How To Do A Concrete Patio

$700 $1200 Per Square Foot

The cost of most concrete patios is between $7.00 and $12.00 per square foot when professionally installed, or $700 to more than $3,600 for common patio sizes. When DIY concrete patios and pro options with upgrades are considered, the range spreads to about $3.00 $12.00 per square foot for smooth concrete.

Prep The Patio Paver Area

The prep involved will depend on your area, but basically, you will need to use a shovel to dig down at least 6 into the soil.

If you find a lot of larger rocks as youre digging, I recommend digging several inches deeper in order to remove them.

Youll also want to make sure you get rid of any tree roots that are impeding into the space you have planned for your patio.

Cost To Pour Concrete Patio Slab

Expect to pay $30 to $50 per hour for the installation alone. Your contractor will determine the specific labor cost based on a variety of factors such as:

• Urban or rural location

Neil Halasz, Artisan Construction Services, Inc.

Size is the most significant cost factor to consider when you estimate the price of a new concrete patio. Large spaces can become expensive quickly but offer more outdoor area for relaxing and entertaining.

Once you know the slab’s location, measure the perimeter to determine a square footage estimate. That will help you determine your budget for material and labor. If you have a consistent square footage, shape and design in mind, you can get more accurate quotes from professional concrete installation companies.

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Best Diy Concrete Patio Ideas That Beginners Can Do

Every time you wish to transform your patio, the concrete is an ideal choice. It is durable, affordable, and much doable. So, get the outstanding patios with these 12 best DIY Concrete Patio Ideas that involve using the concrete to make concrete patio pavers, concrete patio tiled walkways, and solid clean concrete pathways. You can use the custom forms, stamps, and patterns to give too many variations to your concrete patios like the cobblestone pattern. To check out all stunning patio transformation, just check out these 12 DIY concrete patio ideas that are adorable and will require much low maintenance. You can build a concrete patio around a pool around deck, and it will be great to feature in your outdoor landscaping. You will get the much-needed home outdoor improvements with these concrete patio ideas in a budget-friendly way.

The concrete patio ideas will not merely involve building the concrete patio floors and pavers, but they will also involve doing the decorative makeover of old, tired, and cracked concrete floors. Use the whitewood or 2x4s planks to set up the concrete pavers form and then pour the concrete in them. Smooth them down, float, towel, screed, and add joints if necessary. Finally, finish them off with decorative edging. Install the concrete patio with a gravel base and build the concrete patio pavers with gravel lining.

Ways To Clean A Concrete Patio Using Oxygen Bleach

If youre looking for a relatively safe and environmentally-friendly chemical for cleaning your concrete patio, try oxygen bleach, such as OxiClean. One option is to sprinkle this versatile powder over the patio. Scrub at stains using a push broom, then let the bleach sit there for about 15 minutes before rinsing it off.

Alternatively, combine two scoops of the bleach with two tablespoons of water to make a thick paste with the consistency of peanut butter. Leave the paste sitting on stubborn stains for one hour before scrubbing it away with a brush.

Another option is to dilute oxygen bleach following the instructions on the package, and then to spray the mixture over your patio, remembering to rinse it away after a few minutes. Any of these oxygen bleach uses help you return your patio to a clean state.

Also Check: How Many Bags Of Concrete For Patio

Diy Patio Installation Vs Hiring A Concrete Pro

If you choose to install your concrete patio yourself, you will save the $2 to $8 per square foot you would pay in professional labor. It can be difficult to install concrete properly, and with an improper installation, the surface could crack.

Unless you have significant experience in mixing and pouring concrete, finding concrete patio contractors near you tends to be the better choice.

To select the right patio contractor, research expected costs and gather quotes from a minimum of three professionals..

Perform some research online or talk to previous customers. That ensures you hire a concrete contractor with a good reputation who is qualified to complete your project.

Not Having The Right Amount Of Concrete

Another mistake homeowners make when pouring a concrete patio is underestimating how thick the slab needs to be. To make sure safety is maintained, a minimum thickness of any concrete patio is at least 4 inches. However, if it will bear heavy furniture or features, 6- to 8-inch thickness may be required. This is in addition to a 2- to 3-inch base of something like gravel, sand, or limestone.

In the end, you only get one pour. Err on the side of caution and order slightly more than enough. If you have extra bags, you can always return them.

