How to Build a Patio With Concrete Blocks

A patio is an excellent place to host a party or just relax.

Adding a patio can really improve a home; adding that finishing touch to the garden and extending the amount of usable space. Whether it's somewhere to decorate with potted plants, a place to have barbecues or just somewhere to relax, a patio is a simple yet effective addition to any property.

Things You'll Need

• A shovel
• A rake
• A screwdriver
• Sand
• Concrete blocks
• Polyethylthene sheeting

Instructions

1. Use a shovel to remove grass from the area where you will build your patio. Dig out excess soil and rake the ground as flat as you can. Cover the ground with polyethylthene sheets. This prevents moss, grass and other weeds from growing.

2. Cover the sheeting with sand to provide drainage so the concrete blocks will bed down securely. Use more sand so there is a gradient that makes water flow away from the house. Compact the sand with a block or a sand compactor. Even the surface with a rake.

3. Set the blocks in the pattern you desire. Before each block is set, pierce the plastic near both ends where the block will sit with a screwdriver, to allow for drainage. Tap each block so it settles firmly.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider different shades or colors of block to produce an attractive pattern. Using different sized blocks in a pattern can also be effective, as can laying blocks along the diagonals rather than straight up or down. You may have to cut blocks if you choose this, however.

• There is a real flood risk to a patio with a polyethylthene sheet base if sand is not inclined or if the sand is inclined to cause water to flow toward the house. Similarly, forgetting to pierce the polyethylthene prevents sufficient drainage, causing water to flow to the foundation of the house. Always be sure to provide sufficient drainage and check the incline on the sand.

References

• Extreme HowTo: Build your own patio
• Reader's Digest: Build a flagstone and stone block patio