Patios (UK Only) E-Book

Alan & Gill Bridgewater

• Herausgeber: Creative Homeowner
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Specialist Guide
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 195

Beschreibung

Patios is the essential guide to enhancing outdoor spaces with attractive patios, divisions, levels, seating areas, walkways, and more. From city backyards to country gardens, nothing adds distinction like a well-constructed patio. Here you'll find advice, inspiration, and hundreds of achievable designs to develop the patio you've always wanted. Build a barbeque area, create a cozy nook, or restore an existing patio to its original elegance. This all-in-one reference is perfect for beginners and DIY enthusiasts alike.

Leseprobe

Contents

Authors’ foreword

GETTING STARTED

Assessing your garden

Choosing a patio, path and steps

Checking the site

Designing a project

Important principles

Planning and preparation

Tools and materials

Setting out the site

Foundations

Problems with the site

PATIOS

Patio shapes and styles

Quick patios

Basic patios

Real stone patios

Reconstituted stone patios

Natural patios

Brick or paver patios

Decking patios

Decorative patios

Split-level patios

Circular patios

Patio edgings

Maintenance

Revitalizing existing patios

PATHS AND STEPS

Choosing paths and steps

Quick paths and steps

Basic paths

Natural paths

Brick or paver paths

Decorative paths

Curved paths

Path edgings

Steps in paths

Path solutions

Stone steps

Brick steps

Wooden steps

Natural steps

Decorative steps

Doorsteps

PATIO ADDITIONS

Patio furniture

Furniture you can make

Planting for patios

Pergolas and trellises

Walls and dividers

Ornaments and decoration

Ponds

Small water features

Barbecues

Lighting and heating

Index

Copyright © 2004, 2016 text AG&G Books

Copyright © 2004, 2016 illustrations and photographs IMM Lifestyle Books

Copyright © 2004, 2016 IMM Lifestyle Books

This book may not be reproduced, either in part or in its entirety, in any form, by any means, without written permission from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts for purposes of radio, television, or published review. All rights, including the right of translation, are reserved. Note: Be sure to familiarize yourself with manufacturer’s instructions for tools, equipment, and materials before beginning a project. Although all possible measures have been taken to ensure the accuracy of the material presented, neither the author nor the publisher is liable in case of misinterpretation of directions, misapplication, or typographical error.

Creative Homeowner® is a registered trademark of New Design Originals Corporation.

Designed and created for IMM Lifestyle Books by AG&G Books. Copyright © 2004 “Specialist” AG&G Books

Design: Glyn Bridgewater; Illustration: Gill Bridgewater; Editor: Fiona Corbridge; Photographs: AG&G Books, Ian Parsons, John Freeman, OASE and Forsham Cottage Arks.

Current Printing (last digit)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in Singapore

Title XXX is published by Creative Homeowner under license with IMM Lifestyle Books.

eISBN: 978-1-60765-238-0

Creative Homeowner®, www.creativehomeowner.com, is distributed exclusively in the United Kingdom by Grantham Book Service, Trent Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 7XQ.

Authors’ foreword

What could be better, on a warm summer’s day, than to relax on the patio with family and friends. A patio gives you somewhere pleasant to read a book, talk quietly, play with the children, cook on the barbecue, watch a water feature and go to sleep on a lounger – all wonderfully therapeutic, quality-time experiences that everyone should enjoy. And then when the sun goes down in the evening, you can switch on some soft lights and music, and invite neighbours round for a party. Have you ever noticed that when people are on a patio, away from the confines of the house and the formalities observed in indoor spaces, they are generally more relaxed and expansive? They smile and laugh, make bigger movements with their hands, stride around and tend to behave in a less inhibited way. It is almost as if the great outdoors is our natural habitat – perhaps it is!

So there you have it – this is the age of the garden room. No more hiding away indoors: now is the time to build the biggest and best room in the house – the patio. This book will guide you through all the stages of designing, planning and building. Now is the time to turn your patio dreams into patio reality.

About the Author

xxxxx

IMPORTANT NOTES

Many of the procedures for the projects are potentially hazardous. Read through the following notes and take safety precautions.

Safety whilst buildingSome procedures are inherently dangerous, such as lifting heavy weights, or working with an angle grinder or cement mixer. The best advice is to take your time, and whenever possible work with a friend. Children are drawn to building work, attracted by the chugging of a cement mixer or piles of wet mortar. Allow them to watch and help with simple tasks, but always be on your guard.

Electrical safetyWeather and electricity power cables are not natural allies: water, rain and morning dew on the lawn all pose a hazard. Always use a safety electrical circuit breaker between the power source and the machine.

