How To Build Your Own Patio – Installing pavers beautifies your yard and extends your living space to the outdoors. Learn how to lay patio pavers and build a DIY patio. We feature hardscape design with patio ideas to help you personalize your new space.
Start with a paving pattern plan. There are many quilt pattern designs that you can try. Jack-on-jack or run-on patterns are the simplest paving patterns to install. More advanced patterns, such as herringbone patterns or polka dots, require more trimming. Different mat shapes can give you more pattern design options. If you want a backyard patio idea that’s easy to install, consider sealed pavers that look like stone. Check out our buying guide for wall blocks, wainscoting and edging. To learn how to estimate the materials needed for your project, check out our paver calculator and read our paver or walkway planning section.
How To Build Your Own Patio
Before purchasing materials or starting work on paving patterns and fence designs, check your local building codes and homeowners association rules to see if there are any restrictions or requirements you need to adhere to. A permit may be required in some areas.
How To Build A Diy Patio For Less Than $300
What to Know Many types of pavers and patio stones work for patios and walkways, but if you want to install pavers for a driveway or parking area, consider using driveway pavers.
To lay patio pavers or concrete pavers for a typical patio installation, you need to build several layers:
Good to know Interlocking paver base panels are an alternative to a gravel base. They are lightweight and require less digging than gravel, and the pavers sit right on top. Read Paving Design and Construction to learn how to use paver base panels for paving.
Use strips of string and dough boards to mark the placement. The dough board consists of two piles and a cross piece that supports the string. You can adjust the position by simply sliding the threads along the cross sections.
Patios Red Deer
Check the square. When the diagonal dimensions are equal, the layout is square. Good to Know If you want to build a curved patio, plan the curves with a garden hose and score them with a shovel.
Plan an appropriate slope. The patio should slope away from the house – about a 1-inch drop every 4 feet. A 4-foot level with a 1-inch block of wood attached to the end helps check the slope as you dig. Use the natural slope of your yard whenever possible.
Remove grass and dirt. The total depth you dig depends on the height of the pad along with the base. Paddlers should sit at or slightly above ground level. Dig about 6 inches from the strands. The extra space provides space for mat edges to hold mats in place. For larger digs, consider renting a lawnmower. Use a level and block to keep the slope even while digging. Good to know If you plan to use it again, keep the grass slightly damp.
After removing the dirt, press the area with a rental plate press. For small areas, you can use a hand tamper, but a plate sealer makes the job easier and faster.
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Your patio needs the support of a gravel base. Add gravel in 2- to 3-inch layers, wet it, and run a plate sealer over it. Continue until you have a 6-inch base. Remember to keep the slope even.
We are adding a low retaining wall along the roof at the edge of the layout. It sits on a gravel base and is held together with construction adhesive. If the yard slopes more than 1 inch every 4 feet, the wall will help keep the fence in place when you build it up to the recommended slope. For more information on retaining walls, see How to Build a Retaining Wall.
Lay two lengths of 1-inch OD polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe across the area. Pipes help to get the correct depth of sand. Remove patio rugs before laying them down.
To lay or level the sand and create a smooth surface, pour bedding sand and pull 2-4 straight lines along the pipes. Work your way through the patio area. Remove the pipes and fill the voids with more sand. Repeat the process as needed to create a sand bed over the entire area. Good to know Sand can filter into the base material. Check the depth and slope before laying the fencing mats.
What You Need To Know Before Building A Patio
This patio has 6″ by 6″ and 6″ by 9″ stone, with 6″ by 9″ blocks along the border. The process is similar to quilting patterns such as plug or herringbone patterns, but quilting the pattern can be a bit more complicated. Here’s how to lay the mats.
Begin laying the mats along the edge of the layout. If possible, start with a solid edge, such as a wall. Use strings set low into the ground as guides to keep the blocks straight. Continue installing the pavers, working towards the center of the fence area, leaving a small space between the pavers – 1/4 inch. Good to know Wear work gloves when handling pavers. Consider wearing a knee pad to make the installation process more comfortable.
Check from time to time that the top is even. Add sand under the pads or tap them with a rubber mallet to level them.
After placing some of the mats in place, install plastic edging or mats along the perimeter with spikes at each end.
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You may need to cut some blocks to fit. A speed square helps you mark the corner cuts. Mark the blocks and attach them one by one to a stable work surface, cutting each one with a circular saw and a concrete blade. It may take several passes, lowering the blade a little each time. Be aware that concrete dust can build up on the saw and cause motor wear—follow the manufacturer’s instructions for blowing out the dust. What you need to know Some tile saws or wet saws cut through mats, making them a useful alternative to a circular saw if you have a lot of cutting to do. If you have several blocks to cut, you can do them without a saw. Use a hammer drill and a mason to score the block on all sides. Hit the chisel on the score line until the block splits. Caution Wear eye and hearing protection, as well as a respirator and work gloves when cutting the block. Follow the saw and blade manufacturer’s instructions.
Cohesive sand or polymer sand holds the beds in place and prevents weeds from growing between the beds. Take your time to enable and complete the process properly.
After the boards are in place, add sand to fill the gaps between the boards. Polymer joint sand contains additives that hold pavers better than sand alone, but pavers must be completely dry before application. Sweep the sand into the joints. Use a hand drill to settle the sand. Add additional sand and repeat the process as needed.
Blow off any excess sand with a leaf blower. Pay special attention to the textures and cracks in the road surfaces. Make sure there is no polymer grit or dust left in the sand, as it creates a persistent white mist upon contact with moisture. After removing all sand and dust, lightly spray the fence with a hose and allow the sand to set for 24 hours. Be sure to cut back any excess weeds around the perimeter of the fence. What you need to know Follow the instructions of the sand manufacturer. Update your fence, build a new driveway, or install a fire pit in your backyard, perfect for summer shindigs.
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A long-lasting patio is like a smooth paint job—it’s all about the prep work. Rush to put pavers on a faulty foundation and it may take several seasons for the stones to shift and become a fall hazard.
Made from salvaged granite blocks, this fire pit anchors the patio design and keeps the festivities going long after the sun goes down. Here’s how to build a bluestone around a central fire pit. Do not forget about fire safety.
Sure, you can spend days and a lot of dollars building a cobblestone or bluestone walkway, but a simple gravel path won’t break your back or your budget. Gravel (also crushed brick or crushed stone) is a traditional paving material found in formal gardens throughout Europe and Asia and requires little skill to install. Take an afternoon shot (as described here) and soon you’ll have a natural-looking, leaf-free way to stroll through your lovely landscape.
The fires outside are very hot right now. Really. It’s true that humans have called hearths home for centuries, but these days people are going ultra-retro and getting their heat from stone-walled pits set into the ground. And why not? Marshmallows can be melted and nibbled on cool summer nights
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