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Level Up Your Backyard Entertaining Options With This Concrete DIY
By KYLE SCHURMAN
Enjoy a barbecue with friends in your own outdoor entertainment area by building a small DIY concrete patio even if you’re a novice, as shown by TikToker @_the_minimalist_mama_.
This job requires a measuring tape, a shovel, a hammer, gravel, wood stakes, 2-by-4 lumber, a wheelbarrow, a level, string, a tamper, a float, a pointing trowel, and a hoe.
Most experts recommend digging down about 8 inches so the concrete pad is flush with the ground, or about 4 inches if you want the slab to sit a few inches above the ground.
To create the base for the concrete pad, remove any grass, lay the 2-by-4s around the perimeter of the chosen area, align them with a level, and screw them to stakes in the ground.
Next, spread a 4-inch layer of small driveway gravel evenly throughout the framed area, spray water over the gravel with a garden hose, then use a tamper to fully compact it.
Mix concrete in the wheelbarrow, spread a 4-inch-thick layer over the gravel, drag a 2-by-4 over the surface to smooth it out, and loosen the concrete from the frame with a trowel.
Depending on the size of the area and how many tools you need to buy, building a patio from scratch can cost $3,000 to $8,000, but the project could be less if your patio is small.
If the patio is against your house, make sure it’s slanted about a ¼ inch for every linear foot of concrete so rainwater flows away from your foundation, or it will cause damage.