A great solution for a dead patch of lawn and an unused side yard: a bocce court! With this makeover, which also includes a sophisticated new slate patio and handmade redwood bench, this active family now has an entertainment area that all can enjoy.
Project No. 1: Bocce ball courtThis makeover takes advantage of some wasted space; the large side yard offers quite the potential as a bocce ball court.
Before: Empty side yard
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After: Bocce court and flagstone path
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How to create the court Clear area. Using a sod cutter, cut away all the sod. (Using a pick and a flat shovel also works but it just takes much longer.) Level the area. You don't want your bocce balls gathering in the same corner every game. Using a laser level or large level, check to make sure the area is flat. Rake dirt to lower areas or away from higher areas. Mark and measure the area. Use spray paint or chalk to mark the four corners of your court. For this project, the frame was 34 feet by 6 feet. A backyard bocce court can be any size you'd like, but regulation-size bocce ball courts are about 13 feet by 91 feet. Cut composite wood slats or wood for frame. Using a circular saw or table saw, cut 2x6s to the desired frame size. Because synthetic wood material bends, consider doubling up the sides for a stronger bocce ball court. Secure frame together. Using wood screws, join 2x6s. Then drive in 1' stakes every four to six feet to support synthetic material and to keep the frame straight and sturdy. Lay down base rock. The base rock needs to be about two to three inches deep. Load in base rock into the court area and then tamp down using a compactor. Lay down decomposed granite. The next layer of the bocce court is decomposed granite. Compact the area. The small rock particles lock into place once compacted, creating a strong surface for walking and bocce balls. Recheck the level. If any areas are too low, add more decomposed granite to raise area. If areas are too high, rake away excess decomposed granite.
Apply oyster shell flour. Local feed supply stores sell oyster-shell flour. Apply a thick coat (about one half of an inch of oyster-shell flour), then rake until smooth (figure A). This material is known to increase the speed of bocce balls. Keep an extra bag on hand for maintaining your court. Materials
decomposed granite
2" x 6" x 12' synthetic decking material (double your amount if you want to sandwich pieces together for a stronger court frame).
a/b grade base rock
oyster shell flour
level
1' stakes
wood nails
rake
compactor
sod cutter or picks
Project No. 2: Slate patioWhat better way to get some use out of a forgotten corner of a yard than to add a sophisticated slate patio for a family sitting space? Laying a slate patio is pretty simple; it just takes some patience and two days.
How to lay a patio Eliminate grass and debris. Using the sod cutter, rakes, picks and shovels, remove all grass, plants and weeds. Level and measure area. The slate patio is going to be 12 feet by 12 feet and run along the edge of the fence. Mark the area and then level, using rakes. Remove any excess soil. Form patio area. Using recycled forms or inexpensive 2x4s, create the frame for the patio. Secure frame using 1' stakes. Lay down base rock. Apply two inches of base rock inside of frame. Compact area.
Pour concrete. This pour is considered a "pig pour." Since pieces of slate will be the top layer of the slab, the concrete doesn't have to look perfect underneath. Pour concrete to the top of the forms and then float (smooth out) the concrete using a floating tool or wood 2x4s (figure B). Let dry. Let the concrete harden over night or at least 12 hours. Check the concrete and make sure it's hard before continuing onto the next step. Strip forms. Using a hammer, carefully remove the forms used to frame the concrete. Set out slate tiles. Before securing tiles to the concrete slab, make sure they will fit and decide on a pattern that works well with the design. Place tiles and figure out where they will sit on the slab and which ones need to be cut. Cut slate tiles. Using a wet saw or tile saw, cut tiles to size so they fit on the slab. Slate is extremely delicate, so buy more than you think you'll need; some will break in the process. Remember to wear safety glasses. Mix mortar. The mortar, or thin set, will secure the slate to the concrete slab. Mix a small amount of the dry mortar with water to the right consistency, following instructions on the bag.
