Building a Patio Adds Comfort and Style to Your Home

Building a patio gives you extra space for relaxing, dining and entertaining. It can also add value to your home.

Natural stone is a classic choice for patios. It offers a wide variety of colors, textures and shapes that can create a unique look.

Start by putting down a 2- to 3-inch layer of gravel paver base. Wet it and use a tamper or plate compactor to make it firm and level.

Design

A patio is a great spot to relax and entertain. Whether you prefer to spend your days sunbathing or soaking up conversation around a cozy fire, a well-designed patio can provide the right amount of comfort and style.

Design a patio to complement your home’s architecture and landscape. If your site permits it, orient the patio to take advantage of prevailing views and sun angles. Consider adding a trellis to shade the afternoon sun or offer privacy from neighbors’ second story windows.

Patio designs also need to balance scale, color and form. Adding a few large items can make a small space feel big, while adding lots of small items can create a cluttered look. Using garden furniture that blends into the surrounding landscape can add to this sense of balance. Plantings can offer a stylish finishing touch to the patio as well. Try adding tall plants to frame the space, short varieties to screen the rear of beds and creeping plants that overhang hard edges of paving to soften the visual impact.

Materials

Whether built from masonry materials like bricks or stones, or from loose material such as pea gravel and flagstones, a patio can add a touch of sophistication to your garden. It’s also a great option for people who want to avoid the upkeep of a lawn.

Because a patio is built right on the ground, it integrates more naturally with the surrounding landscape. It’s also less likely to be damaged by frost and thaw cycles than a wood deck.

Concrete is the cheapest option and can be colored or patterned to add a unique touch. It may also be etched with acid stain to resemble stone or brick.

Bricks offer a variety of patterns and design options, but require regular maintenance. Over time, they can shift, which allows moss and weeds to grow, and they can become cracked or unsightly. Bricks also tend to be more expensive than concrete. However, working with an experienced contractor can help ensure that the construction process is smooth and cost-effective.

Layout

The ideal patio size may seem obvious, but the layout is equally important. To make the most of your new outdoor space, start with a detailed map of the area. Measure and mark the dimensions of the area with stakes or marking paint to see a visual representation of your final patio design.

Identify key functional areas based on your lifestyle, such as dining and lounging. Then, select furniture and decor that suits those needs and style preferences. Finally, leave room for greenery to balance the hardscape and add a refreshing complement to the overall aesthetic.

Even small details elevate the character of a patio. The choice of paver material, for example, defines the patio’s personality. For instance, natural stone exudes organic elegance while concrete delivers a contemporary edge and clay bricks introduce warmth. The arrangement of pavers also matters. For instance, running bond patterns visually elongate a patio and are ideal for narrow spaces.

Lighting

A patio can be enhanced with outdoor lighting to extend the use of the space into the evening. It can also be dressed up with flowering plants or a shade structure to make it more welcoming. See Create a Beautiful Backyard with Landscape Lighting for ideas.

A nice-looking patio can add value to a home and can return 95% of its cost upon sale, according to the National Association of Realtors. It can also serve as a gathering place for friends and family.

To build a patio, you’ll need to compact and level the existing soil, then apply a 4 to 5-inch layer of three-quarter-inch crushed stone that has been misted with water to settle into a smooth surface. Then begin laying brick pavers in your chosen pattern, using a level and string lines to maintain straight rows. When the area is completed, sweep sand over the bricks and fill any low spots with sand.



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