I have an area - 8x10 or smaller in my back yard that i'd like to put a patio in. anyone ever put one in before?

how do you prep? just crushed gravel? sand?

what stones are easier/cheaper?

what about concrete that's molded and colored?

 

clicky



Let me know how you make out, im thinking of doing one next year myslef

 

thanks for the link, but i was looking for people's experience in doing one

 

JT, I haven't done one personally, but a friend of mine does it all the time. He told me that the preparation is 95% of how it will turn out. Make sure the ground is completely level and packed with a compactor when you start and lay down a good layer of sand or whatever the base is.

He says if the base is done good, it will prevent it from getting wavy and cracking later on. Also watch for any low spots in the middle which will make for puddles and ice/cracks later on.

 

Prep is 95 % of the work I dig up about 4 inches worth of soil then lay down a thin layer of small graevel mostly for drainage help then about an inch of sand. Pound it in with (cant remember the name of the tool but its about a 15 lbs square metal block on the end of a stick and its flat) then lay your brick and leave a small space 1/4 in or less in-between and after fill with sand. You could prob ge some good deals on the bricks this time of year and if it is gunna be a high traffic or highly used area grab a few extra as in a few years they could brake and the style might be outdated the few extra bucks now could save u a lot in the long run

 

it's called a tamper.
your probably better off just renting a powered compacter though.
they run 50 -75 a day and tomorrow you'll still be able to lift your arms over your head.

The other material used as a substrate is called stone dust.

 

I did an 8x7 area with just a tamper. Renting that big machine is crazy for such a small area!

Lay down the substrate after tamping the heck out of the ground to get it level. Put all the stones down I went to Lowes.

Found this stuff that was specifically for locking in bricks. You brush it in with a broom and then water it 4 times letting it soak/settle in. It basically has a binder in there similar to concrete so it LOCKS it in place and won't wash away or easily let the ants dig through it.

 

I did a 15' x 23' patio a few years ago. It's held up real well. As some people have already pointed out, make sure the area is real level before you start laying down your bricks/pavers. Use good quality bricks/pavers otherwise they'll crack, fade and degrade over time. The sand between the bricks is real important too. Any paver supply will be able to recommend you a polymeric sand in different colors to compliment the bricks.

I'm not sure where you're located, but I used these folks for supplies:

http://www.prolandscapesupplynh.com/

There will be someone similar near you.

Fitz

 

Dont forget the weed stop fabric!

 

Use stone dust for the base, and a commercial compactor. You'll need a 6' level and a 2x4 to put it on.

If you can remember the patio at my parents old house, my bother and dad did that one.

Stone dust, level out, spray with water, add stone dust, level out spray with water, compact, add stone dust, spray with water, compact... etc... Once its level and as hard as concrete, lay out the stone, then fill in the gaps with stone dust, water, fill in again, water and spray with water and sweep it clean. Let it dry out for a day or 2, then fill in any gaps that show up.

Thats it. rent a compactor... don't do it by hand if you want it to last. You only need to hand tamp the edges close to the house. But try and do most of it with the machine.