Lay tile. Starting from the center of the slab and working to the outside edges, begin to apply concrete thin set; this is the mortar that will secure the slate tiles to the concrete. The best tool for the job is a trowel with ½" grooves (figure C). Apply the mortar tile by tile, so it doesn't dry out. Slowly lay each piece in the chosen pattern and then place plastic "X" spacers in each corner of the tile, making sure each tile is equal distant apart and leaving spaces for the grout. The spacers should be 1/4" or 3/8" (figure D). If you don't want to see the grout, jam pieces together. Apply tile grout. Once each tile is in place and mortar is dry, it's time to grout the slate patio. Remove plastic spacers. Mix tile grout as specified on package. With a sponge and bucket of water within reach, begin applying grout inside of the cracks. Wipe away excess grout with a damp sponge. Let it dry. Give the patio overnight before walking on the surface so tiles won't shift. Materials ½" bluestone tiles (or any colored slate tile)
tile mortar (thin set)
tile sanded grout- gray to match slate.
bucket of water and sponge
tile saw or wet saw with diamond blade
5 sac pea gravel, 4 ½" slump – wet concrete
2 x 4 x 12' Doug fir lumber for frame (or any inexpensive wood)
a/b base rock
concrete float
compactor
plastic spacers ¼" or 3/8"
bucket for mixing mortar and grout
safety goggles
Project No. 3: Redwood canopy bench A custom slate patio needs a customized place to sit. Instead of buying patio furniture, consider building it. The advantage of building it yourself is that you can make the bench as deep and wide as you want. Smooth redwood is rot resistant and weathers beautifully, but any type of smooth lumber would work for this project.
How to build the bench Cut pieces to size. Design the bench around the cushion or have one custom made. Call a local fabric store or design studio and find out if outdoor fabric is available. For a bench five feet long, three feet deep and seven feet high, cut lumber accordingly: Cut four 4x4 posts 7 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 6" pieces for front/back seat support 5 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 6" side seat support pieces 3 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 4" arm rests 3 feet long.
Cut one 2" x 4" for the backrest 5 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 4" seat slat supports 5 feet long.
Cut eleven 2" x 2" seat slats (to support cushion) 3 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 2" top cap pieces 3 feet long.
Cut two 2" x 2" top cap pieces 5 feet long. Attach front seat support. Attach 2" x 6" front seat supports 12 inches up from the ground to the outsides of the front 4" x 4" posts using 3-inch stainless steel screws. Repeat this step for the back seat support to the back 4" x 4" posts. Assemble seat support. Stand up the front posts and the front seat support assembly, then stand up the back posts and back seat support assembly about three feet apart to create the depth for the bench. Connect side seat support pieces. Attach the 2" x 6" x 3' sides of the seat to the outsides of 4x4 posts. The whole assembly should be connected together at this point. Four corner 4" x 4" posts standing upright and connected together by 2" x 6" seat supports 12 inches from the ground. Attach seat slat supports. Now that the frame is in place, begin attaching the two 2" x 4" seat slat supports to the insides of the front and back seat support pieces. They should be recessed 1.5 inches on the inside of the seat supports so that when the seat slats are set in, the seat slates are even with the tops of the seat support pieces. Several stainless steel screws should be used to attach the seat slat pieces to the seat supports. Set 2" x 2" seat slats. These pieces support the cushion. Lay in 2" x 2" seat slats every six inches and screw into seat salt support pieces with 2" stainless steel screws.
Attach arm rests. Attach the 2" x 4" x 3' arms rests to the 4" x 4" posts about 18" above the seat support platform (figure E). This can vary depending on the depth of the cushion. Using 3" screws, attach armrests to the inside of the posts. Secure 2x2 top crosspieces. There are two options in securing the top crosspieces to the 4" x 4" posts. Option 1: Cut the notch in the crosspieces and cut out a mortise or a hole in the posts. Insert the notch into the mortise using glue, screws and a clamp. Option 2: Attach the cross pieces to the posts with a screw to either the inside or outside of the 4x4 posts. Attach the finishing caps. Place tops on 4" x 4" posts (figure F) and nail them in place. Stain bench (optional) . Using a semi transparent penetrating stain, brush a thin layer on stain on bench and let dry. Materials four redwood post caps
four 4" x 4" smooth redwood posts
several 2" x 6" smooth redwood pieces- 10 or 12 feet in length
several 2" x 4" smooth redwood pieces- 10 or 12 feet in length
several 2" x 2" smooth redwood pieces – 1 10 feet long, the remainder 6 feet long.
3" stainless steel screws
2" stainless steel screws
waterproof wood glue
semi-transparent penetrating stain (optional)
drill
hammer
circular table saw
GUESTS :
Matt Clark
Landscape designer
M2 Landscape
Website: www.m2landscape.com
Michael Bulnes
President/CEO
California Decorative Concrete
We apologize no contact information is available.
| ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: | | Backyard Bocce |
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