This week, a poured concrete patio turns a decaying patio into an outdoor living space this homeowner can truly love.
Gretchen Bayley lives alone in her mid-century home, but the house is always full of friends and family. We’re transforming her old, crumbling patio into an outdoor living space to give her more room to entertain.
First, frame the area 12-by-23-foot area with 2-by-4s. Place the boards level with the existing carport concrete slab, then slope slightly downward so water will flow away from the carport.
Use a framing square to ensure each corner is at a 90-degree angle. To keep the form boards in place, screw them to evenly spaced wooden 2-by-4 stakes.
We use a masonry line to make sure the depth of the newly poured concrete patio will match the existing one. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Once the final form board is installed, check the depth across the space to ensure there’s enough depth to use the old patio as a foundation and pour the new slab directly over it.
(Because the pavers are below the top edge of the carport concrete slab, we don’t need to dig them up.)
Finally, lay the reinforcement wire.
Steel reinforcement wire adds strength to the newly poured concrete patio. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Once the forms are complete, a professional concrete finisher pours the slab. As the forms fill up, we tap the outside of them to release the air bubbles trapped in the concrete.
The concrete finisher moves a bull float over the freshly poured slab to smooth the surface. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
The concrete finisher uses special tools to smooth the top of the slab and create expansion joint lines to prevent cracking.
Once the concrete has cured for a bit, we drag a broom over it to create a textured finish.
The new picket fence has a functioning gate that’s easier to open and close. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Add Picket Fence Panels
Gretchen’s improvised roll fencing serves its purpose of containing her dogs in the backyard, but it’s not pretty. So, we’re adding some prettier (and sturdier) white picket fence panels.
This post anchor allows us to secure the fence right onto the concrete slab. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Instead of using a zip tie to keep the fence closed, we’re adding a gate at the corner of the carport to offer easier access to the new patio. To secure the post for the gate, we place it in a post anchor that can be drilled into the concrete.
The new outdoor entertainment area features bar seating and an adjustable TV. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Create Entertainment Area
Two large, empty shelves are wasting space in Gretchen’s carport. So, we remove the top one to make room for an outdoor TV and use the bottom one for bar seating.
These drop cloth curtains give this outdoor entertainment area warmth, texture, and the option for privacy. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
To create even more separation between the carport and the new outdoor entertainment area, Chelsea hangs drop-cloth curtains.
The curtains not only add some extra texture to the space but they also can be closed to hide Gretchen’s car when she’s entertaining.
Chelsea Lipford Wolf and Danny Lipford pose with homeowner Gretchen Bayley. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Post-Production Thoughts
Even though it was a good size, Gretchen’s patio was decades past its prime. The crumbling pavers were more than unattractive — they were downright dangerous.
The roll fencing added along the edge to contain the dogs wasn’t helping the look of the space either. There was nothing about this outdoor living space that invited you to enjoy the spacious backyard.
But now, the new poured concrete patio that replaced the old patio is both stable and attractive. Its clean edges clearly define the space, while it flows almost seamlessly into the existing covered area.
The new fence suits the yard perfectly and its new location creates the ideal boundary between the carport and the covered patio area.
Chelsea’s curtains help reinforce that line while they soften the edges and add refinement. What was an overbuilt shelf has become a modest bar top and the refurbished patio furniture creates plenty of comfortable seating to enjoy the expansive backyard.
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When you’re planning a concrete slab, it’s important to consider drainage. If it’s exposed to the elements, the slab should have enough slope so water can drain off of it.
For example, in the video above, we want the new concrete patio to be flush with an existing slab, so we slope the forms in the opposite direction by about one or two percent.
It’s also important that a slab be thick enough to be durable.
The thickness depends on what you’ll be using the slab for. Concrete driveways and patios need to be at least 4 inches thick, whereas concrete countertops only need to be one and a half inches thick.
In the video above, we want this patio to be at least 3-1/2 inches thick because we’re pouring the concrete over old pavers. So, we use a 2-by-4 gauge block to ensure we have that clearance.
