If you want to add a comfortable open space zone to your house, consider creating a patio — it’s not difficult to build it at all! Read a short guide and learn some details on how to choose a material, prepare the ground, make a markup, etc.
By the way, if you want to create something more than a simple outdoor living space, you can always turn to professional deck and patio builders from DeltaDecks. Specialists create ideal terraces in the Greater Toronto area.
Choose a Base Material
Before you start building a paver patio, make sure that you`ve purchased enough treated gravel. – Before you start building a paver patio, make sure that you`ve purchased enough treated gravel because it is very important to choose the right gravel for the process of building a patio.
As a general rule, 3 inches of base material and approximately 1 inch of coarse sand under the base is sufficient. So, when thinking about how to build a deck patio, be sure to purchase the necessary materials or use home delivery services.
Set the Line & Level It
Mark out the location of the future patio and insert metal pins in the corners. Pass the nylon strings between the edge pins and secure the line levels to create a field that has a quarter of a bubble pitch away from the level. Do not forget about the evenness of the perpendicular line and make its periodic check during building.
Compact the Base
It doesn’t matter if you think about how to build an open terrace or how to build a covered patio, you need to put maximum effort into creating a foundation. The base for the foundation is made by:
- Digging about 6 inches below your marked lines and approximately 4 inches further for the edging.
- Filling with half of the compactor and leveling with a rake.
- Filling the rest of the compactor materials.
You can do this with a hand rammer. However, professional backyard patio contractors usually use a vibrating plate (you can rent it by the hour).
Ground Preparation
The key step before building a patio cover is sand screed — it provides a solid base for fixing the paving stones. Important steps:
- lay the pipes/bars on the base with a distance of approximately 3 feet as a guideline for the sanding depth;
- check the level of pipes/bars;
- add sand in small portions and level it with a rake.
Finally, carefully lift the pipes/bars and fill the space with the rest of the sand.
Make a Markup & Set the Pavers
If you have made a solid foundation, then marking is easy — set an additional line with nylon thread for the first row of paving stones. Then start laying the first row without stepping on the sand. The subsequent rows can be performed already standing on the laid paving stones. Professional Custom Deck Builders recommend checking the level regularly during paving.
Seal the Structure
The final stage is the launch of the paver or vibratory plate to compact the structure. Start at the edge and work your way inward slowly, repeat the process up to 5 times. Voila, the terrace is ready — this is how you can easily make an open space without bothering where to find patio & pergola builders near me.
However, if you want to improve it and think about how to build a pergola on a patio without spending so much effort, contact the specialists from DeltaDecks — our patio ideas will engage you!
