Excavate The Patio Area
Remove all vegetation in the patio area, extending the edges about 6 inches beyond all sides of the patio . Excavate the soil to a depth of 8 inches. As you work, measure down from the layout lines to gauge the excavation depth. Its usually easiest to dig out the sides to full depth, then dig out the interior area, using a long, straight 2×4 and level to make sure the entire area is level . Tamp the soil thoroughly with a rented plate compactor.
Getting Started: Evaluate Your Space
Before you go slapping together a raised bed and plopping it down on your patio, take a moment to think about your space. As with any garden space, an ideal location should receive full sun . It should also be fairly level. Even more, building a raised garden bed on top of concrete or other hard impervious surfaces brings about a whole new set of considerations. What is the hard surface like? Can it handle the moisture and weight of a heavy raised garden bed?
For example, if youre hoping to add raised garden beds on top of a nice wood deck, the style of bed Im going to show you in this article may not be the best choice which sits right on the ground and drains from the bottom. Instead, youd likely want to protect your deck by using an elevated raised bed kit, or one that has a solid bottom and contained drainage system. In that case, See the Alternative Options section at the end of this article.
On the other hand, the steps we used to modify our newest driveway garden bed will work well on top of concrete, asphalt, pavers, or similar surfaces. If and when you ever decide to move the garden bed, it may have some discoloration below. Yet a pressure washer should be able to remove it!
Building A Raised Patio With Retaining Wall
Building retaining walls for a raised patio begins with knowing the dimensions of your patio and where exactly your retaining wall should land to provide the layout for your pavers. If you are unconcerned about the final look in terms of cuts for your raised patio pavers, then you do not need to be as concerned about this. However, we measure the exact dimensions of our raised patio based on the pavers we are laying and where our final caps of our retaining wall will land and ensure our retaining wall is built according to this. You also want to ensure that you are hitting the exact elevation of the raised patio. We measure where we want that to be and prepare our first block course from this, understanding the height of our blocks, how many courses of block there will be, and the height of our caps as these are usually a different height compared to the wall blocks.
We use a string line to map this out and ensure our retaining wall is level and begin to screed and lay our base course. As we build up our retaining wall, we will add geogrid every 4 to 8. Uniaxial is a typical geogrid that is installed in our retaining walls. This provides strength in one direction. However, in a raised patio we want strength in both directions so we opt for a biaxial geogrid and install it throughout the entire raised patio. This helps to tie everything in together and stabilize the base material of our raised patio.
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Our New Raised Patio With Retaining Wall:
Ive never shared this before but do you want to know the #1 thing I would do differently in this raised stone patio now? Because its on a slope that continues even behind the patio, I would have done another stone retaining wall along the back edge to keep the dirt and other debris from falling onto the concrete patio surface.
How To Build Steps With Pavers Lets Talk About Terrain
One of the most important aspects of any paver installation is the leveling of your terrain. To level a terrain means to form an even, smooth, leveled surface along an entire area.
This area can comprehend your entire project. But maybe, and this is very important, your project can be divided into different sections so that each of those sections can correspond to a different level.
Lets be real here, leveling costs a lot of materials. Sometimes, if you have enough slope, instead of making a single patio, you can create small ones with steps between them. That can not only save you some money but add personality and uniqueness to your design.
So you are working with one of two scenarios: you either have enough slope on your terrain or dont.
If you have a slope, good. Just include it on your design and youre good to go. Were going to teach how to plan for it in no time. And if you dont have enough slope but still want some steps, dont worry. You can create an artificial slope, and were also going to teach how to plan for that.
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Add And Screed Your Bedding Sand
It is essential that you use bedding sand for this step and not some other type of sand. Bedding sand is made up of sharply angled grains that make it more efficient at locking in your pavers. Set up your screeding guides, pour your bedding sand over the installation area, use the rake to level it, and use a 2×4 to screed the sand evenly at a one-inch depth.
Creates Outdoor Living Space Out Of Nothing
This one applies best to raised patios , but its absolutely worth mentioning!
If youre wanting to build a deck because you think its the only way to create seating space on a slope, think again! Consider building a raised patio instead of a raised deck. Some unique sites might require a deck because of the odd slope or positioning of the home, but in most cases a raised patio is preferable to a deck for the above reasons.
