DIY Life

It's time to put those patio chairs back into storage, but first --- why not re-web those few chairs that are in major need of some TLC? Shelterrific shows us how to re-web your chair using basic screws:

1. Measure and cut the length of the strip that you'll need.
2. Take the cut edge of the strip and fold each side in to form this lovely pointy end. Turn the strip over and insert the screw directly through this point so it holds the flaps together.
3. Screw into the hole on the chair. Weave the strip through existing webbing and repeat the folded point on the other side, securing with screw through the hole on that end.
4. Remember to factor in the bit of extra length you'll need for the chair to open and close fully.

Sure, it takes a bit of hard work, but you'll be glad you did it next spring when you remove immaculately-woven chairs from storage.

When it comes to home décor, I've learned to get more for my money. If you're currently renting, chances are you're doing the same – shopping for Pottery Barn looks at bargain basement prices. Shop even smarter: Time your purchases to take advantage of clearance sales on seasonal product lines!

August is a great time to shop for outdoor supplies, especially furniture and décor for your patio or balcony. So start keeping an eye out for those hot late-summer deals! Need inspiration? Check out my slideshow of thrifty buys for balcony beautification. It's all about getting great looks at an affordable price.

Oh, and for sensible tips on making the most of your outdoor spaces, take a look at Oh My Apartment's balcony decorating ideas and also HGTV's guide to decorating a balcony.

Now that summer is here, most of us long to be outside enjoying the weather before the cold winter forces us to once again retreat into our homes. Since the downturn in the economy many people are now entertaining at home. And where people were once putting additions onto their houses, more and more people are rethinking the way they are using their current space.

One of these spaces is the backyard. No longer relegated to just children's toys and overgrown grass, the backyard is being reclaimed as an extension of the interior of the home. There is a growing trend of moving the indoors outside and creating living spaces such as family rooms and dining rooms in the backyard.

To create your own outdoor living space, read on.

"Home, home on the raaange." Camping, campfires, and campfire songs are so much a part of the American summer. Kids especially love this stuff. "Can we go camping, Mom/Dad? Can we? Can we? Can we?"

Don't have the budget/energy/time to drag the whole family to a real campground? Consider building a stay-cation-style camp site at home. You can do this inside, or try setting up outside on the lawn or on your porch, deck, or patio. Invite all the kids' friends and make a party out of it!

Fake fire will be your centerpiece. I found suggestions on building a faux campfire at TheMeBuilders.com and at Cadvisor.com. This basically involves positioning a fan and some red-colored lightbulbs underneath your "campfire" (bundle of logs). A piece of colored silk scarf flickers and billows when the fan is turned on. Never, ever leave the setup unattended in case the bulbs overheat.

It takes two hours to set up a 300-square-foot garden that requires no roto-tilling -- no digging at all! -- and, even in drought-stricken California, only needs to be watered every ten days or so. Why aren't we all doing this?

A no-dig bed can be created anywhere. Pat Marfisi's luscious plot was built on a concrete patio! Beginning with ten or twenty layers of newspapers, the gardener layers on hay, straw, and compost, dusting between each layer with blood and bone meal. You can find detailed instructions of this "absurdly easy" project here.

No-dig gardens conserve water, as well. Once the plants have established their root systems, the layers of compost and straw hold in the moisture. The mixture does break down, so you'll be adding layers from time to time. It might look a little messier than your standard garden, and you'll still have to fertilize, at least initially, but once you start harvesting, all doubts will quickly vanish.

via: Apartment Therapy

We are finally at the end of our five part project: the transformation of a backyard into a very nice landscape.

This part covers the construction of a very cool little water feature. The initial design did not envision a pond, but there was a highly suitable area just off the deck patio, and it really called for something that wasn't a plant or a brick. Voila!... a water feature, with the splash of a waterfall that is amazingly efficient in helping to mask the background sounds of the neighborhood.

If you've kept up with the project thus far, here, here, here, and here, you know the story of the construction. This part wrapped up our efforts, and we could begin to enjoy the finished work.

The gallery will give you the inside story on the construction of the water feature; after the jump, we'll go over the details.

This is Part IV of the five part series (getting close to the end!) of a backyard transformation at the home belonging to my son and his wife. You may see the first three parts, here, here, and here. They covered the initial stages of design layout, prep, and paver installation.

Because the paver work was the biggest part of the project, we want to back up just a bit and look at the detail involved in the installation. It'll be helpful, especially if this is your first experience in laying pavers. Check out the gallery for some good information and we'll get started.

When you're planning a patio, carport, outside storage shed, or a standing porch cover, the first thing you need to consider is your concrete slab.

The challenge of pouring a concrete slab yourself is not too big -- with the proper planning. Because this is a DIY project, your concrete slab cost is bearable; the cost can just be added to your home equity. This article will provide instructions for building a form, pouring, and finishing a concrete slab.

When you're in the planning mode, you need to consider any plumbing and electrical conduit that will be incorporated in the slab. Failure to prepare for these concerns will mean the concrete slab will have to be trenched and patched.