Steel reinforcement wire helps to keep the concrete slab from crumbling. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
3. Forgetting Reinforcement
Concrete slabs are high in compressive strength, which makes them great at resisting compression forces and impact. But when it comes to tensile strength, or the capacity to resist pulling-apart forces, concrete doesn’t fare as well, according to ConcreteNetwork.com.
This is where steel reinforcement wire can help. Steel reinforcement provides additional structural support for concrete slabs. This is especially important if it will be exposed to heavy traffic.
It’s not uncommon for air bubbles to develop inside the slab as the concrete is poured. So, it’s a good idea to tap the exterior of the forms to help release them and improve the slab’s strength.
As the concrete cures, it will shrink some and may crack. To accommodate for this shrinkage, use a concrete groover to add some expansion joints as the slab cures. This way, if the slab expands, it’s more likely to do it inside these shallow grooves, where it mars the finished surface of the slab.
A spool of nylon string can be used for many things — general crafting, fishing and hunting, and laying mason lines.
When used for masonry, it’s one of the simplest quickest and most accurate ways to create a perfectly straight line.
That’s why a spool of nylon string is often sold as mason’s line — because brick masons use it to get nice straight brick walls.
The string is easy to unwind off the spool, but it’s not as easy to get back on after you’ve used it.
Winding it by hand back onto the spool can lead to tangles and uneven distribution. And eventually, you’ve got an unusable mess that you have to cut up.
Using a power drill to wrap nylon string around a spool will speed up the process and lessen the likelihood of tangles. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Here’s a much better, and faster, solution:
Take a screw and drive it through the end of the plastic housing that the spool is on. Then, chuck it into a drill.
Turn on the drill to the lowest setting, and just like that, you can now use the power of the drill to put the line back on the spool.
It only takes a few seconds to wind the nylon string back onto the spool!
As you’re winding up the nylon string, slowly move it back and forth along the spool.
This way, you don’t overload one side or the other, and the string winds up neatly every time.
This week, we’re transforming a breezeway that looks almost accidental into a more inviting entrance.
Delane Caldwell’s breezeway to her front door is just a narrow hallway to the backyard, but we’re going to find a way to incorporate it more as a living space.
The Projects
Grinding the concrete smooths out the uneven surfaces of the patchwork slabs. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Refinish the Concrete Slab
The concrete in the breezeway looked like a patchwork of slabs. So, to create a uniform-looking slab, we smooth the concrete surface with a grinder.
Coating the breezeway with concrete epoxy paint creates a uniform color throughout the breezeway. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
After we sweep the dust away and rinse the slab off with a water hose, we paint the new smooth slab with a base coat of white epoxy paint.
After the base coat dries, we pop a chalk layout line on the slab to start our stenciling.
This stencil pattern is based on traditional Portuguese Azulejos tile designs. We used black epoxy paint to fill in the tile pattern on the concrete.
Curtains make this space feel more like an outdoor living room than a breezeway. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Hang Curtains
To make the breezeway feel more like a living space, we remove the chain link fence at the end and add curtains.
The fence posts are set in concrete, so to remove them, we’ll need some leverage. After digging up the dirt around the base, we place a concrete block next to the post to act as a fulcrum for our shovel.
To make the curtain rod wide enough to fill the breezeway, we connected two galvanized pipes together with a tee fitting. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Our curtains are going to hang the curtains from a galvanized threaded rod. We first measure the breezeway to ensure our rod is long enough to span the entire opening.
Etching the galvanzied pipe with vinegar ensures the spray paint will stick. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Before we install the rod, we paint it black to match the wrought iron. But, before we can paint, we have to etch the rod with vinegar to ensure the spray paint adheres to it.
Green leafy plants with varying heighth add depth and breadth to the garden space. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Fill Garden Bed
Our next project is to transform the garden bed inside the breezeway from a dirt pit to a green oasis.