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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 it’s best to let the slab cure for a week, just to be on the safe side. Don’t walk on it for at least 3-4 days, nor drive a vehicle until 10 days have passed.

Now it’s time to enjoy your new DIY cement patio!

Need More Help? Check back to our site as we will be adding the best “how-to’s” on concrete, and articles for do it your-selfers.

When Should I Seal My Concrete Patio

When you apply a patio sealer is almost as important as good surface preparation in terms of long-term durability and performance. The biggest factors to consider are the age of the concrete, weather conditions, and dry times.

New concrete patios should be allowed to cure completely before sealer application . Most sealers also must be applied to dry surfaces. With stamped concrete, its especially important to make sure the patio is free of moisture in low spots of the stamp pattern, where water may accumulate.

You should monitor the air temperature as well. As a general rule, wait to apply outdoor sealers when the temperature is between 50 to 90 degrees F both during and for at least 24 hours after application so the sealer will cure properly .

Also make plans to apply sealer when the patio wont be in use for a few days. Depending on the product youre using, dry times for concrete sealers can range from one to three days before the surface can be exposed to a lot of backyard foot traffic.

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Build Concrete Patio In A Weekend

Willing to build a patio with a concrete walkway that will match your landscape patterns? Then just go with this concrete patio that will complete in a weekend. For this project, you need existing dirt, landscaping fabric, pavers, bags of polymeric sand, gray sand, and base rock. Tool list here medium

Wooden Decks Vs Concrete Patios

There are several similarities in the maintenance process of wooden decks and concrete patios. Both need to be properly maintained to maximize the longevity of the surface material against the damage caused by rain, ice, heat, and cold.

Also, both wooden decks and concrete patios must be power washed and scrubbed, sanded, or ground until smooth before they can be resealed. If properly maintained, both surface types can last upwards of 30 years. However, the sealant application is far simpler for concrete when compared with wooden decks.

Concrete patios pose a distinct maintenance advantage in that a 5-gallon can of sealant covers 1,000 square feet, costs around $100-150, and is only needed once every 2-3 years. Wooden decks should be resealed and re-stained annually, which means they must be power washed and sanded every year as well.

Homeadvisor.com estimates that most homeowners spend $500-1000 on sealing or waterproofing a deck. 4 gallons of sealant are needed to cover 1,000 square feet at an average cost of $150, and an anti-mold and mildew deck cleaner must be applied before the sealant.

Additionally, owners of wooden decks must also check for rot and mold, replace damaged wood, and check for and replace loosened nails and screws.

Overall, concrete is both easier and cheaper to maintain.

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Add Curves With Pavers

A square concrete slab is standard, but you can add curves around your concrete patio with the help of pavers. For instance, you could add a half circle to one side to create a fire pit area. Or use pavers to border off a circular garden at one corner of your patio.

You can see how we added a curved retaining wall during our backyard patio project, plus a matching fire pit.

This is such a pretty way to make over a concrete patio.

Do I Need To Seal My Concrete Patio

Even though concrete patios arent exposed to vehicle traffic or deicing salts, like concrete driveways are, they still take plenty of punishment. Backyard barbecues, outdoor campfires, heavy foot traffic, and unrelenting sunshine can cause patios to fade, discolor, and abrade if you leave them unprotected.

Find concrete patio contractors near me.

The reasons for sealing a concrete patio are similar to those for waxing a car, wearing sunscreen, or applying stain repellent to new carpeting. Its done to enhance the appearance, keep the color from fading due to sun exposure, and protect it from stains and moisture absorption.

If your patio is located in a region of the country subject to freeze-thaw cycles, applying sealer will reduce the chance of freeze-thaw damage – the ugly surface spalling and scaling that can occur after water is absorbed into concrete and expands when it freezes. Although concrete patios arent typically exposed to deicing salts, which can aggravate the problem, they are still porous and will absorb water if left unsealed.

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Engraved Concrete Patio Cost

Are you are looking for decorative concrete that looks and feels like flagstone at half the price? Engraved Concrete produces realistic paving or brick design as the result of hand carving and/or the use of a diamond blade cutting wheel to cut or score a decorative pattern. The engraved texture can be applied right over the existing concrete, whether you have textured or aggregate types of concrete. Scoring costs about $1 to $2/linear foot extra.

