Making a Patio With Concrete Blocks
Concrete block patios have the strength and durability of a poured concrete slab with the texture and design options of a patio laid in separate blocks. Before you create your design or building plan, decide which size concrete block you want to lay. They range in size from 6-by-9 inches to 24-by-24 inches. Though larger blocks can create a grand surface, keep in mind that blocks are heavier and more difficult to handle the larger they are. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Tape measure
- Landscape paint
- Square shovel
- Hand tamper
- Landscape fabric
- Gravel
- Edge restraints
- 1-by-3 inch stakes
- Sand
- Rake
- Masonry sand
Instructions
-
-
1
Create a sketch of your patio, noting the exact location, shape and size that the surface will be. Use this sketch to measure out the site and trace the borders with landscape paint.
-
2
Cut straight lines through the sod or grass with a square shovel. Continue digging until the surface of the expanse is a depth of 12 inches if your patio blocks are 6 inches thick. Make the ground level and dig down 1 inch for every 4 feet from your house to grade the patio deck for drainage. Add or subtract depth to the expanse according to the thickness of your concrete blocks. For instance, if they are 4 inches thick, your expanse should be 10 inches deep.
-
-
3
Pound a hand tamper over the prepared area. Go over the entire site three times to compact the ground so it is stable. Line the area with landscape fabric to shield the foundation from weeds.
-
4
Use a shovel to dump a 6-inch bed of gravel over the fabric. Rake the gravel evenly over the site and tamp it until the gravel resists the tamper.
-
5
Set PVC, aluminum or pressure-treated wood edge restraints around the interior sides of the site to keep the blocks from shifting. If you're using wood, screw the ends together at each corner with four 2 1/2-inch screws. Insert 1-by-3 inch wooden stakes every 3 feet around the outside of the restraints to brace the wood.
-
6
Pour 1 inch of sand bedding over the site and rake it over the gravel bed.
-
7
Press the concrete blocks into the sand according to your design. Space them evenly apart by about 1/8 inch. Add or take away sand so the blocks are level with each other.
-
8
Brush masonry sand over the surface and press it between every joint until they are filled with sand. The sand joints pad the blocks as they settle.
-
1
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
