How to make Patio Blocks quick and easy from concrete // DIY

[@craiglawrey7518]

Love the quick and straight to the point video. Well done. Thanks.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thank you, glad you like it

[@peterpaliwoda1527]

Simply brilliant , I have a real hoch poch stone patio thrown down 25 years ago when I was very busy working and “living a life” I will lift it and use your method to make nice flat even slabs more suitable now we are retired and have the time to do things right …the old stone would then be good for recycling…I love KZbin for guys like you inspiring us to “ get up and do something “ ( ourselves! ! ) Good Luck Peter P

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thats awesome, thanks so much! I'm really glad you like them and happy I could help out! Good luck on yours!

[@mariliacoelho2942]

🤔😍👌🙏💯🍃

[@JessedoesDIY]

Appreciate it!

[@TheHansoost]

Thanks for the information. Very helpful. I like the sand base on a sheet of plastic or tarp idea. Saves wood and will be much easier to release.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime, glad you found it useful.

[@adrianpoe4416]

FINALLY. Clear and not 100 steps lol. Looks great. I’m making some 12x36 ones soon and this was a great video! Thank you! 🎉

[@JessedoesDIY]

That's awesome! Keep me posted on your progress, good luck!

[@adrianpoe4416]

@@JessedoesDIY hey stupid question, I’ve never done anything with concrete. Just use quickCrete or do I want a brand that doesn’t dry too fast? What brand did u use for this? Also just a bag of play sand works?

[@JessedoesDIY]

No prob. So I used quikrete 5000 on this. You can really use any bag, but this 5000 and 6000 mix of theirs sets up faster then the regular stuff. It doesn't get hard too fast to work with, but it sets up in about 8-10 hours as opposed to 24 hours. This way at the 24 hour mark or so you can demould and lay the stones, gently of course. The regular stuff you'll demould after 24 hours and wait another day to move them yet. And yup, any type of sand will do, nothing special. Hope that helps, good luck on yours! Keep me posted

[@adrianpoe4416]

@@JessedoesDIY sweet thanks SO much for replying!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime!

[@pointblank1978]

Great project. Concrete can be labor intensive and fun. I’ve done several jobs around the house. But didn’t make a video. Thanks for making this video. Letting the novice see how easy it can be. 👏🏽

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks! It is fun but yeah, lots of actual labor which I think is glossed over a lot of the time.

[@johnwealthy6044]

better spending time doing things you love rather than on things that bore you!!

[@atilamatamoros7499]

Congratulations! your method is wiser than others on youtube

[@BokkieBam]

Thanks for the clear, quick to the business, "not -too- many- words" diy advice. Appreciate it.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@priscilaoliveira7746]

Okay, this is INSANE!!! Soooo perfect!! I mean, i have to change some cracked old rocks around the pool area and i was thinking that cost me tons of money to do it. Your idea is just great for someone who wants to save some $ but also want to make a beatiful and customized project. Well done! :)

[@JessedoesDIY]

Nice! Well I'm happy I could help, sounds like it'll work out great! Good luck on yours!

[@Carkebe]

Everybody complaining about the busted STORE BOUGHT pavers, yeesh. LOL. 😆Love the project! Perfect for making custom size/shape pavers. 👍

[@JessedoesDIY]

Omh yeah....they are really taking the wrong thing from the video. Thanks tho, glad you liked it!

[@grant7934]

Beautiful job, Jesse. Those new ones look better than the existing.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks! Most of the old ones I got for free so I can't really complain

[@christophermichael3674]

Probably never be able to do other than at my own place so I'm glad I got to watch others doing it on KZbin

[@JessedoesDIY]

Me too, thanks for watching

[@dupre7416]

My partner and I have been making dozens of life-size Bigfoot footprints using a similar technique. I like to see that you can do something professional like this as well. I think this is probably cheaper than buying 2'x4' premade pavers at HomeDepot. Unless you factor in your time... then it's no contest. I see this as something I'd do if I wanted a paver size that isn't available. Nice work 👍

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. That's exactly why I make them, when you need sizes you can't buy

[@lorettareid4120]

Really learnt alot here.. Thinking of offering a basic patio block customized service as my retirement plan...my partner has been a mason for 45 years...

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks, I'm glad you found it useful! If that's the case, I'd also check out my other recent video on making exposed aggregate patio blocks, it pretty neat. I hope it all goes well for you

[@mycreations318]

Love the way you explained it and made it so simple. Plus you could use that ball of cement you had at the end of pouring as a sphere to adorn your garden as well. This was a great video.❤❤

[@JessedoesDIY]

Good to hear, glad you found it useful. You absolutely could

[@rainmaker3700]

A block that big I would add a couple pieces of rebar for reinforcing. Good video.