• Appearance: The finished product is clean looking and feels extremely realistic.
• Pros: While appearing to be a surface created from stone or bricks, grout cracking or separation is not an issue and weeds will not grow up through the concrete.
• Upkeep: Reseal the concrete every few years and clean with a gentle power washer.
• Summary: Scored grout lines give a patio the appearance of having real brick, tile, or stone.

Why Does The Patio Crack

The main issue with outdoor concrete patios is that they settle or sink. When the concrete patio sinks or settles, this occurs unevenly in different sections. This results in wobbly, unstable, and uneven concrete surfaces. When the concretes weight is not supported uniformly from below, concrete cracks start to form.

If you leave these issues unattended to and let the cracked concrete patio remain in this condition, your furniture may be unstable and walking on cracked concrete can stub your toes. Overall, you will have an unsightly concrete patio.

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Can I Extend A Concrete Patio

Yes. You can absolutely extend an existing concrete patio. During your set up process, you will need to use a hammer drill with a concrete bit and drill dowel holes in the existing patio slab. Once the dowel holes have been drilled, install rebar into these dowel holes with rebar ties and secure to rebar grid in the new patio extension area before pouring the concrete.

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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If You Aren’t Sure You Can Tackle A Concrete Patio Project On Your Own Hire A Contractor

How to do a raised concrete patio. Remove all vegetation in the patio area, extending the edges about 6 inches beyond all sides of the patio . A 4 thick solid concrete would be around $5.35 per square foot. Building brick patios, however, may require you to spend hundreds of dollars on labor costs and materials, particularly when you hire a contractor to do the job.

Allow the concrete to dry over. I would like to build the perimeter of block and fill it with stone and then cap it in concrete to be finished with blue stone later. To do this, use a garden shovel to dig up about six inches of soil in the area where you will be pouring your concrete.

In the world of hardscaping , raised. This renovation is absolutely doable on your own, but there are some important things to think through, like projected costs, permits. I am planning on building a raised concrete patio.

Thankfully, you can use a few simple tools to reduce patio staining caused by your large containers. Building a wood raised garden bed to install on concrete step 1: Excavate the soil to a depth of 8 inches.

This will be a plain concrete slab, so if you need a special finish, color, or coating, the cost will go higher. Grid does a better job. A raised brick patio can significantly enhance the appearance of your outdoor space.

Like the raised patio with plantings Triangle Co Patio

Planning And Preparing For Your Concrete Patio

• Written by Murray Anderson on Sep 14, 2011

A isnt something that can be easily removed or replaced so if youre thinking about in your yard, taking some time to plan and prepare properly is time well spent. Heres some ideas about things youll want to consider before you start pouring that .

Upfront Planning

• Check you local and state building codes to find out whether you need permits to build your patio and ensure you have the proper planning, zoning and home owners association permission before you go any farther.
• Consider buying some 3D construction planning software that will allow you to actually see how your patio could look in various shapes and configurations before you invest any money or effort in actually building it.
• Think about how you are going to be using your patio. For example if it is going to have another structure built on top of it , you will to provide extras support where the barbecue will be located. Are you going to want to run electrical, sound or possibly CATV cable out to your patio? Consider installing some 3 PVC pipe in the base so you can easily add those cables . Its a lot easier to provision for a potential need now, rather than having to figure out how to get those cables out there in a few years.

The base is very important.

How deep do you go?

Also Check: Building A Deck On Concrete Patio

Concrete Patio Vs Wood Deck

The average cost to build a deck is $25 per square foot with most homeowners spending around $4,380 to $10,080. For an entry level deck it costs around $15/sq.ft., and for a deck built with premium materials costs $35/sq.ft.

• You wont have to deal with mold, rot, or termites.
• A decks wood fades if not treated,
• It might not be able to hold the weight of a hot tub or BBQ grill and kitchen area either.
• Usually needs to be power washed, stained, and resealed every few years.

Splice Boards Together If Necessary

On sides too long for a single board, butt two boards together. Cut a strip of ½-inch plywood and nail it across the joint. Drive a 2-stake at each end of the plywood strip and nail it to the form with duplex nails.

Place a 1/2×4-inch expansion joint against the foundation of the house and any other existing concrete that meets the patio. This will prevent the pad and foundation from bonding and then cracking if they settle at different rates.

Coat the form boards with a coat of commercial release agent or vegetable oil to prevent the concrete from sticking to the form boards, motor oilan early substitute for the release agentdoesnt work as well and contaminates the ground.

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