Pavers Materials And Tools
I paid 80¢ each for my 4 x 8-in. pavers. I purchased them from a landscape center, where they supplied me with brochures from the paver manufacturer and gave me lots of installation tips.
When ordering pavers, estimate the square footage of your patio, then add 5%. If you have a lot of curves, borders or half pavers â like this patio â order 10% extra. This allows for damaged pavers and provides extra ones for future repairs. The plastic edging cost $4.50 per ft; the 12-in. spikes to secure it cost 70¢ each.
I used âclass 5â crushed limestone for building the subbase. Class 5, a grade of material commonly used for road beds, is widely available. It consists of 3/4-in. rock and smaller particles, which nest together firmly when compacted. When ordering, tell the quarry or trucking company youâll be using the material for a patio subbase. If they dont have class 5 limestone they should be able to offer crushed gravel or another suitable substitute.
The class 5 used here cost around $140 . One cubic yard of class 5, when placed 4 in. deep will cover 81 sq. ft. If you need to build up an area, order more.
Coarse sand for leveling and bedding the pavers ran $25 a cubic yard, plus delivery. One yard of sand will provide a 1-in. base for about 300 sq. ft. of patio. Order a little extra for sweeping into the cracks when you finish â my patio consumed about four 5-gal. buckets of sand for this.
Build A Concrete Patio
How to build a concrete patio step by step? Get here the step-by-step guides and visual diagrams about how to pour a concrete patio by making the concrete slabs. Use the wood slats to add the bordering and then fill the concrete that you can smooth down a towel, and float using the respective tools. It will be solid and durable and will be super affordable too. twinfallsconcr
A Challenging Project Thats Well Worth The Effort
If youre already familiar with what it takes to install a paver pathway then you should be able to use that knowledge when installing a patio as well, provided youre using the same technique. The project would be challenging but also rewarding. You can check out thediyvillage if youre curious to see how everything progresses and how the new pathway starts to take shape, little by little.
Using large paver bricks can be a practical decision as it means youll probably be able to install all of them quicker and that youll have an easier time creating a flat surface. Of course, that will influence the design and the structure of your new paver patio so be sure to take all the details into account before you make a purchase. Keep in mind that every DIY project is different. For example, the project featured on jhalvorson had to take into account the lack of grass in the shady areas of the patio and that meant a whole lot of mulch was needed.
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How To Purchase The Materials
- Be flexible in purchasing the materials. Your state laws and the availability of the materials in your local store could be different from the above guide so you may want to modify the plan accordingly.
- Shop around a bit to get the best materials for a bargain price. Be smart and do not fall into the trap of aggressive and pushy store associates.
- Finally, make sure to check if you need any local building permits to build the patio cover. The best should be to get in touch with the licensing and permit office to understand your states building requirements.
Tips For Decorating Your New Patio
Once youve finished building your DIY patio, youll want to start enjoying it right away! The right patio accessories will go a long way towards creating the ultimate outdoor experience.
If youve opted not to cover your patio, youll need to create some shade. A simple;cloth sunshade or decorative patio umbrella will offer some protection from the heat of the mid-day sun. Or for something more premanent, you may want to consider a gazebo or a pergola for your new patio space. Youll also want plenty of comfortable seating. Depending on how you plan to use your new patio, you may decide to add a table and chairs, outdoor loveseats, or individual lounge chairs.
To give your new patio the finishing touch, consider adding a portable fire pit, an outdoor bar, and some fun décor. You may also want to add a stylish and practical deck box. This creative solution provides additional seating while also giving you a safe place to store items when theyre not in use.
Remember that your patio area should be fun, so dont be afraid to get creative when it comes to choosing your patio accessories and décor.
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Depending upon your area and local building codes, some decks may only require ground-level footings. In most instances, decks require support from concrete piers that are set into the ground. The terms piers and footings are often used interchangeably though they are technically not the same thing. Piers transfer the decks weight into the soil. Footings spread the weight out over a larger area. Depending upon building code requirements and soil conditions in your area, footings may also be required beneath the piers to spread the decks weight out. These specifications will be detailed in your deck drawings and guided by local building codes.;Your deck drawings will indicate the size, number and location of deck piers or deck footings.
