How to Make a Patio

A patio can be a small, restful seating space for one person or a large area with a grill for entertaining. A variety of patio pavers are available. Choose a style that complements the area it's in, whether that's off the back door or out in the middle of the yard. Make a patio your favorite room outside the house with comfortable furniture, umbrellas or a sun sail, lighting for evening use and portable heaters for chilly nights.

Things You'll Need

• Pavers Leveling sand Tamper Shovel or mini-dozer String line Pea gravel

Instructions

1. Make a plan for your patio. Determine its location by deciding what you'll be using it for. Cooking is easier if the barbecue is close to the kitchen. A patio for sunbathing can be placed in any sunny spot in the yard. Build a patio next to the pool for added entertaining space.

2. 

   Prep the area. Clear away brush and other debris. Measure and use stakes and line to mark the patio boundaries.

3. 

   Remove the soil inside the stakes to a depth that's 1 inch deeper than the depth of the pavers or bricks you'll use. Compact the soil with a tamper. Make sure it's flat and firm. Create a slight grade away from the house for water runoff.

4. Put 1 inch of leveling sand in the excavation. Use lines stretched across the space to make sure it's flat.

5. 

   Start laying the paving stones. How you do this depends on what shape they are. Start in the middle for irregular-shaped stones and fit them together as you move outward. Square or rectangular stones or bricks can be laid starting at one side of the patio. As you work, level the sand if it becomes uneven.

6. 

   Cut any pavers that don't fit with a diamond saw blade. You can avoid having to cut stones if you adjust your patio design to fit the size of your pavers.

7. 

   Edge the patio with edging blocks. Use a line and stakes to mark a straight line along the edge of the patio. The distance between the line and the patio should be the width of the edging block. Dig a trench around the patio, add leveling sand, flatten the screed, tamp it down and install the edgers. They should be level with the patio.

8. 

   Sprinkle pea gravel or sand on the completed patio. Use a hose to rinse it into the gaps between the pavers.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you begin, set your patio furniture out as though it was sitting on top of the completed patio. This will tell you if the size and shape are right. If stability is an issue, make a 4-inch-deep concrete slab before you start laying pavers. Visit a tool rental store to see what machines are available to make the task of digging the patio base easier. Plan your patio so that you don't have to cut any blocks.

• If the pavers don't rest on a perfectly flat base the patio will buckle.

Resources

• Instructions for Building Different Types of Patios
• Patio Repair
• Advice from a Paving Expert