|
 Patio
Tools – What You Will
Need to Build Your Own
Patio
By Dan Fenstemaker,
Inventor of the Original
INTELETOOL
Building your own brick
or tile patio will save
you hundreds, maybe
thousands, of dollars,
and you will have the
satisfaction of knowing
you did the job
yourself. There are a
number of things to
think about when
designing and building
your own patio, so check
the internet for helpful
sites. I have found
several websites that
provide good tips and
instructions along with
great visuals to guide
you along.
But, one thing that’s a
bit harder to find is a
list of the basic tools
you may need to complete
the job. Please note
this may not be a
complete or
comprehensive list,
because there are
differences in patio
design that require
different patio tools,
and I may also have
simply forgotten a thing
or two.
Save Yourself
Unnecessary Frustration
Needless to say, there
is nothing more
frustrating than having
to make an unplanned
trip to the hardware
store right in the
middle of trying to
complete one of the
construction steps
because you forgot to
get a needed patio tool.
Use the following list
to get started, and as
you plan and design,
think about any
additional tools you may
need. The key is to have
as complete a list as
possible, and to then
have your tools
available and laid out
when you begin the job.
List of Patio Tools
-Safety Glasses or
Safety Goggles (very
important when cutting,
splitting, sweeping,
tapping, etc.)
- Measuring Tape
- Knee pads
- Work Gloves
- Wheelbarrow or Hand
Truck
- Easy-to-read Level
(the longer the better
for speed and accuracy)
- Broom (for clean up
and working sand into
the paver joints as you
complete the job).
- Basic Shovel
- Masonry Saw or Brick
Saw (you can rent this
so make sure one is
available. You can also
use a circular saw with
a diamond chip blade.)
- Screed Board (you can
make one with a 2 by 10
board. Use guides on
each end and then drag
screed board to level
the sand or gravel base
you are preparing)
- Hand Trowel (used for
spreading sand or
gravel, adjusting pavers
or tiles, scraping
excess sand from edges,
etc.)
- Vibrating Plate
Compactor (to press
tiles/pavers down and
level them. Great for
larger jobs)
- Hand tamper (for small
jobs, a hand tamper is
enough. You can even
make your own with
squares of plywood
nailed together into the
end of a 4 x 4).
- Pry bar or flat bar to
adjust joint alignment
by adjusting pavers or
tile
- Mason’s trowel or ice
scraper tool (to pack
sand tightly into the
joints once patio is
completed.)
- Hammer and wide
Mason's Chisel (for
basic crosscuts on final
end pieces.)
Again, this may not be a
complete list of
everything you’ll need,
but it’s a great place
to start. Remember,
thinking through your
job and having all the
right tools available
really helps to make the
job go faster and makes
it a lot more enjoyable.
---
Dan Fenstemaker is a
patio tools
expert. For more great
information on
patio tools, visit
http://www.inteletool.com. |