We add a mix of green, leafy plants to fill the once-defunct garden space.
We surprised Delane with a smart lock deadbolt to not only dress up her front door but also make her home a little more secure.
The Kwikset Halo Touch Wi-Fi Fingerprint Smart Lock uses Delane’s unique fingerprint to open and lock her front door. This single-cylinder deadbolt also can be locked or unlocked by using the keypad or key from the outside as well as the turn button from the inside.
The smart lock has built-in Wi-Fi that connects directly to the home Wi-Fi network and smartphone for a secure smart home that does not require a third-party smart home hub, panel or subscription.
We also:
Touched up the paint on ironwork with spray paint
Painted front door and patio door dark teal
Today’s Homeowner TV host Danny Lipford and co-host Chelsea Lipford Wolf pose with Delane Caldwell and her father, Tim Caldwell. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Post-Production Thoughts
Delane’s breezeway is the main entrance to her home, but before it had a very tired and haphazard feel to it the random collection of different slabs on the floor only left visitors with questions about what the space was supposed to be.
The sad empty planting bed made the house feel a lot older than it actually was, and the chain link fence made it feel more like a cage than a relaxing space.
But now, the whole Space is taken on the field of a courtyard in a fancy hotel the consistency of the stencil floor ties everything together from the wrought iron gates to the lush green planting beds.
The door adds a pop of color while the fountain adds a cool visual element and a peaceful soundtrack for the space.
The simple curtain rod and the curtains frame the backyard and somehow make it all feel like a resort and we did it all for less than $1,200.
This week, hear our thoughts on the best spot for a skylight, plus how to fix puddling on a concrete patio. (KM6064/temmuzcan, Getty Images Signature)
Hour 1
In Hour 1, hear how to prevent wasps from swarming around fruit trees, tips for cooling off a hot attic and more.
Controlling Wasps Around Fruit Trees
Wasps are attracted to the sugar in ripe fruit. (TAs3, Getty Images)
Wasps are swarming around the apple and pear trees in Valerie’s front yard.
“Each fallen fruit attracts about five or more wasps, such that I can’t (well, I don’t WANT to) touch the fruit to move it away to cut my grass,” she says.
Valerie wants to know: “What time of day should I pick up the fruit?”
Wasps, as well as bees, are attracted to the sugar in rotten fruit.
Don’t spray any poison around the trees because it won’t just kill the wasps —it will also kill honey bees, precious pollinators that are dying at an alarming rate.
Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do, other than:
Pick the fruit as soon as it’s ripe.
Don’t let it fall to the ground. We know it’s impossible to prevent every fruit from landing in the dirt but check on the trees frequently.
Rake up the fruit on the ground with a long-handled rake to avoid any stings.
Bees and wasps aren’t as active at night or very early in the morning, so pick up the fallen fruit then.
A renovated attic like this one can be hard to insulate because there’s not much space between the walls and the roof. (chuckcollier, Getty Images Signature)
Leslie Trippe’s 1953 home in Huntsville, Ala., has a finished attic space with two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The ceilings are only seven feet tall and angled in the bedrooms, plus there’s no extra space in between the drywall and the roof.
“When the wall or ceiling is touched the heat can be felt coming through the drywall. We currently use portable air conditioners to keep the space cooler. Is there a way to cool off this space?” she asks.
This is a very common problem in attics that have been converted into living spaces. When people are slowly renovating their home, they forget to take into consideration how hot the attic can get.
Most of the time, it’s almost impossible to add insulation without doing some demolition. Any added insulation in the space between the drywall and the roof will help.
See if any contractors in your area do blow-in cellulose insulation. It’s a mix of wood or paper-based products and glue that’s pumped into the cavities behind walls and ceilings. The contractor would need to cut a small area of drywall to pump it into the small space, but this can easily be repaired.
Besides adding insulation, call an HVAC professional and see if they can set up some zoning for your air conditioning system. This allows you to pump more air conditioning into certain areas.
