Guides

How to do the job once you know how much to buy. Each guide links to the matching calculator.

Measuring & planning

How to measure square footage

Measure a room, an L-shaped space, a circle or a triangle, and find out why a house's listed square footage is measured differently (ANSI Z765).

Concrete & masonry

How to pour a concrete slab

Lay out, dig, form, pour, finish and cure a small concrete slab for a patio or shed. Includes base depth, slope, control joints and curing times from QUIKRETE, NRMCA and the IRC.

Landscaping & yard

How to install a gravel driveway

Plan, dig, layer and crown a gravel driveway: subgrade, geotextile, base and surface stone, compaction and the ½-inch-per-foot crown FHWA recommends. With quantities from the gravel calculator.

How to level a yard

Fix low spots by topdressing or lifting sod, regrade bare areas, and slope soil away from the foundation (6 inches in 10 feet, IRC R401.3). With topsoil quantities.

Flooring & tile

How to tile a bathroom floor

Check the subfloor (deflection and flatness), install backer board, lay out from the center, set tile in thinset, and grout. Standards from TCNA and ANSI A108, with tile and grout quantities.