The addition of a patio can add not only value to your home but also provide many hours of enjoyment for your family. Before you start perusing the home improvement stores for materials, you have a few things to accomplish before building your patio. For instance, if you live in a subdivision and/or in a city or town, you have to contend with homeowner’s associations and possibly even city codes and ordinances regarding the addition of any structures to your residence.

Another item to consider in your quest for a patio is where you are going to build it. You have to consider the area in your yard that will accommodate the patio. Is it grassy and level? Is it rocky and uneven? What about drainage issues in the event of heavy rains? Unless you are ready for a major expense, you need to work with what you have in terms of location and materials and what would complement your home area the best.

The final consideration for your patio is how the location will be utilized. Will it be for family entertaining or a tranquil setting for relaxing? The use of the area is also a good indicator of the direction you take with your building ideas.

Besides concrete, the most popular method of constructing a patio is the use of pavers or brick as the base. It lends a solidity and permanence to your patio and is a great foundation for other items like furniture and flower planters. Before building, it is always wise to do your homework and get the exact steps necessary to complete your project. So while the instructions below will give you a guideline, there is definitely more to the process!

1. Using stakes and string, map out the parameter of where you want your patio.

2. If you do not want grass and weeds growing out from between your pavers or bricks, you must spread out a landscaping tarp, which allows water to pass through it but keeps out plant growth.

3. In order to provide a good base for the bricks or pavers, the ground must be level. You need a gravel base or a base of sand at least three inches deep in your mapped area. Spread out the gravel or sand over your landscape tarp with a hoe. Use the long handle of the hoe or even a two by four long piece of wood to smooth and level out this base material.

4. Start from one corner of your now prepared area and lay down your pavers or brick. If you have several colors or patterns, make sure that the depth or height of the different pavers are the same.

5. Once you have the pavers or bricks laid out, then it is time to ensure that your patio is level. This will take some sand and a long leveling ruler. Lay the level across some of the pavers to see if any adjustments are necessary. Sometimes you may have to add a little sand or even take a little away to create that level surface. Repeat the process throughout the patio until you are certain that it is as level as you can make it.

The five steps above are the basic process of creating your patio from scratch in your yard. Keep in mind other factors when you are building like sun positioning, proximity to trees and roots and even possible bird dive bombers who live in the trees. The only thing left to do is accessorize your patio with any flowers, planters and furniture to make it into a great retreat!