With the posts or beams in place, its time to build the deck frame. Because the deck is free-standing, it does not require a ledger board, which gets attached to the house. Instead, your deck will consist of rim joists that make up the decks perimeter, to be filled in with joists that will support the decking. ;
Tip: Most framing lumber has a slight bow in it along its edge. This is called a crown. Install the rim joists and all framing materials so that the crown is up.;
With the decks rim joist complete, its time to install the joists.;
Tip: For the best appearance, stagger the seams between adjacent rows of decking. Seams should look random so keep them two or more joists away from one another.
Our Raised Patio Ideas
To start compiling our raised patio ideas, we had three different things to consider.
#1: SHAPE
Many of our different raised patio ideas were in regards to the shape. We discussed whether to make our raised patio more of an oval shape, or a square, or a completely custom shape.
However, in the end we went with a perfect circle.
#2: MATERIALS
Another batch of our raised patio ideas was in regards to the surface materials we wanted to use.
For the main flat surface, we considered pavers vs flagstone vs concrete. We planned to use this raised patio for an outdoor dining area, so we knew we wanted it to be level for the kind of furniture wed have there.
Concrete is lower maintenance than pavers and flagstone, and we also liked that concrete would be less likely to have edges that could catch or trip anyone . Id seen some nice concrete samples that were both stamped and colored, so we started looking into those options. I also liked that we could run lines through the concrete at 3 or 4 to look more like large-format tiles.
Here you can see our backyard prepared for what was coming next: Demo Day . Most importantly, you can see that mountain view we were planning on maximizing during our backyard remodel. Heres the view from our proposed raised patio, which we planned to make our outdoor dining patio!
#3: DECK VS RAISED PATIO
However, we decided against a deck in favor of the raised patio.
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A Curved Paver Patio For A More Organic Shape
If you want your patio to look natural and to have a more organic shape, it would be nice to make it curve and give it a less geometric shape. That of course presents a challenge on its own and means youll need to add a border around your patio. Check out this tutorial to learn how to prep the area and make your patio look amazing with curves and a border.
How To Build A Raised Patio
People enjoy their backyards as an integral part of owning a home, but the key component of the backyard has been and continues to be, the patio. Also known as the hardscape, the patio continues to be the main congregating point and place where the activity happens.
Whether its BBQing, relaxing, eating, reading, or just playing with the pets, the patio has usually been the primary place of activity for most folks in their backyard. Building a raised patio emphasizes this function as well as distinguishes the hardscape from the rest of the backyard, which tends to be more for appearance than function.
The beauty of raised patios comes from the fact that they can be built from a variety of materials. Very fancy patios can be created with cement forms and similar, even being stamped and colored with pigment. Simple patios can also be built with pavers and raised sand or gravel bends for simpler projects. It really depends on what a homeowner wants and can commit to.
Contents
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Our Raised Patio Area Before
First, the quick backstory!
When we first bought this house, the outside space may have been what first sold us on it. With an expansive backyard and massive, mature trees over 30 years old, we suspected this might be the perfect house for us and our growing family.
Heres what it looked like when we first toured it:
Do you see the large tree roots in the lawn? Yep, thats where the raised patio now exists!
After moving in, we didnt do much work to the backyard except adding some plants and landscaping.
Over the next several years of living in this house, we slowly got to know all the ins and outs of our backyard.
It was during this get to know you period that I started to realize something:
One of the best views of a nearby mountain range was from a seemingly random spot on the edge of our lawn!
I discovered this one day while walking around the backyard and going through my usual Jess process of reimagining the space.
Preparing The Site Is The First Step To Success
A lot of patio projects start out with nothing but an empty piece of land, usually with some less than beautiful grass growing on it. Preparing the site is the first step. Its a very important process that ensures a good foundation on which to build the paver patio of your dreams. This applies to other similar types of landscaping projects as well. to get rid of the weeds, if any, you can use a combination of landscaping fabric, sand, and small rocks or gravel. You can also spray a combination of vinegar and hot water on the more stubborn ones if need be. Check out more useful tips about DIY paver patio covers and other projects on hometalk.
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How To Build A Small Backyard Patio
Sharon is a human resources manager with a passion for reading and research and hanging out in her own backyard.
Building a small backyard patio with simple patio design ideas is much easier than you think. It doesn’t matter the size of your yard; you can still create a corner sitting area that is the perfect place to relax and unwind.
