Decks & Patios - Buiders Tips

Patio or deck refers to a type of outdoor balcony or verandah. In other instances, the terms are interchangeably used with courtyard and forecourt. These spaces are typically established to serve outdoor dining and recreation purposes. Commonly, it is an adjoined feature of a house meaning that a deck or patio can be connected to the house.
If you are mulling over of building a deck/patio/courtyard for your home, here are some steps that can guide you to brave such task with ease and comfort.

1.) Mark the area where you want your patio to stand.
By determining the patio area and having it as the fixed location, you will know the exact size of the patio. With this, you'll have an idea of the appropriate slab size that will cover the area. Marking the patio area can be accomplished with the use of marking pegs that will be tightly tied and connected to each other with strings.

2.) Dig and level the patio area.
This is the most tasking part of the job. With the marking pegs still in place, you need to dig the area to the recommended 6-inch depth. You may wish to get a builder in for this task, using a back-hoe makes this job much easier than doing by hand. After which, you need to fill the dig area with compacted hardcore to even amounts. This will ensure that the patio area is as level as possible. To level the area easier, there are compactors that can serve this purpose.

3.) Frame the area as you like.
Framing the deck is not as necessary as the other steps or components. However, it can add beauty to the patio as a feature structure of your house. Common materials used as frames for the patio are wood and bamboo. They are easy to match to other materials and are easy to decorate too.

4.)Lay the slabs.
You may want to lay the slabs first without fixing it permanently onto the foundations. By doing this, you'll have a shot of how the slabs will look once laid permanently. This will also allow you to distance the slabs according to your preference. The design of the slabs is also at stake during this phase. By dry laying the slabs, you can prevent mistakes when it is time to lay them permanently. Once you have a clear picture of the slab layout, you can have them laid down permanently with the use of ample amount of concrete mixture, mortar and mallet.

5.)Add beauty to your patio by applying finishing touches.
The application of finishing touches may take after a couple of days after the mortar, concrete mixture and slabs have dried well enough. Upon determining that the slabs are already intact, you can now fill the gaps with small amounts of mortar. Again, you'll have to allow the mortar to dry well enough before applying additional touches. However, before doing so, you can smooth out the edges to remove excess mortars from the laying down of the slabs. This will save you more time.

Other finishing touches that you can implement on the vicinity of the patio includes the placement of different ornamental plants, garden fountains, benches, and other accessories of your choice that you feel will make outdoor dining and recreation more enjoyable. With your patio finished, there are more reasons for your family and friends to tag-along outside.