Transform your outdoor place in a weekend with our step - by - step usher to building a patio using flagstone , brick , or pavers .

integrate a stone DIY terrace into your backyard or garden for aneasy outdoor roomaddition . The hard control surface give patio furniture house ground , so you’re able to create aseating ensemble for outside dining , morning coffee , or simply relaxing with friend . To build your DIY terrace , you ’ll need a crushed rock or limestone paver base , sand , and your alternative of terrace material . Bricks , pavers , or flagstones can all create sturdy and attractive Isidor Feinstein Stone patio designs .

When design your design , save up yourself some workplace and prefer a pattern that does n’t requirecutting the material . brick or paversin straight or mildly curve patterns typically work well for an gentle job . Flagstones , with their irregular shapes , are ideal for an informal patio with born appeal .

Patio with white wooden chair

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Choose light - colour pavers to reflect warmth or dark ones to absorb heat for cooler even .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

make a patio is much like putting together a mystifier . splay the pieces until they fit together , working to make a nearly undifferentiated blank space between the stones . Use the conform to tutorial for how to construct aflagstone , brick , or paver terrace . The basic stair for this DIY project are the same for each material .

How to Build a DIY Patio

Outline Your DIY Patio and Remove Sod

lie a garden hose on the ground or use stakes and mason line of reasoning to delineate the shape of your patio .

If you ’re unsure about thesize of your new patio , build up it more or less larger than planned . Expanding an existing endocarp patio later can be more hard than pop out with a larger blank from the beginning .

Using a tart garden spade shovel , take away the sod and soil at the patio location . Excavate an 8 - inch - cryptic base plus the thickness of the flagstone , brick , or paver . If you ’re building a patio near your home , pitch the website away from your home ’s exterior . employ a horizontal surface to make a 1 - inch pearl every 4 feet . Once all the sod has been removed , use a tamper to compress the dirt .

Digging into ground with shovel

Dig into the ground to create a base for your patio.Credit: Marty Baldwin

Use awheelbarrowto transport the excess soil to a compost pile , a low spot in the thousand , or along the foundation .

Add Landscape Fabric to DIY Patio Base

draw the excavated area withlandscape textile , cut back the fabric to fit . Although this is not essential , it help prevent weeds from spud between the terrace stone . Landscape fabric is fairly cheap and easy to install , so thisweed control methodis well deserving it .

Build Patio Base

summate a gravel or limestone paver base to the excavated orbit and spread it to form a 6 - in - deep level over the integral DIY patio outer space .

Paver Base

If you use a limestone paver base , lightly wet the fabric with a garden hose . Use a tamp or a lease plate compactor to create a strong base . Finish it with leveling sand . begin by laying two 1 - in PVC pipes across the length of the orbit . These should be cut back to sizing so they tally within the terrace stem . Spread 1 inch of leveling sand on top . Next , lay your 2×4 across the PVC tobacco pipe and slither the guts across to make it rase . murder the pipes and fulfil in the disruption with sand .

Placing landscaping fabric in ground

Place landscape fabric on the ground.Credit: Marty Baldwin

Gravel Base

If you ’re using gravel , spread a 1 - column inch - deep layer of detergent builder ’s sand on top . Again , use a tamper or plate compactor to create a politic surface .

If your patio is located near your home , once againuse a levelto ensure the infrastructure side away from it before go on to the next pace .

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Place Your Stones or Pavers

lie the first flagstones or pavers on one side of the DIY patio . Add guts underneath the Harlan Stone as necessary to make a nearly level surface . identify the stones as close together as possible . enceinte col between stones invite weeds , which will add to the scratchy nature of the terrace surface . If desired , and your patio anatomy allows , set up plastic edging around the perimeter of your patio .

Top Your Patio with Sand

After all the brick , pavers , or flag are in place , spread polymeric jointing sand over the terrace . Use astiff broomto sweep the Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin over the pavers until the fissure are filled . Remove surplus grit using a leaf blower at lowly velocity . Water the surface with a okay mist from agarden hoseto encourage the sand to sink into the spaces between the stone . Repeat the process of sum up sand , sweeping , and water about a week after construction to ensure a durable finish .

Maintain Your DIY Patio

If the patio stones start to wobble over time ( or the sand begins to wear away ) , add extra sand between the cracks , chimneysweeper , andwater with a hoseto maintain a smooth patio surface . To prevent mildew and stains on your Oliver Stone DIY patio , plan to clean the Harlan Fiske Stone at the root and remnant of the outside season with a pressure washing machine or by scratch with a detergent answer .

Sealing stone pavers help oneself prevent stains , mildew , and fade , extending their lifespan , but it adds to the labor cost and ask reapplication over time .

Furnish and Decorate Your Patio

Create a comfortable and welcome out-of-door life area with furnishing and decor . Once you ’ve pick out your patio article of furniture , whether wicker , wood , or another fabric , start adding coordinating design items . Anoutdoor rugis an excellent way to add color and texture and confound pillow in outdoor fabrics are both cosmetic and running for off-the-cuff naps or cozy indication spots . Awater featureadds peaceful sound to a backyard , peculiarly helpful if neighbors or pass cars create interference . Do n’t blank out about theoutdoor paries space — add together nontextual matter that ’s safe to hang alfresco , and install sconce for kindling .

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes , it ’s less expensive to work up your own terrace . If you lease a professional to do it for you , the labor monetary value for the project could add 45 % to the entire price .

The average cost to build a terrace varies greatly depending on the material you use for your terrace . For example , brick pavers will be more costly than concrete . Flagstone averages between $ 3 and $ 18 per straightforward foot , brick between $ 4 and $ 10 per solid foot , and paver between $ 2.25 and $ 11 per straight foot .

man using 2x4 to screed sand

Placing rocks on top of sand

Lay stones on top of the sand.Credit: Marty Baldwin

Using broom to sweep between cracks of sand and rocks

Sweep sand between the cracks.Credit: Marty Baldwin