Patio Project Day 2: It's In!

Here's what I came home to after work on day 2. The pavers are in but there are still a few things that need to be finish. One is replacing the sod around the patio. You an see here that it's basically just dirt. You may remember that I said the grass is higher than the patio. The plan is to shave off the dirt and grass and then replace the sod so that it looks more even with the patio. Thomas says that, since it's been so cold for so long, his vendor hasn't been able cut the sod for sale yet. Hopefully in a week or so that'll be done. I've also asked him to adjust the area near the drain (shown in the top picture) because it's just too noticeable.

So the patio is in and it looks incredibly bare to me. I dunno - it looks like it needs a wall around it or something. What do you think?

Patio Project Day 1 Wrapped Up

Here's what the patio looked like at the end of day 1. As you can see, the area has been dug out and the gravel filled in.

Thomas called me at work when the first got started to say that, even though we'd agreed on a 16 x 18 patio, the existing one which I thought was 16 feet wide, is actually 17 feet 6 inches wide. So, I decided to go ahead and make the patio 18 x 18. That night, Thomas called to go over all the challenges they'd run into. Like the one below where the drain was destroyed when they were removing the old concrete.

Also, the walkway is uneven so they are going to need to do some fancy grading so that I won't fall and crack my head open while walking from the patio to the walkway. From what I understand, the patio will need to be slanted slightly toward the drain and the runoff will be directed into the drain. This will allow them to make the two surfaces even.

The other problem was that the grass on the far end of the patio is actually higher than the walkway. To fix that, they'll need to shave off the surface of the grass and then place the sod back on top so that it's even with the patio surface. See what I mean about being glad that I didn't attempt to install this myself? What a pain in the butt!

So, day 1 was extremely productive and all that remains is to come back to install the pavers.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how you make 1 day into 3. Sorry for dragging this out for so long but I did not want to make the day 1 post into such a long one that even I wouldn't want to read it.

Patio Project Day 1

MSG welcomes Thomas Landscaping!

If you've been following the patio story I'm pleased to finally get this sucker going. I decided NOT to do this work myself because I had a 10 x 16 area of concrete to remove and I could see this turning into a project that takes the entire summer, causing me to need to take sick days off work (back aches and random injuries) and possibly destroying my relationship from the mess of it all. Besides, I felt the price was very fair and since this Thomas is being contracted from HD, this means I can put the project on my HD credit card and I'll have a year to pay it off before they charge me interest. This is a great option for me and one that I've used successfully before.

Thomas, of Thomas Landscaping, was also at the Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show so I was able to meet him and see some of his work before he ever came out to give me the estimate. Very friendly guy, fair price and good communication (this is important to me). I was really surprised to learn that they will finish the project in 1-2 days, weather permitting. Did I mention that they are going to yank out the poodles in the front yard? I know that's going to scare me when I first see it because it'll look totally blank, but I just can't look at those things any longer.

Here's the (very messy) patio before picture. I can't wait to see the after.

Project Patio: The Who And The What Decided

3rd time's a charm. Corny but true in the patio saga. I've decided who will do the patio which I hope to tell you all about as soon as I can get his approval to plaster his likeness and his company's likeness all over my blog.

I didn't care too much for the Sierra Holland Stone but it seemed to be the reader favorite and once I went to look at it in person, I could see why. I think it will look good with the color of the siding on my house and the different shades adds interest.

The landscape guy is coming by Sunday morning to sign the contract and schedule the installation. He wants to start on Tuesday - YIKES!

The estimate for the pergola was way out of my budget but I've asked him to give me a price on just installing 4 cedar posts for me. GB and Pie Guy have offered to help me finish the pergola but none of us wanted to think about digging holes and mixing concrete right in the middle of my newly installed patio.

This is very exciting but for some reason I'm a little nervous.

Help Me Pick A Patio?

Spring will be here before we know it and as it gets closer I'm still undecided about the size and substance of my future patio. Garden bloggers - I need your help!

Edited to show links for the current crappy patio and the space I have to work with for the new one. Thanks for the suggestion, Layanne!

Size
What size is your patio? Are you happy with it? What is the appropriate size for a patio? My current crappy broken patio is 16 feet wide and 10 feet deep and it's entirely too small. Is there a perfect size for a patio? I'd like enough space for my barbeque grill, a couple of patio tables, a fire pit or fire place and some planters.

Substance
This is the tuff part for me. Each of my options have their advantages and diadvantages so I'm hoping you'll tell me your experience with patios and help me make my decision.

Concrete
Concrete is the cheapest of my options. I actually like the look of the stamped concrete and the concrete stains can really provide an interesting look. It also seems pretty low maintainence. The bad part about concrete, well, it's concrete. It's not exactly environmentally friendly and at the end of the day you can only do so much to spice up concrete.

Pavers
Brick pavers are way nicer looking than concrete. These are the patios that catch my eye. But in addition to costing more, there's the sweeping and sweeping and sweeping that is needed to prevent stuff from growing in the cracks. Remember, I'm very lazy. Also not environmentally friendly.

Composite Decking
I love the green-o-meter (this is my new favorite word) rating of the composite wood decking. I know it's not nearly as pretty as cedar or red wood but they last forever. FOREVER, people! I'm not open to the idea of real wood decking because I refuse to do the maintainence. Yes, my mind is made up. The composite decking is probably my favorite choice but it's expensive and my back door is at ground level which doesnt make for a very interesting "wood deck".

So those are my choices. What's your choice and why? I need help here!

What are my options here?

This is my crappy patio. It really needs to be destroyed and my plan is to replace it with a new fancy one with brick pavers or great flagstone or something but it's just not in the budget this year. So, is there anything at all I can do to make this livable for another year or so? The only thing I can think of is maybe staining the concrete and planting some Creeping Thyme over in the cracks where the ugliest most beat up concrete square is. Come on all you artsy people out there - I need help.