[@НаталияЛомакина-з3и]

Да не положил арматуру

[@JessedoesDIY]

Go for it! These were just sitting in a corner so there will be no load on them

[@jezzter4106]

Mist the slab with water and re-trial it with enough pressure to bring the butter back up and then re-broom it. Works every time.

[@amandaroberts5047]

Thank you! I'm going to try this at home! First time for concrete for me. Thanks for making such a clear and easy to understand video!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime, glad I could help! Good luck on yours

[@beardedcatguitarplus9485]

Great video thank you for posting it. I’m going to be doing the same thing but making 1’squares 2”thick for landscaping pavers ontop of landscaping rocks to then eventually put plant pots on them. Going to make a frame like yours but with cross boards to make three or four pavers at a time on one jig.

[@JessedoesDIY]

No problem, glad I could help! Awesome good luck on your project! Love to see it when its done, shoot me an email

[@bubbatennessee7531]

Thank you so much, now I have some idea about making a few cap stone blocks for my swimming pool.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime! Sounds like a plans, good luck

[@WatersandWilderness]

Excellent job done. Thank you for the video.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@PaulBurns1]

Looks Good! Only suggestion... add some 1/4 - 1/2 inch wire mesh in the middle of the pour. Blocks won't crack.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. For a larger or load bearing stone I would, and I've shown that in other block videos. This was a hole filler is all

[@mikotondria]

Great video, I am much less anxious about pouring my pavers now. Awesome. Have a great long relax, sir :)

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks, good to hear! Good luck on yours, take care

[@DIYDomTheBuilder]

2 quick ?’s: 1. If reusing the molds… Other than cooking spray, would something like Vaseline or Candle Wax work to make it release & clean up easily? 2. I’m worried that a slab that size & thickness might crack or break… At what point is it necessary or at least should you consider using either a wire mesh or mixing in loose fiber glass to reinforce it? Good video! Thanks!

[@JessedoesDIY]

A wax would work, but an oil and wax would be best. It depends on what it will see. These were just decor and gap fillers so they will be fine. If they will see any use, wight, or stress I'd make them at least 2" thick, maybe a bit over and add a mesh. For heavy loads I'd do 3" thick or so and add mesh. Hope that helps!

[@MinionAtTheGate]

I enjoyed the video, thanks. Your sand and plastic sheeting method works good but I think if you are doing a few slabs then using plywood would be less work and better for the environment. Also less likely for the rectangle to skew and a consistently flatter bottom. If you wait for 1 hour before edging and then brush it right after the concrete would be at a better consistency to achieve the desired results. For anyone wondering, these slabs are too thin for rebar, you could use some wire mesh but even that's not necessary at these dimensions, better to make sure you have a flat compacted base.

[@PlushSounds]

Can't wait to do our own for our backyard! We're considering pouring a bunch of 12 x 36" pavers. Should we add rebar or wire mesh for strength?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Nice! Depends what you'll use them for. These were light duty, but you may want rebar or the diamond wire mesh, whatever you have access to, it wouldn't hurt! Good luck on yours!

[@michaelnovak9766]

Tap your forms around the edges after you have the concrete to height Another suggestion for textured finished is pour it upside down on some textured wooden boards or mats or stamp a pattern on it. Just a case of using your imagination and items that you have kicking around 🙂

[@JessedoesDIY]

Absolutely

[@kenniegarner3848]

There is always one.

[@brocksamson7164]

Excellent idea!

[@Picnicgarden-qq1xu]

Good job. Thank you for sharing the method

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks, anytime!

[@ariyanadumon4549]

Thanks for the how to honey! This will be great when I build our porch!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime! Happy to help, and good luck on the porch!

[@ojardineiroeden]

I'm from Brazil! it helped me a lot, thanks

[@JessedoesDIY]

Awesome! I'm glad I could help! 🇨🇦

[@jessepalacio5542]

Still looks awesome.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@sammydavis991]

Keep going! Looks like you have a few to replace.

[@JessedoesDIY]

That I do, yup

[@croness91]

ive seen a lot of tutorial, this one is the easiest and beginner friendly.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks, glad you liked it!

[@JamieDPS]

Looks good but u need reinforcement inside to prevent cracking on settling/uneven base.

