There are many ways you can update and improve your backyard with vegetation and trees to a concrete patio, seating areas, and awnings. These improvements add value to your property and update its usage by essentially increasing your living space. Here are some tips to help you install and protect to get the most out of your new concrete patio.
Ensure a Good Foundation
When you are installing a new patio in your backyard, it is first important to excavate the site where you plan to pour the concrete pad. You will likely be using a strengthened concrete mixture, but you will need to install it approximately three inches thick to make it stable enough to hold weight, so you will need the pad to be set within the ground.
Remove enough soil to provide adequate room and space from the forms. Be sure the soil is compacted down to remove any air spaces and smooth the surface to ensure the concrete is poured level and of the same uniform thickness over the entire slab.
Accentuate With Brick
Once you have poured your concrete patio and allowed it to cure for several days, you can add accent pavers to the edges surrounding the patio. If you have an existing patio you can also apply this technique to build upon its size and add visual interest. Excavate the soil along the edges of your patio and set the pavers into the trench.
Be sure you set them in a mortar mixture to keep them permanently in place around your concrete patio. It is not a good idea to set them in only sand, as they will shift and move once they are installed.
Brick paving stones can add texture and expand out the sides of your patio. Brick pavers and other decorative stones are a great way to give your patio its own character, especially when you use bricks that have an aged and vintage look.
Apply a Surface Treatment
Another way to make over your concrete patio is by applying some color to the surface either with a concrete paint or with a stain. Stain applied onto your concrete patio will hold up better in the outside environment because the stain gets absorbed into the concrete's pores. Most types of concrete paint will sit upon the surface of the concrete and can peel and lift over time.
Stain to your concrete is a great medium to add designs, such as swirls, geometric patterns, or one solid color. Be sure you coat the concrete with sealant to give shine to the surface and give it a finished look.
