Hardscapes Plus

05/21/2026

🤔

05/14/2026

The Easy Way to Build a Stone Column

This technical illustration provides a step-by-step guide for constructing a decorative stone column for driveway entrances or fence posts. The method relies on using a concrete block (CMU) core as a structural guide, which is then veneered with natural rubble stone. By building around a rigid, plumb center, the illustrator demonstrates how to achieve professional masonry results with increased stability and simplified alignment.

Key Components

Foundation: A 24-inch deep excavation into virgin soil, stabilized by a 2×4 timber frame and a concrete pour to create a solid footing.

Structural Core: Stacked cinder or concrete blocks laid perpendicularly to reach the desired height, serving as the "spine" of the column.

Alignment Jig: A plywood top square supported by a frame, used to drop a plumb bob and run string lines to ensure the stone veneer remains perfectly vertical and symmetrical.

Stone Veneer: Natural rubble stone laid in mortar around the block core, moving from the outside inward.

Capstone: A flat, finished stone top that provides a clean aesthetic and protects the internal masonry from water infiltration.

Design Summary

The system illustrated prioritizes precision through the use of traditional leveling tools and a secondary internal structure. By using a concrete block core, the builder ensures the column has a high load-bearing capacity and a consistent shape. The addition of the "string line" method from a temporary overhead frame allows even an amateur mason to maintain a uniform thickness and straight edges while working with irregularly shaped natural stones.

05/05/2026

Excellent!!

👷‍♂️ Student Brickwork That Deserves Serious Recognition

This is brilliant to see from an adult bricklaying student at Bucks College Group.

The student took inspiration from real buildings, worked with guidance from tutor James, created a custom design, and brought it to life from the ground up.

That is exactly the kind of hands-on training the trade needs more of.

Credit to the student, tutor James, Bucks College Group, and everyone involved in encouraging this level of creativity, patience, and skill in bricklaying.

Bricklayers Online loves seeing students and colleges putting proper brickwork on display like this. This is how you inspire the next generation and show the public what the trade is really about.

👏 Great work all round.

05/05/2026

Mark your calendar for this Friday, May 8th 💛
Our RUOK Mental Health Awareness Event is happening at Deja Brew.

Thanks to the generosity of our amazing sponsors, you’ll be able to pass along a FREE drink to someone—a small gesture that can open the door to a real conversation.

We’re so thankful for the businesses behind this:
✨ Basin Brokers Real Estate
✨ Triangle Electric
✨ Messer Dental
✨ Fisher Orthodontics
✨ G&G Pharmacy
✨ Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home
✨ Hardscapes Plus
✨ Chamley Pipeline & Salvage

Good people supporting good people—that’s what this is all about 💛

05/03/2026

05/03/2026

EIFS/STUCCO
Commercial & Residential

701-577-ROCK

05/02/2026

French Drain System Cross-Section

This technical illustration provides a vertical cross-section of a French drain system, a common civil engineering solution used to redirect surface and groundwater away from an area. The image demonstrates a multi-layered filtration strategy designed to prevent soil erosion and system clogging while efficiently channeling water into a central perforated pipe for dispersal.

Key Components

Sod: The uppermost layer consisting of grass and its immediate root system, providing a natural aesthetic and initial surface water absorption.

Topsoil: A nutrient-rich layer that supports plant growth and allows water to permeate downward into the drainage system.

Sand: Acts as a secondary fine-particle filter, slowing the water flow and trapping smaller sediments before they reach the deeper layers.

Geotextile: A permeable fabric liner that wraps around the drainage aggregate. Its primary purpose is to separate the soil layers from the gravel, preventing "fines" (small soil particles) from clogging the spaces between the rocks.

Gravel: A coarse aggregate layer that provides high porosity, allowing water to flow rapidly toward the drain pipe.

Perforated Drainage Pipe: The core of the system, typically made of corrugated plastic. The perforations allow collected water to enter the pipe and be gravity-fed to a designated discharge point.

Design Summary

The photo illustrates a high-standard drainage installation where layers are organized by density and permeability. By utilizing a "burrito wrap" technique with the geotextile fabric, the system ensures longevity and prevents the structural failure often caused by silt accumulation. This design is essential for protecting building foundations, preventing lawn oversaturation, and managing stormwater runoff in residential and commercial landscaping.

05/02/2026

Home & Garden Show
Watford City ND