How to Build a Patio With Blocks

Blocks lain in a basketweave pattern.

A patio makes a comfortable retreat in summer evenings for family gatherings and a pleasant location to entertain guests. Thanks to a trend in outdoor rooms, many big-box stores are carrying new, more attractive furnishings for patios, including all-weather furniture, gazebos and grills. But before you pick out color swatches and coordinating accessories, you need to construct the patio to put them on.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Garden stakes
• Rubber mallet
• Cotton string
• Garden spade
• Shovel
• Rake
• Tamping Tool
• Garden hose
• Plywood Sheet
• Carpenter's Level
• Quickrete play sand
• Landscape fabric
• Metal landscaping border
• 2 pallets patio blocks
• Push broom

Instructions

Foundation

1. Measure your patio with a tape measure and mark the corners by pounding a stake into the ground with a mallet. Mark the border by stringing cotton string between the stakes.

2. Cut the sod by driving the spade into the edges of the patio. Remove the sod to the depths of the foundation with the shovel.

3. Flatten the ground beneath the patio foundation by watering with a garden hose and tamping flat with a tamping tool. Evaluate the ground for flatness by placing a plywood sheet on the ground and using a carpenter's level.

4. Lay the landscape fabric over the ground. Cover this with play sand to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. If the patio is next to the foundation of your home, slope the sand so that it gradually grades away from the foundation of your home to keep the water from running into your foundation.

5. Pound the metal edging into the patio's border using the rubber mallet. This will prevent runner weeds from spreading under the patio's blocks, and will define the edges of the patio.

Patio Surface

1. Fit the patio blocks together carefully as you lay them onto the sand of your patio foundation.

2. Lay sand over the top of the blocks.

3. Push the sand into the cracks between the blocks using a push broom.

Tips & Warnings

• Patio blocks may be heavy. Protective equipment such as a back brace is recommended when lifting.

References

• Gardenseeker.com
• Do It Yourself.com
• This Old House

Resources

• How To Lay A Stone Patio