How to Make an Easy Brick Patio Pattern for Beginners Assuming you still have grass, use a shovel to clear the area of all grass and excavation. No fancy tools are required, just a pick axe to loosen and remove the grass, and a steel garden rake to smooth the area. When I bought my house four years ago, there were two trees, an unsightly shed, and a basic concrete patio off the back door. Mix the concrete by hand or with a mixer, following the directions on the bags of concrete. Pour the concrete all at once to avoid independent shifting and settling of slabs. Use a flat piece of wood or aluminum screed to level the top of the concrete, working from one end of the patio to the other in a sawing motion. Cut 2x4s to make the frame, ensuring the inside dimensions are equal to the patio area. Line the 2x4s with the string border of the patio and nail them to the stakes.
Pour in Polymeric Joint Sand
Decide on the highest point of your patio and raise the form to that level. Drive a deck screw through the stake and into the form to lock it in position. Use a 48-inch level or a laser level to ensure that the entire perimeter of the form is level. Double-check that the top edges of the form boards are level with each other. Use a trowel to level the sand in the nooks and crannies around the perimeter. When you run the compactor over the bricks to seat them in a later step, they’ll settle down flush with the stone.
Flatten and Level the Area
Smooth the gravel so that it is evenly distributed. If you choose to leave gaps between your pavers, you can grow some ground cover plants between them for an organic feel. Look for plants such as creeping thyme, dymondia, jewel mint of Corsica, or clover.
Determine the location, size, and dimensions of your concrete patio.We added a stone path and a few steps at the upper end of the patio and planted a perennial bed alongside.Pouring concrete patio steps requires starting with a simple wooden stairs framework, then carefully pouring concrete inside.Proper gravel base installation is crucial — it must be dug out, tamped, and leveled.For a natural, rustic look, crushed stone makes an attractive, budget-friendly patio surface.Like I mentioned, I was locked into a specific width of just over 2”, but with your patio space, you likely will have a choice.
In the photo above, my metal bars are diagonal because I needed to slope my patio in two directions. I thought it would make it easier this way, but I ended up pulling them out and keeping them straight. It was easy enough to follow the slope lines with the strings. Although it might seem difficult, building a patio is not as difficult as it looks. Repeat, using the spacers to lay more concrete pavers. The total height between the bottom of the gravel base layer https://clearviewbuildersiinc.podbean.com/ to the top of the paver will equal about 5½”. I also found it helpful to mark the top of where the paver will be. It’s important to note that depending on what your top base layer is made of, it may not actually add any height to your total. The new string locations now mark the height of the 4” base layer with the slope included. Remember when you're designing the patio that it's going to be populated with furniture, installations like fire pits or grills, and people. Matching the patio size to the overall scale of the house or an inside room is usually a good rule of thumb. Double-check that the entire top edge of all form boards are level with each other. Use 2x6 or 2x8 lumber to build the outer shape of your patio.
Before beginning the project, gather all the required supplies and equipment. Paver stones, gravel, sand, and edging material are typical materials. And here is the tutorial on how to make the adjoining gravel garden using some of the same pavers to make it look fully connected! Flat stones usually are sold in nominal thicknesses from 1 to 3 in. Width and length increments, starting at 12 x 12 in. Anything larger or thicker is usually a special order.