Trenching and patching is a tedious and expensive process not to be reckoned with! The key is to make sure everything is properly planned and laid out before any wet concrete graces the work site. The trick, if you're dealing with anything sophisticated, is to use a well thought-out sketch, or a permit-approved blueprint if your municipality requires it.

Tools and Materials:

• Hammer
• Wooden stakes
• Mason's string
• 1" X 4" lumber for the concrete form
• 2" X 4" stud for the screed
• Shovel
• Steel wire mesh
• Side cutting pliers
• Steel tie wire
• 4' Level or laser
• Darby or bull float
• Magnesium float
• Steel trowel

Lay Out Your Slab's Location

The first thing to do is to decide on where the concrete slab will be located and what its size will be. Once you've got that nailed down, you'll need to drive stakes at the slab's corners, and connect the corners using string line. This represent 's your slab's boundary.

Be sure that your lines are square. Use the 3-4-5 method, then make any adjustments until you're spot on.

Prepare the Slab's Location

Pinch up the sod inside the area located within the string line. Next, level the dirt.

Now it's time to trench the footing. This is completely around the perimeter just inside the string line. Dig it one foot wide, and at least six inches deep. The purpose of the slab's footing is to strengthen and stabilize the slab.

Some municipalities require that a vapor barrier be placed on the dirt prior to pouring the slab. Inquire with the regional building code to determine whether this needs to be done.

The rationale for a vapor barrier is that moisture migrates up through the slab by capillary action and diffusion. This moisture is bad news for floor coverings and some folks claim it can be a health issue if mold develops.

Now, install steel mesh in the footing for small slabs, and rebar for larger slabs. Secure it together with pliers at the intersections with tie wire. This will strengthen the footing where the pressure is greatest. Again, consult your local building code for your particular situation.

Build Your Form

The concrete slab needs a wooden form to keep the concrete contained during its curing and finishing process. Use 1" X 4" or 1" X 6" boards for the form's sides. The string line serves as a guide and ensures your form is square and true.

You'll nail the form together. This is for stability; wet concrete exerts a lot of pressure! Drive stakes in every sixteen inches on the outside of the form, snug up against its sides. This will keep the sides of the slab straight.

It's critical to keep your slab level in all directions. Adjust the sides of the form to get this right. You can use a level for this but I really recommend a laser level. Then nail the stakes to the sides of the form securely.

Does Your Slab Need Control Joints?

Good question indeed! If it does, this is the time to put them in. (You can see them in driveways to see what I'm talking about.) Here's the rule of thumb: say you're pouring a slab for a patio. If it exceeds 10 feet in any given direction, then you should use control joints.

It's Time to Pour the Concrete into the Form

Home improvement stores and tool rental outlets will rent you a portable cement mixer. This is the best way to go for a small slab project; larger slabs justify scheduling delivery by a concrete company.

Position the cement mixer's outlet chute to pour the wet concrete into one end of the form. Begin the pouring. Use a shovel to push the concrete around and work it into all the nooks and crannies of the form.

Bear in mind that if you have to wade out in the concrete to work it, you really do need to wear your rubber boots. Concrete contains lye, and it's not too nice to your skin. Can you believe they used to put that stuff in soap? No wonder folks didn't bathe often.

Beginning the Concrete Finishing Process

After filling the form, level it with the edge of a 2" X 4". It should be long enough to overlap the form on both sides. Push and pull it in a sawing motion across the top of the form. Start at one end (your choice) and work it down to the opposite end. This process is called the "screed."

Apply the Darby

Now it's time to use the darby. I have absolutely no idea where this tool got its name, but you've got to admit, it sounds pretty cool! (Or is it just me?) The darby is a tool that smooths the surface of the concrete; it should be used on slabs small enough that you can reach everywhere by hand.

Larger projects such as a driveway, large patio, or a carport should be done with a bull float. The bull float is similar to the darby, and performs the same service, but it's outfitted with a pole so that you can work long-distance.

Whichever tool you use, use smooth, overlapping arcs. Push down while smoothing to remove lumps while filling any low spots. Take care not to work it too hard or the concrete will blister. Can you see where we're going with this? We're progressively fine-tuning the slab as it cures.

Next, wait until you see water beginning to appear on top of the slab. The time this takes to happen depends of factors such as humidity, etc. Next, you'll see that the water will reabsorb into the slab. Start testing the surface of the concrete. When your thumb, pressed into the surface of the concrete, leaves a quarter-of-an-inch deep impression, you'll know that it's time to edge and groove the concrete slab.

*Note -- If you put in control joints prior to pouring the slab, you don't need to use the groover. Groovy!

So why groove at all, if it just gets covered up? Well, the slab will be subjected all kinds of forces over its lifespan. The grooves provide the concrete slab with a vertical plane to crack, if it must. To be effective, the groove should be 1/4 of the slab's thickness in depth.