You can also invest in a ductless air conditioner. This has its own separate system that attaches to the wall.
Hour 2
In Hour 2, hear our thoughts on the best spot for a skylight, keeping water from pooling on a patio, and more.
The Best Spot for a Skylight
Consider two things when installing a skylight: What room that you want it in, and how much sun do you want shining through. (KM6064, Getty Images Signature)
A hotline caller wants to use skylights for ventilation more so than sunlight.
He wants to know: What direction should the skylights face: north, south, east or west?
There’s a lot to consider when placing skylights. Start by asking where do you want the light on the inside.
Then run a plumb line up along the ceiling in the attic and see if you run into any valleys or if the light tunnel will be exceptionally long.
In terms of directional exposure, I don’t think that’s a big deal to worry about if you have a quality skylight with shade capabilities. Just make sure it looks good from the inside and doesn’t affect your home’s structure.
In often cases, people don’t put it on the front of the house for aesthetic purposes. They’re often placed on the north-facing roof plane because it provides the most indirect light, so you won’t get a lot of glare or heat build-up.
If you live in a northern climate, you might want to place them on the south-facing side for some extra heating.
Buy a glass skylight, not an acrylic one. Those can lead to water damage and intense heat if they don’t have the proper curving or seamless flashing.
Stopping Pooling Water on a Patio
Pooling water on an uneven patio can weaken the concrete’s structure. (temmuzcan, Getty Images Signature)
Fifteen years ago, Jane Pierce’s husband used a concrete leveler to correct a low spot on her patio that was collecting water.
“It’s held up very well until now. It is cracking and chipping off. How can I fix this?” she asks.
Here’s how to fix this:
Chip away as much from the surface as you possibly can. You don’t have to be too aggressive with it — just get all of the material that’s separated from the original patio.
Next, get some Quikrete ReCap Concrete Resurfacer. Use Quikrete’s Concrete Calculator to determine how many bags you’ll need.
Then, mix it according to the directions on the package and pour it onto your patio.
Use a large rubber squeegee (about a foot to 16 inches wide) to spread the mix. Cover the entire patio to ensure it’s level.
Before it dries, drag a broom across it to add some texture for a slip-resistant surface
A regular screwdriver can loosen any stuck parts inside a deadbolt. (mokee81, Getty Images)
How do you fix a deadbolt that’s stuck in the locked position? That’s what Marlene Lauer in Neenah, Wisconsin, wants to know.
She says, “We removed the doorknob, but couldn’t move any of the parts to slide the bolt. We tried to take the door off and that did not work. My son wants to saw through the bolt. Is that our only option?”
Usually, a small piece inside the doorknob has broken and is lodged inside, keeping it locked.
Use a hammer to tap a screwdriver or nail punch to the right and left inside the keyhole to loosen the jammed part. Then, try tapping the screwdriver a bit with a hammer to loosen what’s stuck inside.
If this doesn’t fix it, call a locksmith.
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Simple Solutions
Attaching a section of downspout to a ceiling joist creates easy storage for long and narrow items. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Easy Overhead Storage — Here’s how to make an overhead rack in your garage workshop, or shed for storing small-diameter pipe, narrow moldings, and even fishing rods.
Cut two 5-in.-long pieces from a length of vinyl downspout.
Then screw the downspout pieces to an overhead ceiling joist, spacing them about 4 feet apart.
Now, simply slide moldings and pipes into the short downspout sections. The parts will be up and out of the way, but easily accessible when you need them.
Have a split chair leg or a tabletop? Here’s how to get the wood glue in tight spaces when you fix it, and coat both sides evenly! (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Gluing Tight Cracks — When fixing a split chair rail, cracked baluster, or similar object, it’s difficult to apply glue because the crack is so tight. Try this:
Wedge open the crack with a small flat-blade screwdriver.
Then, squeeze in some glue and use a length of dental floss to work the glue deep into the crack.
Pull out the screwdriver, wipe away the excess glue and clamp the repair.