[@eagleeye761]

what if you wanted some reinforcing added? any hints there? great video

[@JessedoesDIY]

I like the wire mesh you can get in most concrete aisles for small blocks like this. I used it in my concrete vanity top video if you want to see it

[@sfils]

Good to see you had your European open toed safety boots on!! Great video.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Always lol. Thanks

[@Anonimowy_Jutuber]

A lot of work! I can't imagine making 30 or 50 of these pieces :O But thanks for the idea and implementation. Good work :)

[@JessedoesDIY]

I mean, it isn't a lot of work to just make a couple. I wouldn't make more than that, just for random spots or shapes. Glad you liked it

[@RootSuitMan]

Man those look really good

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@PhuongTrinh-i9m]

Hi, your video is really good and easy to follow. with 20Kg bag of concrete, quick dry, have grave already, how may paver 60*60*4cm i can make? do i need steal bar inside?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks, glad you like it. I have a concrete calculator in the description, or you can Google it. Fill in all your info and it'll tell you all you need to know about how many and how much. Reinforcement bar will always help prevent cracking and is always great

[@Tania689]

Love this idea, you're the second person I've seen do this and I want to for a home project but the other person didn't use sand. What's the benefit or reason for it here so I can better assess which method to follow? Thanks in advance

[@JessedoesDIY]

Hey sorry for the late response. The sand just helps seal the form and prevent it sticking to the plastic. But since sand is one of the ingredients in concrete, it doesn't hurt anything. Plus it gives the bottom a bit of grit, I like to think it helps prevent the stone from moving around after setting it in place until it settles in.

[@poonamjings5279]

Best 👌 video so far! I enjoyed it

[@JessedoesDIY]

That's awesome, glad you liked it!

[@nannem9716]

Thank you! Simple, straightforward, and understandable! I'm gonna give this a try. One question: Does the sand you put down first become part of the paver or is the final thickness only the concrete you poured over it? I don't understand the purpose of the sand. Thanks.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime, glad I could help! Some will stick to the concrete, but because it's one of the ingredients in concrete already it doesn't hurt the slab. It's mostly there to prevent the slab from sticking to the plastic and it waterproofs the bottom of the mould. Good luck on yours

[@vrahomes]

this is so satisfying!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@devinpigera6363]

Awesome video man. Thanks for the pointers!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. Anytime!

[@antongusev381]

Grate! Vibration table will help you aviod of bubbles

[@NellyTuck]

Great video.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@frederickastilla3614]

Thanks for idea! It was Genius! Never even thought that!

[@JessedoesDIY]

No problem!

[@menglouie2427]

I love your method. I just subscribed

[@JessedoesDIY]

Awesome, thanks. Welcome to the crew

[@leydamoncada4851]

Thank you so much. I am going to do a small short 70lb one! For strongman training. Wish me luck

[@JessedoesDIY]

No problem! Oh wow, nice. Well good luck with the project and training! Depending on what you do with it, I may add some reinforcement to give it more strength

[@leydamoncada4851]

@@JessedoesDIY any suggestion on how to reinforce it? We are going to lap it and shoulder it

[@JessedoesDIY]

You can use some mesh and cut it with tin snips or rebar but you'll need a way to cut it like an angle grinder. Both reinforcement methods are in the concrete aisle

[@fab4fan173]

Thanks, easy to follow . Well explained.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thank you

[@bluesdawg8014]

Nice work man Los Angeles home owner

[@JessedoesDIY]

Appreciate it!

[@AlToids-n1k]

awesome; nice and simple explanation

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@vipsaulo]

Great video. I was thinking they are too thin and have no iron bars inside. The iron rods don't have to be too thick either. For the corners may be alright but towards the end of the video I see some cracked stepping pieces. To smooth it out I find it better to use some foam or Styrofoam to rub gently over it , as necessary, before it is too dry. You might also sprinkle little water on it for that.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. Yeah I didn't add because they are a decorative corner stone that won't be abused. The cracked stones I got for free from a friend a few years ago for the firepit, and one I smashed myself by accident.

[@billy4148]

​@@JessedoesDIY they would be nice all done like them, but don't forget the rebars

[@kenniegarner3848]

There is always one.

[@mcraw4d]

Because if the length, I personally would have tossed in some repurposed wire coat hanger pieces for some added strength.

[@XroorX]

I made pavers using a cut 55gal barrel, and they were 2-3” thick and never cracked.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Nice!