It's Time to Float and Trowel your Concrete Slab

How much pressure should you apply with the float? In this step is where concrete finishing becomes an art, like taping and floating drywall. It depends on the hardness of the concrete slab at this point. If you've never done this before, just start off with a light touch and get the feel of it -- it's all a matter of experience.

Next, it's time to begin to trowel the slab using your steel trowel. Think of this step as like floating, except that its objective is to take the concrete slab to more precise levels of smoothness. Further successive passes yield more precise results.

Some applications don't want or need any further smoothing of the surface. When would this be? Sidewalks fall in this category. If you're planning on laying ceramic tile on the slab using mortar, a super-slick surface isn't needed. Also, don't smooth too much any time a non-slip surface is called for. You can give it a broom finish at this point.

Trowel it the first time, and if a smoother surface is desired, let it dry out more, and then trowel it another time. Generally speaking, three passes will yield the best results. Beyond this, you won't notice any improvement.

Finally, let the concrete slab dry completely, and then remove the form and discard the lumber.

Organic furniture is all the rage. Tree stump benches and natural outdoor spaces fill the pages of the most popular home decorating magazines.

How far would you take this? Consider building an outdoor seating area complete with a grass arm-chair and couch. Styleo points us to a tutorial in the print version of Ready Made magazine, which outlines the steps. Working together with nature to create these inspired pieces of organic furniture is the perfect way to reunite your green thumb with your inner diva.

Basically, you pot soil into a chair frame, then plant the grass seed. After about 10 days, the grass will start to grow. When it reaches about 10cm long, you're ready to cut it down and reveal the chair design. You'll have to maintain it regularly if you want to avoid sitting in an overgrown mess. Remember, with all the maintenance, consider using a non-pollutant mower, and minimize your water usage.

There has been a comment that the tutorial is not easy to follow. I think this basic concept would lend itself to any number of design modification, so use it as inspiration, and see where it takes you.

Sleek, stylish, and environmentally progressive, you will definitely be the talk of the town (either as "Check out their cool lawn couch!" or "Who is that nut down the road with a chair made out of grass?").

Depending on where you live, it may be time to set up your outdoor furniture and enjoy the changing season from your deck or patio. If you're responsible and motivated, you probably cleaned all your furniture before packing it away. If you're like me, you ran out in the rain and quickly moved things to the shed, intending to go back and put them away properly, but never actually did it.

You organized folk will have an easier time getting your furniture ready this year, but I'm not entirely out of luck either. How to clean outdoor furniture is a great resource with cleaning tips for all types of outdoor furniture. Here are all the materials that can be cleaned using these instructions:

1. Aluminum
2. Cushions
3. Hammocks
4. Cast and formed iron
5. Resin plastic
6. Sun shades and patio umbrellas
7. Wood

Our umbrella is in terrible condition. Follow me through the break and I'll share their advice on bringing it back to life.

So you have decided to replace some fence posts, or add a walk way, or extend your patio, or dispose of a 1950's style gangster, or do anything else that requires concrete. After you check with your personal trainer, doctor, and have kissed your spine good bye, How exactly do you figure out how much to buy? Do you ask the guy pushing carts at the hardware store? Do you consult a palm reader? Do you just buy a mess of it and then make repeated trips back to the store in a never ending litany of "O.K., 3 more bags, 5 more bags, 12 more bags..."? (Not that that has EVER happened to me...)

Well the answer is surprisingly simple. Much simpler, in fact, than figuring out those dang angles to set your miter saw to to cut crown moldings. I mean come on! What kind of angle is 36.65344579? I can't seem to find that one anywhere on my saw! But I digress into what should be another article. It is even easier than putting together a tricycle at 1am Christmas morning before the kids wake up. The formula is this: Square Footage of the area to be covered x Depth of concrete in inches / 324. This will give you the number of cubic yards of concrete you will need. Now if you are going to have knowledgeable help and are looking at any amount over 1 cubic yard, I recommend you stop here and call in a truck of pre-mixed concrete. You will avoid a bill from your Chiropractor, and it will be a huge time saver. If, on the other hand, you find yourself bereft of suckers, er i mean friends, or are a masochist you will have to journey even deeper into the Land of Math to decide how many bags you will need to purchase.

Just yesterday I was moaning and groaning over HGTV's 2008 Dream Home. Yes, I was singing a song of envy that goes something like this (and you can let your dog howl along with me): Why, oh why, does my house need so much stuff done to it? Why, oh why, do these beautiful dream homes have to be out there taunting me? Etc. etc. Today, however, I discovered a site that shows I'm in good company: Broke Homeowners.

Who are Broke Homeowners? Well, seems they are a couple somewhere out there with a house they've been working on a lot. Hence that "broke" feeling. Check out pics of their indoor and outdoor renovations, including putting in a stone patio, landscaping with trees, renovating the basement, and building a folding staircase for attic access. The Broke Homeowners are selling gear with their logo on it, too. (T-shirts say "Broke Homeowners. You're not alone. We understand.) They even have a blog. Er, a blog that hasn't been updated for quite a while. C'mon guys! I need moral support!