Its just another way to take a space that was previously unusable for outdoor dining or lounging, then turn it into hundreds of extra square feet of usable outdoor living space!
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Overview Of Flagstone Patio Ideas
You cant beat stone as a building material for a backyard terrace. It blends well with any back yard and garden, its always in style and it will last almost maintenance free for generations. We built the walls in this project from blue ledge stone and the flagstone patio from cut and squared bluestone.
Stonework is a big job, so we kept our flagstone patio at a smaller, intimate size, about 300 sq. ft. This size is perfect for a small dining table, a few chairs and a barbecueall in all, a nice space for a family of four and for occasional entertaining.
The modest size means you can complete this flagstone patio installation on weekends and in evenings without heavy professional equipment. We added the low, curved stone wall to enclose one end of the flagstone patio and provide plenty of informal seating. Thats the perfect place to position an outdoor fireplace to chase the chill on cool spring and summer evenings.
In this article, well show you how to build handsome, durable stone walls and lay smooth, close-fitting flagstone. If you enjoy building challenges and dont mind heavy work, this projects for you. But give yourself plenty of time. Figure on about 14 full days to complete it, or about a solid month of evenings and weekends. Its an advanced project because it requires meticulous work and patience to choose the stones and fit them together.
Genius Hacks: 3 Ways To Build A Raised Patio
Were sharing all the tips, tricks & details of building a raised patio with retaining wallalong with our raised stone patio design and cost!
Do you have a sloped area in your yard that seems unusable? Or perhaps you want to avoid a deck off the back of your house and have started envisioning your own way of building a raised patio with retaining walls?
Whatever your need, youre in the right place, my friend!
Were big believers in the power of a raised patio! Sure, a deck could be built to try to utilize a sloped area, but well take a good raised patio on a slope over a deck any day.
Would you like to take a slope where no one could previously sit , and turn that slope into seating for 10, 15, 20or more?
Then read on!
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Gather Your Tools And Materials
The materials you need include your pavers, class II road base, bedding sand, joint sand, concrete, and sealer. You will also need one-inch PVC pipes to use as screeding guides and a 2×4 to use as a screed. We also strongly recommend using geotextile fabric. While this is not an absolute must for installing paver patios, driveways, or walkways, it protects your foundation from the soil and helps secure the longevity of your paving stone project.
You likely already have most of the tools you will need on hand. You may need to rent or buy a tamper or a concrete blade for your circular saw, but most of what you need you probably have in your shed or garage.
Here are the tools you will need:
- Tape measure
Make Sure Your Patios Slope Is Correct
The recommended slope is ¼ inch per foot of patio length or a ratio of 2 percent slope of your patios length. There can be some variance to this by increasing the degree of the slope, but not in decreasing the slope.
The best way to undertake this is to carefully build a solid and level base to work from. You can start by removing all vegetation, grass, stones, and soft soil from the area you wish to build your patio on. It is recommended to tamper the soil to compact it to further increase its strength as a platform for your patio and while doing so you can examine where youd like to place a drainage pipe under the patio. Find the area that the water collects at and which looks the dampest, and create a drainage channel in the soil. You can lay a pipe from that wettest area outwards from the patio and away from your house and its foundation.Once the patio area is flat and level, and your pipe has been laid, you can then slope the surface according to the direction that the water flows away from your house and its foundation.When youve achieved the slope ratio of 2 percent or 1/4in per foot of patio length, you can then lay your pavers or paving over the sloped surface to create your perfect patio.
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Work On The Second Side Of The Deck
Youll want to dig two additional support holes for the other side of the deck at the lower part of the slope. Place two long deck post beams in the holes and measure them with a string to make sure theyre long enough to be able to support your deck. Youll repeat the steps you took on the other side and fill the holes you made with concrete. Repeat the same procedure to make sure theyre level.
Tie the string on the new posts at the height you want the deck to be so that youll have a guide for your floor beams. Take a level and hold it up to the string to make sure its accurate and straight. Mark the posts where you want to secure the deck beams. Attach the posts and deck beams by using 3-inch bolts or nails, and look at the mark you made as the reference. Frame both sides by using beams that are an appropriate length based on whichever type of board you decide to use.
