How to Pave a Concrete Patio
Paving a concrete patio is a practical way to enhance your landscape with a functional outdoor living space. Concrete is a durable material with a straightforward installation process so it's well suited for do-it-youselfers. Once poured, you can embellish the look of a concrete patio by stamping it or painting the surface. Schedule your paving so the patio will have a full week to dry before it is used. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Ropes
- Tape measure
- Wooden posts
- String
- Spade or shovel
- Two-by-fours
- Nails
- Hammers
- Wooden stakes
- Gravel
- Wire mesh
- Concrete mix
- Wheelbarrow or cement mixer
- Bucket
- Trowel
- Mold-release agent
- Concrete stamp
- Plastic sheet
Instructions
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Place ropes around the perimeter of the patio site and measure the dimensions to ensure it will be large enough for your furniture. Add four inches of width to each side of the perimeter to account for the two-by-four wood forms.
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Insert wooden posts in the ground at the four corners of the site and connect a string from each post so you have a clear outline to follow.
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3
Cut into the ground with a square-tipped spade or flat shovel so your sides are clean and straight. Dig until you've extended the space seven inches below where the surface of the patio will be, leaving four inches for the foundation and three inches for the concrete. Begin at the side near your home and dig 1/4 inch deeper for every foot toward the opposite direction to grade the site so water will run away from the home's foundation.
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4
Install a wood form around the interior perimeter of the site by nailing two-by-fours end to end on all sides. Once the form is complete, insert wooden stakes against the exterior of the forms to hold them in place.
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5
Lay four inches of gravel over the soil and spread it evenly with a two-by-four, maintaining the grade so water will drain off the patio away from the house. Roll wire mesh over the gravel to add support to the surface of the base.
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6
Mix concrete and a small amount of water in a wheelbarrow or with a cement mixer. Continue adding water until the mixture has a stiff consistency.
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Transport the concrete with a shovel or buckets and dump it in piles on the wire mesh. Use a trowel or two-by-four to spread the concrete until it is three to four inches thick and smooth on top.
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Stamp the patio with a concrete stamp if you want the surface to have patterned impressions. Apply a mold-release agent over the surface and press the stamps into the cement 15 minutes after it is poured. If you don't want to stamp the concrete, score a grid into the surface every three feet with a mason's trowel and two-by-four to provide control joints.
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Shield the fresh concrete with a sheet of plastic for a week after it is poured to prevent it from drying out too quickly.
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References
Resources
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