Adding a hard-surface area in your garden will add instant appeal as well as offer function. It gives you a place for your outdoor furniture and, depending on where you put it, gives you an extra “room” that becomes an extension of your home.
While this is a project that takes planning and some hard work, it is the perfect DIY project…no contractors or building professionals required.
Whether you go with bricks, flagstones or pavers, it’s possible to create a unique design that you’ll love. However, to make this as simple and quick as possible to put together, opt for a pattern that will allow you to use the entire bricks without needing to cut them.
For example, pavers and bricks work for either straight lines or gentle curves. Flagstones are irregular, creating an informal, natural appeal.
If you opt for flagstones think of them like puzzle pieces; move them around until you get a design that appeals to you.
Whichever material you choose, the following steps will help you create a beautiful patio that you’ll enjoy for years.
Gather your materials
- ⬥ Boundary markers (e.g. stakes and string or a garden hose)
- ⬥ Spade
- ⬥ Wheelbarrow
- ⬥ Landscape fabric
- ⬥ Gravel
- ⬥ Tamper or plate compactor
- ⬥ Builder’s sand
- ⬥ Pavers, bricks or flagstones
- ⬥ Broom
1. Set your boundary lines and dig out the sod
Use the stakes and string or a garden hose to outline the area you want to use for your patio. Make it as large as you think you will want because it can be more complicated to enlarge an existing patio.
Remove the sod and soil with your spade. Then toss it into a wheelbarrow and place it in a compost pile, a low spot in your yard or along your home’s foundation, depending on where it can be useful.
Dig down the thickness of your brick, flagstone or paver, plus another 5 inches.
2. Add landscape fabric
Line the area you’ve just dug out with landscape fabric to prevent weeds from sprouting between your stones.
3. Add gravel and sand
Lay out gravel in the area you’ve just cleared out. Spread it out to form a 4-inch deep layer of gravel. Use a tamper or (rented) plate compactor to tamp it down. Then, spread a 1-inch layer of sand on top of the compacted gravel, before using the tamper again to create a firm base for your pavers.
4. Set the stones
Start at one side of the patio and lay out your stones, bricks or pavers into the desired pattern. Add sand as needed to create a surface that is as level as possible. Be sure to place the stones as close together as you can to prevent weed seeds from slipping into the cracks between and sprouting.
5. Add more sand
Once your stones have been set, put handfuls of builder’s sand across the patio. Using a stiff broom, sweep sand over the bricks until you’ve filled every crack with sand. Add a fine mist of water with your garden hose to help the sand to sink into the gaps between the stones.
Keep adding sand, sweeping and misting the stones for the next week and then again when the stones start to feel loose or wobbly.
Finally…set out those chairs and get ready to enjoy all of that hard work for years to come!
