional steel reinforcing is needed. If it is higher than that, you should brace it with pilasters at regular intervals. Really long or high •walls may require the services and equipment of a concrete contractor.

Other suggested fences for your property

A rough-sawed board fence, such as this one of western pine, is simple but attractive, thanks to overlapping planks and texture. It also serves as a fine backdrop for vises and other plants.

Fences such as these, of varied materials, enjoy increasing popularity. Corrugated fiberglass panels of different colors are also worth your consideration.

Western Pine Assn. photos

Imaginative use of the jig saw offers endless possibilities. Potted plants, left, have offbeat charm.

Concrete block is a good material for walls for low terraces, to hold back a lawn that slopes sharply and would otherwise wash away. Curved walls sometimes are used in this way. You can also make a long-lasting, attractive wall of fieldstone blocks cemented together with mortar. It will not require maintenance or care.

To prevent heaving, your footing should extend below the frostline. If the ground is firm no forms will be needed. Dig a trench with vertical sides. Then pour your footing, using a 1-2-6 mix of cement, sand and gravel. Use a mason's' level atop a long 2x4 to get this footing as level as possible.

How to build concrete steps

Forms for your concrete steps are constructed as indicated in the diagram. Well-tamped cinders, crushed stone, or gravel fill is used to form underside of steps. Fresh concrete is then poured.
                      
Stríkeboard levels off excess concrete from landing and treads of steps. Float finishes surfaces when concrete has stiffened, is still workable.

Braces remain on riser forms throughout finishing. Surface treads soon as possible for good bond. Finishing tool separates form edge for removal.

Knock forms loose from top down. Plaster each riser face with concrete. Inside edger provides a tailored appearance.

Let the footing harden overnight before laying any fieldstone. Mix a mortar of one part cement and three parts sand. First place a layer of mortar over the footing— about one inch thick. Set individual stones in the mortar. If necessary, tap them down with the handle of your trowel, or lightly with a hammer. Next put in the backing material—rocks, cement block or brick to back up the fieldstone and to build the wall out to the required thickness. Mortar between the block and fieldstone to bind them together in one mass. Lay stone on the face side and block on the back until you reach the desired height.

Fieldstone varies in size, so you probably will have to cut individual stones for an accurate fit. Use a cold chisel to scratch along the line of cut. Then lay the stone on a solid surface and tap lightly along the scored line with a small sledge hammer and chisel. When the groove has been deepened to 1/8 of an inch, place the chisel in the center of the stone and rap sharply with the hammer. A properly-scored stone will crack cleanly.

Concrete Steps

It is important to have steps that don't sag, don't have to be replaced often—and are exactly the same distance from one tread to the next. For comfort, steps should not rise more than 7½ inches; nor should they be less than 10 inches wide.

You can use 1-inch lumber for the side forms. Back them up with 2x4 studs braced at top and bottom. Riser forms for steps 3 feet wide and less may be lx8s but 2x8s should be used for wider steps, to prevent bending or bulging when they are filled with concrete. If one low riser is necessary to complete a set of steps, always make the low step the bottom one.

Place the concrete in two layers—one for the base course, the other for the wearing surface. Mix for the base course should be 1 part Portland cement by volume, 24 parts sand, 3 parts gravel (not more than 1 inch in diameter.) Mix these ingredients with water (5 gallons per sack of cement) to a stiff, dry consistency.

The mix for the wearing surface should be 1 part portland cement by volume, l½ to 2 parts sand, and l½ to 2 parts gravel (not more than a-inch in diameter.) Use 5 gallons of water per bag of portland cement if the sand is average wet.

A design that can be duplicated in a fence is this stair rail that doubles as a ladder on which plants can climb. As the plants grow with age, it will better break rather flat expanse of house-front.

Before placing the concrete, make sure the forms are well braced. Pour in the mix as soon as possible after mixing. Fill the forms with mix, then level off each surface with a strike board.

When the concrete is stiff but still workable, finish the surface with a wood float. This will produce a smooth yet gritty surface. If you want a smoother surface, use a steel trowel after the water sheen has gone from the surface of the concrete. The pictures on page 142 should prove helpful. Round edges of the steps with an edging tool after the concrete has become stiff. Remove riser forms and plaster the face of the step with the concrete mix used for the wearing surface. Finish the inside corner with an edging tool. If possible, keep the steps covered with wet burlap or canvas for at least 5 days, wetting it down regularly.

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