[@Amithrius]

These look great. Just a question: Would these work on a driveway without cracking as is, or would they need to be reinforced?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. Anything for driveway use should be about 4" thick and reinforced to resist the weight

[@averageguy1261]

Great vid. Thanks for sharing.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Appreciate it, glad you liked it

[@AngieWilliamsDesigns]

Another great project. I would like to build a pad for my garbage cans.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks very much! I actually have a great concrete pad video I posted just recently that would be perfect

[@johnwealthy6044]

Very nice job!! Is it possible to make then 1.625" thick rather than 2"? Can a quick dry concrete mix be used? I wasn't sure when you said do the edges after 1.5 hours.... is that after the initial edging which was after 30 minutes?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. If you go and thinner than this they risk cracking very easily, and the faster it dries, the more likely it is to crack. And yes, I did the edges twice, once as a initial pass, and the second later to smooth it out. Lessens the risk of damage to the edges

[@stephaniemoreno4145]

Are these driveway strength and what kind of mix did you use to get a pretty color. I’ve used some really ugly Concrete before lol for example, some of the Concrete that I’ve purchased for setting posts has dried all kinds of wonky colors and just been really ugly Concrete. What brand did you use here if you bought it pre-bagged or what mix did you use if you mixed it yourself?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Oh no, you'd need at least 4" thick concrete and a proper base for driveway strength. Even then, they'd probably be pouring stronger concrete with additives. It's just Quikrete I usually use the blue and white 6000 psi mix or the basic yellow bag. If it's a bunch of random colours I'd guess it isn't mixed enough so it gets streaky and clumpy, because cement is grey naturally, so that makes the concrete grey.

[@clayfulgham21]

Thanks! How many total bags did you use per block? What size bag ie 40lb 60lb?

[@JessedoesDIY]

I think 1 per block here, 55 lb. bags. But there is a concrete calculator you can google that will tell you how much you need before you start

[@CementArtbyHarvey]

Awesome bro, thanks for the instruction

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. Anytime!

[@laurensiemens1436]

Awesome Job..... you could add dye to color your blocks to add depth to the project

[@JessedoesDIY]

Absolutely! Thanks

[@bojankojic108]

what colour would look good? black? dark grey? i will put white pebbles around this blocks.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Charcoal is always my go to! But it can be pricey to make a bunch of blocks, at least in my area

[@stevelopez372]

If you think your to late, wet the brush. I saw diamond mesh did you reinforce your molds with the mesh? Nice job.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Good point, I should have, but after a few passes it actually looked good. I didn't on these lightweight stones but I have another video for a different style that I did, I reinforced that one

[@GeorgeSechen]

What brand of concrete is the blue bag? I’ve tried this with sakrete and have no luck getting that good of a finish. Always hitting small rocks during edging… any advice would be awesome!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Quikrete is all I buy because I have the most access to it. Good luck

[@deer8730]

thats pretty good, I would only try to add some colour to the concrete to match the existing blocks

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. You totally can if you want but once these fully dried out after a couple weeks they lightened up and matched

[@velvettedelaney]

Thanks for this! Does the sand just wipe off the bottom, or does it get absorbed and become part of the paver?

[@JessedoesDIY]

No prob! Some of the sand will stick to it and that's fine, but most of it will just wipe off

[@DanteVelasquez]

Those look great 🙂

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@61Paul]

Looks great!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@lesvictor]

This is excellent content. Thanks.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime, glad you like it

[@RonAnderson-zs1kf]

This guy is good

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@royb2251]

Looks good 👍🏻

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@dalewyatt230]

Great video!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@alexei7825]

Красавчик крутая идея молодец

[@emmanuelisanda1449]

Looking great those slabs. You definitely have more cracked ones to replace though

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks. Yeah, I broke that one cutting wood on it lol I have a dedicated block now that's super thick and reinforced for cutting on

[@mohammedsaadsaad3081]

You are really perfect thanks a lot

[@ediasacediasac7666]

Gracias..saludos desde Perú

[@luisaparecido5885]

Thank you for sharing!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime! Happy to help

[@kimuseni]

Very nice

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@teanasmith6721]

I'm wanting to make bigger pavers, at least 600mm^2 would you recommend using rebar or some sort of reinforcing inside?

[@JessedoesDIY]

I'd use a bit yeah, even just dome wire mesh. Especially if they'll see some use and foot traffic

[@madajuarez7073]

So cool! Love this technique

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks so much! Glad you like it

[@stevelaporta5791]

yours looks better than the originals.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@melenelewis2955]

Nice! I live in south Africa so I don't get the same products as you do...... Are you using a premix fast drying concrete? If so what are the cement ,sand and stone/ grittone ratios?

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks! It was a poor mix but not fast setting, just basic concrete. To mix your own use the 3-2-1-.5 method. 3 parts aggregate, 2 parts sand, 1 part cement, .5 parts water. Adjust as needed. Hope that helps!

[@thetripledogdareshow4161]

Thank you sir ur amazing

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime! Thanks

[@360_tours]

Is this normal concrete? Some are suggesting adding sand. Did you do that?