Creating an outdoor space is a very economical and cost-effective way to enjoy a “staycation.” If you are not familiar with the term “staycation,” it basically means taking your vacation at home locally, and that can be as local as your own backyard! Relaxing in your outdoor oasis eliminates the stress of traveling to other locations. There are no planes, trains, or automobiles to drive or catch.
We tend to spend our precious vacation time in transit, and it is also costly. Don’t forget about all the stress of preparation; there are no bags to pack when you relax at home and no stress thinking about what you may have forgotten to pack either!
Solar Lights To Illuminate Your Backyard Patio
Solar lights are a green and economical way of providing lighting to your outdoor space. Lighting extends the use of your backyard patio beyond sundown. Just imagine how relaxing it would be to sit outside among the stars enjoying your patio.
Solar lights soak up the sun all day to provide a luminous glow at night. No need for electrical outlets, messy wires and awkward placements near an outlet. You can place these lights anywhere you want for visual impact.
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Backyard Design: Simple Patio Ideas
How do you create this oasis? A first step is to investigate the many cheap patio ideas that are outlined in this article. Deciding on the material you would like for your patio is key, and it is as easy as a trip to your local home improvement center.
There are many methods for laying the various types of stone that are not beyond the capabilities of the average homeowner. This article will focus mainly on stone patios; however, you can click on the link at the end of this article if you are interested in “loose materials.” These are very easy to do yourself and include mulch and pea gravel, for example.
Garden equipment ready to go
How To Build A Raised Stone Patio
If youre wondering how to build a raised stone patio, follow the steps above but stick with all stone materials.
Material #1: Surface stone
To build a raised stone patio, your first job is to select the flagstone surface material for the patio.
Something to keep in mind with a flagstone patio is that it has bigger gaps between the stones and requires sand to even out the surface . The gaps will need to be filled either with concrete, or even possibly some low growing groundcover plants.
Materials #2: Retaining wall stone
To build your stone retaining wall for the patio, you can select either a real stacked stone material or you can build a concrete block wall and cover it with a stone veneer.
Above you can see not only our raised patio retaining walls in the distance, but the rest of the retaining walls around the pool area that we were doing with all the same style stone veneer.
If you decide to do a real stacked stone, this can be flat flagstone pieces or stacked round stones to your desired height. Either option can use mortar to hold all the stone together for the patio, or can be dry stacked for an even simpler install.
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How To Build A Patio Area In Your Backyard In 7 Steps
At;homify, we like everything that has to do with architecture, design and decoration. However, if come across a specific topic that we enjoy writing about and can share with you, then we hope that it can translate into a DIY project that inspires you!;
In fact the more we learn to do things by ourselves, with our own hands, the more we realise just how limitless the opportunities for design and decor areall we need is a little bit of motivation! ;
Big or small, these creations depend entirely on you. You can create anything from tiny pots to the roof above your head.;
Today however, we are going to be focusing on construction in the;garden, where you will see in this ideabook how;quickly results appear. Proper planning is the key to success!
Let’s begin step by step and then, if you have the motivation, don’t hold back! Start creating!
Dig Out The Area And Compact The Base
The patio foundation is important for the stability of the pavers. A solid base will reduce shifting and sinking.
A. Make a bed for your foundation by digging out 6 inches below your lines. Dig an extra 4 inches around the perimeter of your patio because you will need room for the edging. Shovel half the aggregate in, and spread it out evenly with a metal landscape rake.
B. Compact this first layer, and repeat with the rest of the aggregate. If you want to do this by hand, use a hand tamper. If you want to make it easier on yourself and get really solid pack, use a plate compactor; you can rent one for about $75 a day.
C. Check the depth as you compact by measuring down from your line to the base. You want 3 inches from the line to the base of compacted aggregate. After the base is evenly packed, you can remove the big plus-sign lines.
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Lay The First Row Of Bricks
Lay the first bricks, starting in one corner and running along the edging to complete a row. Alternate each pair of bricks so that;two are horizontal, then two are vertical, and so on.;Press the bricks gently into the sand, and put them together as closely as possible. Tap the bricks with a rubber mallet to settle them into the sand, if necessary.
Run a mason’s line across the first row, aligned with the leading edges of the bricks. Pull the line taut and secure it at the ends with stakes, or simply clamp them to the edging. Straighten the bricks in the first row, as needed, so all leading edges are even with the line.