At Last I Can Share My Patio Makeover

I have been unhappy with my patio area for as long as I can remember, it was pretty much what we inherited when we moved in, but when the kids were little it did the job because they needed the garden to run and play. Now they are older, I knew that I could increase the size of my patio and at last have the patio makeover that I truly wanted and at a price that I know I could afford.

The Patio Makeover Plan

The idea for the patio makeover was to improve the area outside the back door to allow it to become something that I could enjoy. One of the main issues that bugged me with the back garden was the poor drainage it has and I needed to consider this when thinking about the overall design and the materials I wanted to use.

I knew that I wanted to extend the space so there was more room; the most pressing question was how much of the grass we should take up. I didn’t want the current paving slabs in the new area, but I did need a new base for a proposed shed move that I had planned. Thereby, I was able to reduce the cost of the shed move by using the slabs of the patio area and this worked a treat.

The problem was I moved these slabs last year and the weather turned and I still hadn’t made a final decision. So, my patio makeover had to wait until the weather improved.

Patio Size And Material Decided

I finally made a joint decision with my husband as to the amount of grass to remove and the process started, I had an idea as to what I wanted but I was unsure if it was going to work. I wanted stones, yes you might think this is an odd choice but it is perfect. The drainage is fantastic, the water no longer pools and for me this was always a worry as it would pool around the conservatory and I would worry about it penetrating.

I chose rounded stones that were large enough but not too large and I wanted them deep. I don’t like the thought of membrane underneath as I wanted the perfect drainage system, too. So a thick layer of stone got ordered, I did say that if we didn’t like it we could add in some patio stones at a later date.

Hard Work And Creation

I did place one slab in the area, which I wanted for the fire pit that we had, a central place to gather and to toast some marshmallows.

Four tonne of stone arrived, currently some pallet wood separates the grass and the patio, I wanted to see how this worked and if I want more of a solid boundary around the patio, I could make that decision after I have lived with the patio.

The Result

I love it, it is versatile and perfectly accommodating, I am not planning to add any patio paving in the near future. It is firm enough to walk on, my garden furniture doesn’t sink, fair enough you can’t walk bare foot on the patio, but then you shouldn’t any way as it is a way to bring dirt into the house.

Only a few weeds have come through and you just move the stones to one side remove the weed and push stones back, perfect!

I am so in love with this area, it came in under budget, which is awesome and it is perfect. There is no more water pooling, there are no puddles forming at all, it all drains away naturally. There are no slippery patio slabs to worry about or to clean and this makes it so more appealing than ever before.

My back garden is becoming a joy to spend time in and not just pulling weeds, but to actually sit back and relax and to enjoy the space again.

If you are looking for more articles on this topic head over to the landing page where you will find links to other posts on project makeovers.