[@JessedoesDIY]

This is prebagged concrete. Concrete is premixed already with everything you need, just add water. If you're buying cement, then you need to add sand and rock to make it concrete. Cement is an ingredient in concrete so if they are adding sand to already mixed concrete they are messing up the ratios and weakening it. They are either unaware of the difference between sand and concrete or are sabotaging it themselves

[@mohammedsaadsaad3081]

Excellent

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thank you

[@alexandradeoliveira3892]

Great job!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@melissawallace9745]

Nice job. Looks great. But it's really easier to do a dry pour. Dump half dry cement and smooth...add rebar or whatever, add more dry level and mist with water. No heavy mixing. And very strong

[@JessedoesDIY]

Dry pouring is a terrible idea on so, so many levels

[@WaynesAdventure]

Looks great

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@galleria100fuegocuidadsate4]

nice. one thing tho if add rebars or mesh of some source it will be solid and last longer ... as you can see in the old slap its cracked for severals reasons ,one of of them bien lack of rebars or mesh

[@JessedoesDIY]

Absolutely. Some of the old stones were cracked when I got them as I got them for free, and a couple I smashed by cutting wood on them lol. I've since made a thick, reinforced slab to cut wood on

[@galleria100fuegocuidadsate4]

@@JessedoesDIY cool! I am a handyman . I love concrete work , wood work , deco and much more … problem in uk very hard to have space for a garage or work station etc .

[@JessedoesDIY]

Nice. Yeah I could see that. We have more space here than anything for a shop, but they are so insanely expensive here I can't afford one

[@pa.fishpreacher6166]

nice job

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@utubeblackbat]

cool, nice video , thanks

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime

[@johnwealthy6044]

I tried this as an experiment before I commit to making wall caps for real. And my only problem was the concrete. After 1.5 hours, whilst trying to round the edges, i kept on hitting and dislodging the concrete ballast stones and it left a horrible local rip out. So, 1) didcI use the wrong mi? 2) did i hit this too early / too late? I waited 1.5 hours.. grateful for your advice.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Sounds like you may have either had it too wet, or you weren't lifting the nose of the round over tool enough, or you may have been pushing too hard. Tough to say without seeing it

[@royspeakman1157]

Brilliant !

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks

[@clairemargaretcooper5230]

I’m new to these things so please bear with me. Is there some sort of ingredients or ratio of the materials used?

[@JessedoesDIY]

No prob. I used pre bagged concrete and just bucket of regular playground sand from a local landscape supply for the bottom. The concrete is already pre mixed in the bag and just needs water according to the instructions on the bag, or until it gets to the right consistency. If you're mixing your own concrete you'll use the 3-2-1-.5 method. 3 parts small rock, 2 parts fine sand, 1 part cement and .5 parts water

[@SanthoshKumar-ye3sh]

Can we reinforce them by placing a steel wire mesh in between the concrete mixture.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Oh absolutely

[@randypandolini6506]

I have a planter that I want to remove all plants and fill in with paver. I plan to put small concrete benches on top. Do I need to put rocks underneath?

[@JessedoesDIY]

You need some kind of a base. Typically you'd dig down a bit and place a couple inches of sand down before adding the pavers, at a minimum

[@antoniocalandrini2941]

Parabéns gostei bastante.

[@nursen5156]

I'd put iron sticks inside the concrete so it does not breake when dry.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Go for it

[@luna-qt1nd]

Is look nice good idea

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks!

[@salpanettieri3115]

Hi, I have done this before, but I always buy the wrong type of concrete - sand- What did you use for this project, I wish you showed us the bag.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Hello. Well if you have to mix it yourself you're buying cement, not concrete. Concrete is already pre mixed with cement, aggregate and sand and all you need to do is add water. I buy Quikrete brand concrete bags and either the regular yellow bag, or the white bag 5000 psi or blue bag 6000 psi will work great for these. They have other mixes that are more specialized and won't work as well but those 3 are general purpose mixes.

[@salpanettieri3115]

Thank you for your response, I buy the yellow Quickcrete bag. Because it states that it won’t crack in applications less than 2”. But it always does. I probably should use rebar rods or something to hold it together Better. Thank you for your time and response. I’ll keep trying.

[@JessedoesDIY]

Without reinforcement like this, they will eventually crack. They are more for light duty use. For heavier duty and more resilient concrete I'd use reinforcement for sure. Either rebar or mesh will work. Good luck

[@salpanettieri3115]

@@JessedoesDIYThank you, for your time and suggestions! I’m subscribed!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Anytime! Awesome, glad to hear it, welcome to the crew

[@ca6177]

Nice!

[@JessedoesDIY]

Thanks