How To Calculate Concrete Blocks Needed For Your Next DIY Project, So You Don’t Buy Too Much

Calculating the exact number of concrete blocks for a project comes down to one simple formula: total wall surface area divided by the face area of a single block, plus a standard 10% safety buffer for cuts and waste. First, calculate the wall”s square footage by multiplying its length by its height in feet. Be sure your height measurement includes any below-ground rows, since many retaining walls require at least one buried layer to properly anchor the structure. If your wall includes doors or windows, calculate their area (width multiplied by height) and subtract that from the total wall area.

Apply the formula for concrete blocks

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Once you have the net wall area, you can then determine how many blocks you”ll need. It”s easy to mix them up, but understanding keeps you from buying the wrong material for a heavy-duty wall. Most standard units have nominal dimensions of 8 by 8 by 17 inches, which account for a standard 3/8-inch mortar joint. To calculate the surface area of a single block, multiply its height by its length in inches, and divide that number by 144 to find the square footage. This gives you roughly 0.89 square feet per standard block. As a rule of thumb, it takes 1.125 blocks per square foot of wall surface area.

Goodbye Traditional Bird Baths: Use A Plastic Bottle To DIY One With Running Water

Goodbye Traditional Bird Baths: Use A Plastic Bottle To DIY One With Running Water

When it's sweltering outside and you know a bird bath on your patio would help your feathered friends cope with the heat, where do you start? While store-bought options might be your first thought, there's a DIY version you'd want to try out. YouTuber Robbie of RobbieAndGaryGardeningEasy inspired us with her simple but ingenious idea for a DIY solar-powered bubbling bird bath you can put together in no time, even if you're a beginner DIYer. This is one of the easiest bottle, some rocks, a short piece of plastic tubing, and an inexpensive solar-powered fountain pump kit like the AISITIN DIY Solar Water Pump Kit. You'll also need a hot glue gun and glue sticks, a soldering iron, scissors, a wooden dowel for the perch, and, of course, some water. Then, run to your garden and collect some decorative stones or find some beautiful river rocks.

For More Beautiful Wood Furniture, Paint It Norwegian-Style And Never Go Back

For More Beautiful Wood Furniture, Paint It Norwegian-Style And Never Go Back

Wood furniture will never go out of style, but it's certainly seen plenty of changes throughout the years. Ornate, highly detailed antiques, sleek, mid-century modern pieces, and shabby chic, whitewashed builds have all had their time in the sun at one point or another, leaving you reeling as you shop around for future heirlooms that will remain stylish for decades and . If you're tired of settling for plain, risk-free wood pieces, consider upgrading them with some detailing that's . After all, it's been around for centuries.

Everyone Used To Collect Them — Now They’re A Budget-Friendly Find For Collage Walls

Everyone Used To Collect Them — Now They’re A Budget-Friendly Find For Collage Walls

To the delight of every maximalist, the gallery wall, in all of its monochrome, curated perfection, is no longer in style. In its place? Something a little more spontaneous. The gallery wall's avant-garde cousin, the collage wall, is more like a mood board. It's full of different items and textures — many unframed, easy to pull off the wall, move around, and layer for a personal look. More good news: one of the most perfect additions to your collage wall might cost less than an iced coffee and be found at your local antique store.

No More Boring Racks — This ’80s Find Is A Cuter Way To Organize Your Entryway

No More Boring Racks — This ’80s Find Is A Cuter Way To Organize Your Entryway

After an ABBA album was successfully pressed into one of the first CDs made in 1982, this led to a memorable yet brief era of CDs dominating physical media. As the 2000s introduced people to palm-sized MP3 players and eventually, streaming platforms, the transition from physical to digital media has left many discs to collect dust. Not only was the CD rendered obsolete, a lot of stuff meant for CDs were also phased out, such as built-in CD players in cars, and even furniture like CD racks and cabinets. Nevertheless, just as you can repurpose old furniture, you could also give new life to CD racks as a chic and practical entryway storage.

Trade In The Flimsy Baskets: The Durable Vintage Find That Creates Instant Storage

Trade In The Flimsy Baskets: The Durable Vintage Find That Creates Instant Storage

Woven baskets have been having their moment as staples in home decor for quite a few decades now. After all, they are affordable, easy to tuck household items into, and blend in well with plenty of style aesthetics. However, they can fray, sag, and fall apart faster than you would like, especially once they are holding any heavier items. If you want a storage solution that can survive a move, a flood, or even a curious 3-year-old, try adding a vintage metal ammunition box to your shelves.