Customer Reviews

Patios and Walkways (Do It Now Do It Fast Do It Right)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The organization is excellent; the presentation of a series of sample projects makes the information very accessible to the novice, while providing some flexibility in how you can use the book. If one of the projects is exactly what you want to do, just read that section and plunge right in. If you don't know what you want to do, or want to do something a little different from what is described, read the entire book and get a good understanding of both basic principles and the variations that are possible. I had nothing bad to say about this book immediately after reading it (several times), but imagine my surprise when, while researching concrete pavers online, I ran across a familiar photograph - from this book - at a paver manufacturer's website. Reading the acknowledgements and copyright info for the book confirmed it - a number of the supplemental photographs are marketing materials provided by manufacturers. No wonder that this book seems to imply that pre-cast concrete pavers are the greatest thing since sliced bread! It seems obvious in retrospect that the book is biased by this manufacturer input. For this reason, if you are hoping to save a lot of money with DIY, this may not be the book for you. It doesn't cover the cheapest patio/walkway options (gravel and concrete), and the emphasis is more on saving money on labor so that you can spend extravagantly on materials. If you already know that gravel and concrete aren't quite right for you, then this might be just the book you need.

The projects were unattractive and the construction/installation information was nothing more than a quick web search would provide.

I'm big on DIY and home improvement books. I usually buy the huge ones that touch on everything and do very little with them. This is a small book in comparison to my others, but it's packed with simple DIY in a short time projects. It doesn't overwhelm you and it makes the projects seem like something even those who aren't skilled can pull off. I like this book a lot.

This a great guide to getting everything you need to do a job. The photos are great for ideas, but there is little more than that. The book seems too short to accomplish the task at hand. I'll have to get an additional book.

Step by step pictures are easy to follow and informative. This book is set out in a user friendly manner and one of the best of it's type I have read.

This book is great for getting a few ideas about patios/walkways/decorative walls etc.
It has a bunch of good tips for beginner landscapers, but nothing too in-depth.

If you're looking to do a couple of weekend projects around the house/yard this book is what you're looking for.
If you're looking to do a more substantial project (which I am in a new patio) then this book only gets you ~1/2 way there.
It tells you what the general sequence of events must occur to create a patio or walkway or what have you, but usually only one example of each.
If you want to do a concrete patio or mortared flagstone patio or walkway there might not be enough info in this book to answer all of your questions, but can get you started on the right path.

Overall a good buy for reference and some ideas to do-it-yourself landscaping of all types, but generally not detailed enough to give you all the ins and out for larger or tricky projects.