Use A Suitable Patio Material
The second option is to create a sloped patio to match the slope of your garden. This wont deliver the kind of flat entertaining space that you might expect from a patio, but it will create a good practical surface.
To achieve a flat patio, you need the right kind of patio material that can easily be installed on a slope, and still look fantastic. One option is a resin bound patio, a material that is used to create strong and modern driveways, and stylish and practical patio spaces.
Resin surfaces can be installed on flat or sloped ground, and come with a range of great benefits, such as:
Very low maintenance
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Gorgeous Deck And Patio Ideas You Can Diy
·Build a vine-covered pergola in your backyard to shade a stone patio or wood deck using wood beams and lattice set on precast, classical-style columns. The dappled sunlight created by the overhead latticework creates a cool, relaxing environment perfect for backyard entertainingâlike standing in the shade of a tree on a hot summer day.
How To Pour A Concrete Patio
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Patios can be wonderful additions to any home, but homeowners generally have to weigh the benefits of having a patio with the expense of having someone do the construction. To save on this expense, however, consider making a concrete patio one of your next do-it-yourself projects.
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Drying Concrete: Curing The Diy Patio
Patio slabs need to be moist cured to keep their surfaces from drying too quickly- especially in our high desert heat of Twin Falls, ID. If the surface dries too soon, it will be weak and may later become powdery or crumble away. Cure your concrete by keeping it wet. Cover the slab with burlap, sand, straw, or other material and wet it . Wet it down as needed until curing is finished.
Another option is to use plastic sheeting or a commercial curing compound. Water evaporating from the slab will be trapped, eliminating the need for wetting.
Whatever method you choose, curing should last a minimum of three days-longer in cold weather- but its best to let the slab cure for a week, just to be on the safe side. Dont walk on it for at least 3-4 days, nor drive a vehicle until 10 days have passed.
Now its time to enjoy your new DIY cement patio!
Need More Help? Check back to our site as we will be adding the best how-tos on concrete, and articles for do it your-selfers.
Brick Patio Step #: Lay The Bricks
Youll want to lay landscaping fabric in the trench giving the bricks a material that they can lie on top of. Then lay the bricks level and side by side on the material, following along the string line guide. Continue this process as you continue to add more rows in the same manner. As you lay the rows, add gravel between the fabric and the back of the wall to prevent soil from washing through the cracks in the wall.
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Channel Drains And Sloping Patios With Obstacles
There are some instances where obstacles will get in the way of a traditional slope.
The best slope is always perpendicular to your home but what if a neighbors home, or some other structure like a shed or detached garage is in the path of where you will be draining the water?
In some circumstances you may need a channel drain in the middle where the patio slopes in like a V from both sides and the water is carried away to another location.
This is a common solution for pool deck drainage where you want the water that accumulates on the patio to drain away from both the house AND the pool.
A good landscaper or drainage expert will tell you the perfect way to slope any patio.
You might wind up sloping at an obscure angle to get the best drainage and avoid any obstacles that are perpendicular to your home.
Tips For Working With Sleepers
Screwing down sleepers with concrete screws is simple, but there are some things to keep in mind:
- Screws should penetrate the concrete by at least 1 in., so 3-1/4-in. screws are perfect. In low spots, where we had to stack up shims, we switched to 3-3/4- in. screws.
- As you drill, dust compresses around the drill bit. That slows you down, strains your drill and overheats the bit. To clear the dust, pull the bit completely out of the hole once or twice while drilling each hole.
- Drill the holes 1/4 to 1/2 in. deeper than the screw will reach. Extra-depth provides a space for dust and grit, so screws are easier to drive.
- Have extra drill bits on hand. As a bit wears, it doesnt just drill more slowly it also bores a slightly smaller hole and screws become harder to drive. We replaced each bit after about 40 holes. When all the sleepers are screwed down, take a few minutes to double-check for flatness. Set a 4-ft. straightedge on each sleeper, both across it and along it. If you find spots that are 1/16 in. or more out-of-plane, back out the screw and add or remove shims.
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