concrete patio

One of the projects I've been considering at the rental house is a patio. The frost line is only a few inches (Atlanta). It is a sizeable slope and I'll need to do some terracing.

I'd like enough of a patio for a few chairs and a BBQ.

I've done patios out of brick and concrete blocks (location had a lot of them), and they are fun to do. I have neither at this location and am thinking concrete. I have no shortage of people available who have concrete skills. Roughly, I want it to look decent, but not spend a lot of money. Labor is cheap and fast and seems to be skilled, the stucco and landing work I had done is very good.

Should I be thinking stamped and stained or casting pavers?

Ready Mix or bagged and a mixer?

Right now I'm just trying to get a feel before I get a crew together and stake it out.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Thies
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8 x 10 or 10 x 20, what size???
Reply to
hrhofmann

More towards 8 x10. But not rectangular. I suppose that would be about a cubic yard. I'd like a path/steps leading to that perhaps 25' long.

The driveway could use widening. ~6' x 20'. I had thought about doing that separately but now that I think of it...

How much trouble is it to move a CY 50'(the truck can't get there)? I suppose this will be easier to mix on site. I can get as many people as needed.

I've got wide latitude on this.

My dad built the house I grew up in and my brother still lives there. When the foundation was poured he wanted the second truck to come hours later. It didn't though and he said he was never so tired as that day!

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Thies

It's a tossup if you have other work, you want to do it all at once, and the access to your patio is either a straight drop for the truck, or close. They will charge for "standing time" if it takes you long to wheelbarrow it in.

If it was ME, and it's not, I'd do the back in pavers, as you have a walkway too, and could go a little creative on that and come up with a much nicer look than just concrete or even stamped or textured concrete. The driveway's just a driveway.

I'm going to finish my paver back porch, about 450 sf as soon as this damn mud goes away ............... Do a nice cut in design in the field, and different edgers. Get fancy with my new tile saw.

SteveB

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

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Reply to
SteveB

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I think too much time or too many molds to do this yourself. Commercial precast too much.

I can't work it out how to do it frugally. I think it has to be poured in place, but it could be divided up easily. Not like trapezoids are hard to form. You can even form winding walkways. Or Mirror Image to form straight. I can see this will take some time to stake out, or not! Are there any rules?

and come up with a much nicer

That is huge.

as soon as this damn

What are your tiles made of? You are putting this on a "mud" bed?

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Thies

I'd go with pavers- but I'd leave making them to the guys with expertise, chemistry, and cheap ingredients on their side. Utilize those people with skills for their muscle.

Stamped and stained is beautiful if the crew has done it before-- but if you screw it up, it is screwed up for a very long time.

Ready mix will come several yards at a time if you want to get any sort of a decent price. Bagged and a mixer is the most expensive, labor intensive way to do it. I've got a mixer. It is great for a plain slab about 3x5. Trying to do a patio and have it come out decent would be a real challenge. It *could* be done in sections-- but you'll be a lot happier with the results of a paver patio.

Stake it out and see if one of those folks with skills has a power tamper.

That's the only special tool you'll need for pavers.

Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Frame it all up, have plenty of help, rent a Georgia buggy for half a day and have the ready mix truck bring it out.

The rental cost will be offset by the no truck overtime. Mostly.

At any rate no one will kill themselves moving that stuff around.

Reply to
Colbyt

hey you intentially created a maintence issue ?? you must like work.

Reply to
hallerb

I tiled my screen porch about a year ago. It is a bit over 460 sf, concrete slab, Saltillo tiles in thinset. Grouted with plain old mortar.

It leads to the 2400 sf courtyard which was bricked last summer. Clay pavers on about 3" of crushed concrete, sanded joints. Central Florida.

Reply to
dadiOH

"Jeff Thies" wrote

We do vacation rentals in lieu of regular rentals. Much better crowd.

SteveB

Heart surgery pending? Read up and prepare. Download the book $10

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Reply to
SteveB

If you have to terrace under the patio you will need to fill with crush and run unless you want to compact the fill. You're going to need access to it. If you can'd get trucks all the way to it then you will need a small front end loader. Frankly the work and cost of doing that much concrete by the bag is going to end up being better off just hiring the job out. You are not going to want to wheelbarrow crush and run or concrete. If you really want concrete I suggest you just get some quotes for it unless you have a small fornt end loader or access to one. Otherwise the rental costs plus the labor are not really going to save you anything.

If you really want to do something yourself I'd consider deck. You can just use posts instead of terracing and add full width steps down from that edge or rail at that edge.

Reply to
jamesgangnc

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