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.
Board and batten adds a geometric, layered look to both interior and exterior walls.
This siding and paneling style uses thin strips of wood — or battens — placed over the seams of wide boards.
You can mimic the look of board and batten on an accent wall without installing wide wood boards. Here’s how:
Because we wanted custom-sized battens, we had to cut them down from larger boards. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
For the battens, rip half-inch by 6-inch pine siding along its length to create battens that are about 2¾-inch wide.
We use the same wood for the baseboard but cut it slightly wider to match the existing baseboards. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Use the same pine siding to frame the top and bottom of the wall. Cut the bottom piece slightly wider — at 3¼ inch — to match the height of the existing baseboards.
By using an oscillating saw, we don’t have to remove the baseboard to cut it. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Use an oscillating saw to cut the baseboards on the adjacent walls back a half inch so the pine siding can slide in. Then, attach battens in each corner.
We’re spacing the battens 16 inches apart because that’s the typical spacing of wall studs. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
The remaining battens should be spaced on 16-inch centers. Before installing them, mark those dimensions on the wall with a pencil to be sure the spacing works before installing them.
Applying construction adhesive ensures the board will stay put in case the finishing nails don’t penetrate a stud. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Since we can’t be sure we’ll hit studs with every batten, coat the back of each batten with construction adhesive before tacking them in place with 2-inch finish nails.
The tile we’re using has a built-in pad so there’s no need to install an underlayment. Start in a corner of the longest wall in the room, placing the tiles with the tongue side out.
The tongue on luxury vinyl tile is the small flat edge on one side of the tile that’s angled to lock into the bottom side of another tile (the groove side).
Cut the outer boards down to ensure you have equal-sized pieces on either side of the room. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
To ensure we have equal-sized cut pieces on either side of the room, we cut our first row of tiles down to 8 and 3/4 inches.
Luxury vinyl tile expands and contracts, so give it some room by spacing it about 3/8 of an inch away from the wall. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Space each piece about 3/8 of an inch from the wall so there’s room for expansion. For this luxury vinyl tile, we’re aligning them with the base molding because it’s a little wider than that measurement.
On the first row, you’ll only need to snap the end joints together. For the next row, align the end joint then tilt the tile down so the longer joint lines up.
Staggering the rows prevents unattractive gaps between the luxury vinyl tile. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Offset each new row by half from the previous one before tapping both joints in place with a rubber mallet.
You don’t have to use a saw to cut luxury vinyl tile. Simply score it with a utility knife and snap it off. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
When you need to cut the tile, simply align the tile and mark the edges at the obstacle, then connect the lines using a speed square. Cuts can be made with a saw or with a utility knife to score and snap the tiles.
A wall fountain gives you the relaxing feeling of sitting next to a babbling brook right outside your home.
By installing a ready-made one like this one, you don’t have to rework any plumbing in your home. All you need to do is decide on the location, drive in a mounting screw, and hang the fountain.
However, if you don’t have an electrical outlet nearby, you’ll need to have one installed for your wall fountain to work.
Electrical work is best done by professionals. Here’s what they’ll do to set up an exterior outlet.
Installing an Exterior Electrical Outlet
The fountain will be hung on the other side of this wall, so we can use the wires from this outlet to power an exterior outlet. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
The electrician will find an interior outlet near where you want the exterior outlet to be. He’ll use the wires from this outlet to power the exterior outlet.
To access the wires, the electrician must first remove the electrical box. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
With the power turned off, he’ll disconnect the outlet and remove the box.
To mark the location for the new exterior outlet, the electrician uses a pencil and the electrical box. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Next, the electrician will mark the location of the new box with a pencil. Make sure the electrician centers the box under the wall fountain.
The electrician runs the wire through the electrical box to connect it to the wall. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
After cutting a hole for the exterior electrical box, he’ll fish a new wire through that hole over to the inside box location.
A ground fault circuit interrupter outlet like this one constantly track electrical current flow; if they detect a change, they immediately cut power to the outlet. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
Finally, the electrician will secure and wire the new box with a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet, which the local building code requires for outside locations.
Once the electrical work is complete, all that’s left to do is connect the wall fountain’s pump and fill it with water before plugging it into the new outlet.
Now, we can begin enjoying the relaxing sound of water falling gently.
Want to incorporate a creative pattern to a room? Hang wallpaper!
Pick a bold pattern for an accent wall or encase a whole room for an almost instant transformation.
There are two types of wallpaper: Pre-pasted and unpasted.
Pre-pasted wallpaper has adhesive applied to the back of it. To activate, simply wet the back and begin to apply the wallpaper to the wall once it’s sticky.
Unpasted wallpaper requires you to add the adhesive to the back in order to paper to the wall (or in this case the wall) in order for the wallpaper to stick.
Before you begin hanging wallpaper you’ll want to establish a plumb line adjacent to a corner. This straight, vertical line marks where the ends of two pieces of wallpaper will meet. Mark this line in an inconspicuous spot so the transition from one sheet of paper to the next is not as noticeable.
Cutting wallpaper is much like cutting gift wrap. You’ll need a sharp pair of scissors. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
2. Prep Wallpaper
Cut the paper itself an inch or so longer than the vertical dimension so it can be cut top and bottom.
Tip: Roll the paper backward before you hang it so it lays more flat on the wall.
Some wallpaper has self-adhesion and others require you to put the glue on the paper or wall while installing. This wallpaper specifies for the glue to be applied to the wall, rather than the paper, before hanging.
Use a paint roller to roll the glue onto the wall, and apply the first sheet of wallpaper.
A smoother removes air bubbles and keeps the wallpaper surface even. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
4. Remove Bubbles
To remove air bubbles while you’re hanging the wallpaper, use a smoothing tool.
Pay close attention to the pattern so you’ll have a seamless transition from one sheet to the next. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
5. Match Pattern
Because there’s a pattern on this paper, we have to match up the pattern for each new piece. We line it up and mark the point where the top meets the ceiling so we can cut it to the proper length.
A slight overlap will accommodate any shrinkage after the glue dries. (3 Echoes Content Studio)
6. Overlap Seams
Overlap the seams by a little less than an eighth of an inch. This will eliminate any gaps if the wallpaper shrinks as the glue dries.
To trim any excess wallpaper, use the smoothing tool as a straight edge along the top and bottom of each piece. This gives the paper a clean, sharp look to complete the installation.
