7 Covered Patio Ideas

How to Plan for Building a Patio Blow off excess sand with a leaf blower, so there's no sand residue Click for more info on top of your bricks. Make sure you are committed to the location of your patio, and then mark it off with stakes and string. Use a line level to ensure the string running between stakes is straight. It’s important to choose the best material for your pavers based on your lifestyle and budgetary constraints when learning how to build a patio. Before you begin digging and leveling the ground, ensure there are no buried plumbing, electrical, or septic lines or cables you’ll be disrupting. Pick a material for the patio's surface, keeping in mind alternatives such as concrete, pavers, or other materials. This will help you calculate how many pavers and other materials you’ll need. Remember to leave enough room for furniture, a grill, or other outdoor features. If you follow this step by step, it’ll get you on the right track for most patio es. Make sure you avoid Common Concrete Pouring Mistakes. If your pavers are a standard 3" deep, you'll want to dig to 9" for a patio set on sand and gravel, and to 12" for patios set in mortar. Just look at how much living space was gained in my yard.

Materials For Making Your Concrete Paver Patio

Use the square nose shovel to scoop the paver dust and spread it onto the base layer. Do this in a sifting type of motion to get it even. Set them just in the base layer enough that they don’t roll, but not so much that they are recessed. You can add a little paver dust to help lodge them into place. Measure from the ground, up the stake to 4” and mark this. This will be your level line and also the top of your compacted base layer.

Tools

A new backyard patio is built on a strong foundation, thanks to careful site preparation. Make sure there is enough space between the patio and border and all the features you might want to install, such as a walkway for your patio design. If you don’t see any gravel, then something in that spot isn’t level. It could be that there’s a bit of a bump, or just one edge needs a little more sand. Take inspiration from this shapely pattern seen here in a patio designed by The Layered House. In terms of shape, curvy designs are trendy right now, but you should choose based on what works best with your home's design and appearance. Similarly, you'll want to choose building materials that complement the style and hue of your home. Secondly, you need to decide where your patio should be located. Adjacent to the house or a deck is the most common choice here, since these options provide easy access to a kitchen. But if you have the space, consider a second, more far-flung spot.

Accurate leveling takes effort, but the payoff is a sturdy and steady base during the installation process.They will also add to the time and labor required, so make sure you plan.Set the top of the pipes high enough so that when the bricks are set on the sand bed, they’ll protrude above the stones about 3/8 in.

Finally, saw the stakes so that they are flush with the top edges of the form. This will be necessary for the screeding process later on. If that’s not possible, you may want to jump-start the project by hiring an excavator with a skid loader and dump truck to dig the hole and haul away the dirt.

Lay the Bed of Sand

I could carry only one at a time, so this made the project more time consuming. You will need to leave at least a small gap between your concrete pavers to allow for expansion and contraction, but you have the option to go wider. With concrete paving stones are a minimum of 1½” thick and can be laid with large or narrow gaps. Create a comfortable and welcoming outdoor living area with furnishings and decor. Once you've picked out your patio furniture, whether wicker, wood, or another material, start adding coordinating design items. A water feature adds peaceful sound to a backyard, especially helpful if neighbors or passing cars create noise. Don't forget about the outdoor wall space—add artwork that's safe to hang outdoors, and install sconces for lighting. Grade the dirt so it's parallel to your string lines. Depending on the type of paver base and pavers you're using, plan to dig anywhere from 4 to 7 inches deep. Once they’re secure, measure each stake from the ground up to 4”. Are you wondering how to clean them when the time comes? Here’s how I cleaned the concrete pavers without using a pressure washer.