Patio Design Ideas
How to Set Outdoor Patio Tile
A patio design idea often overlooked is using tile as a material. Joe helps you implement this idea, from choosing the right tools and where to start , to spreading the thinset, laying the tile, pulling it back up (a surprise step for beginners!) and pressing it into its final resting place.
How to Design with Pavers
But maybe tile is not your cup of tea? Pavers are another option, and Joe supplies ideas to help you choose between types of pavers. First you will have to figure out exactly what purpose your patio is to serve, which includes foreseeing challenges that a cursory glance could easily miss.
Popular Patio Design Idea: Paving the Way With Bricks
Bricks are bricks? Not so fast! There are different kinds of bricks; some are designed specifically to use in patios. Learn about the right type to buy for your project and how to design with them. Bricks can be laid in a number of patterns, and links are provided to resources offering ideas.
Using Expansion Joints With Outdoor Tile
If you buy into the idea of a tile patio, then you'll need help on some of the steps in the project, such as the use of expansion joints. Why do you need them? It's counterintuitive, but solid materials are subject to expansion and contraction. Fail to take this fact into account, and you'll pay the price!
All About Stone Dust
Have you been dreaming of a patio designed with pavers? Then don't forget the bed. No, not a bed to dream on, but a bed to build on! Learn all about this "setting" material here, from what exactly it consists of to where to purchase it and how much you'll need.
Preparing Concrete Slabs for Tile Installation
Not all materials call for the same type of "bed," though. A flexible base may be fine when you are working with pavers, but what about for tile? A tile patio requires a solid bed: a concrete slab. Already have one? Prior to laying any tile over it, learn how to inspect it to determine if it is up to the task.
Types of Outdoor Tiles
As with bricks (see above), it is not as simple as saying, "Tile is tile" when it comes to choosing materials for your patio design. So what sets the right kinds of tile apart from those unsuitable for such jobs? Well, the idea is to find a tile that is durable, has a low rate of water absorption, and is not slippery.
Doing a Layout for Tile Flooring
You can have all the fancy patio design ideas you want, all the right materials, and impressive how-to construction knowledge. But if you do not plan out your project properly, you could still be setting yourself up for failure. In this case, by "plan," I'm referring to actual guidelines that you can go by when laying tiles: a grid.
Completing Your Tile Patio Design: Grouting
If you're an aspiring tile-patio builder and have been following along so far, we've come to the finishing touches with these next two entries. Learn about grouting tools and types of grout here, before proceeding on to the actual steps involved in grouting.
How to Seal Tile Grout
After grouting tiles in a tile patio, do not get any ideas in your head about walking away from the project, as if it were a done deal. Here is where we "seal the deal." Joe explains why this final step is necessary. He also enlightens us on the different kinds of grout sealers -- and why the more expensive type is worth buying.
Kinds of Stone Pavers
I have not forgotten you paver people out there! If you've decided on pavers as your design material, decide which kind you want. Popular types include bluestone and cobblestone. Or maybe you are striving to remain "authentic" to your region and want a local stone. Learn about your options.
Cobblestone Pavers
Or maybe you already have a pretty good idea of what kind of stone paver you wish to use in your patio design? Have you always found the Old-World mystique of cobblestones alluring? Do you drool over the prospect of enjoying cobblestone paving on your very own property? Learn more here.
Bluestone Pavers
Here's another choice in paving materials for patios. But there are different kinds of bluestone. For a choice that offers more of a natural look, go with tumbled, natural cleft or stand-up bluestone. Here you can learn exactly what bluestone is and what the differences are between the various types.
Easy Patio Design Idea: Use Concrete Pavers
Let's compare a stone paver (e.g., bluestone) to a concrete paver. One is cut out of the earth, the other is removed from a mold. What are the ramifications of this difference in origins? The most salient for those of us interested in patio design is that the concrete one supplies the ultimate in uniformity.
How to Install Pavers
Now that you've read my patio design ideas, it's time to put that knowledge to use. Consult this resource to learn all about installing pavers. Learn how and why to incorporate landscape fabric into your project. Compacting completes the prep work, applying polymeric sand caps things off.