Measurements

This book uses metric measurements. To convert these to imperial measurements, multiply the figure given in the text by the relevant number shown in the table below. Conversions are approximate.

To convert

Multiply by

millimetres to inches

0.0394

metres to feet

3.28

metres to yards

1.093

sq. millimetres to sq. inches

0.00155

sq. metres to sq. feet

10.76

sq. metres to sq. yards

1.195

cu. metres to cu. feet

35.31

cu metres to cu yards

1.308

grams to pounds

0.0022

kilograms to pounds

2.2046

litres to gallons

0.26

Assessing your garden

Asuccessful patio relies on achieving a balance between your requirements and the character of the garden. Almost every garden is big enough for a patio, and even in the tiniest yard, you can go a long way to modelling the space to make a comfortable “room” open to the sky. The first step is to spend time in your garden, deciding what you require from a patio. Look at the space, talk through how you want to use it, and then make plans to fulfil these aims.

Will my garden be big enough? How do I start?

MAKING PLANS

When you have looked long and hard at your garden, assessed its size and character and decided on the scope and style of the patio, work out how to set the whole plan in action.

Let’s say that your garden is on a slope and you want to build a brick patio close to the house. Are you going to bring in material to level out the slope and create a flat area for the patio? Or are you going to move the existing earth around to make a terraced area? Will new ground levels mean that you have to adjust the height of your fences? If the new patio means you will be sitting at a higher level, will this impact upon your privacy or that of your neighbours? Do you have to consider the position of existing drains, or build drains to take water away from the patio? Think about all the implications of going ahead with the project, and ways to deal with them.

GARDEN SIZE

Take the size and shape of your garden, your needs and budget into account, and plan out the patio.

Decide how much space you are prepared to relinquish to the patio. If you are preparing for retirement, you might opt for a large, low-maintenance patio with easy-to-manage raised beds. If you have young children, your priority might be a safe, enclosed space for them to play in. If you delight in eating outdoors, you might prefer a patio close to the house. If you are aiming for a retreat where you can read, a private space well away from the house might appeal.

A diminutive courtyard garden that has been levelled and paved with pale, light-reflecting tiles. Metal containers help to bounce light and also glint attractively. A slim strip of earth has been preserved as a border.

GARDEN STYLE

Tucked away in a walled garden, bricks and cobbles have been used to draw a bold semicircle.

Just like the rooms in your home, the style of the patio should be planned to suit your lifestyle and needs. However, the choice you make will to a great extent be dictated by the form and age of your house, the shape and size of your garden and, of course, your own particular likes and dislikes.

If you want privacy, it doesn’t make much sense to build raised decking that puts you in full view of your neighbours. If you have teenage children, a barbecue might be a popular feature. If you enjoy sleeping out of doors, a patio with low lights, a covered area and bunk beds would be great fun. If you have always fancied a hammock, incorporate a couple of posts into your patio. Decide how much time you want to dedicate to construction, think about possible materials (stone, brick, concrete or wood) and then choose a style that will look good in the established surroundings.

A decking patio with seaside overtones – matching raised beds are topped with decorative turquoise crushed stone.

Choosing a patio, path and steps

There are hundreds of ways to make a patio, and many materials to choose from. A stone patio could be made of real cut stone slabs, reconstituted stone slabs, crazy-paved stone, crushed stone, stone set on edge, or stone plus brick. There are also brick patios, wooden decking patios, and patios made from gravel, bark or sawdust. Alongside your patio you may need paths and steps. Whatever the size of your garden, there will be an exciting option for you.

What will be the best option for my garden?

TYPES OF PATIO

Basic patio

Plain and functional

The specifications of a basic patio are that it is a simple shape, with little detailing. It might consist of an area of plain cast concrete, or be made up of plain concrete slabs, gravel, brick, or even bark. However, the shape will be rectilinear, and there will be no changes of level or decorative edgings. For any patio, the expense and expertise involved depend on the amount of detail in the design, so a basic patio is both inexpensive and relatively easy to build. (See page 24.)

Decorative patio

Patterned and detailed

A decorative patio is both functional and visually dynamic. Unlike a plain patio, the design attempts to use materials in a stimulating way. Plain setts are exciting in their own right, but set alongside cobbles, they can create magic! (See page 36.)

Decking patio

The beauty of wood

Decking can be made of anything from planks of rough-sawn timber to wood that has been planed, moulded and pressure-treated with preservatives. (See page 34.)

Avoiding slippery surfaces

In Europe, wood sold specifically as “decking” is generally grooved on the upper surface. These grooves help to provide a good footing in damp weather conditions.

OTHER PATIO OPTIONS

Natural patio ~ This is a patio that imitates nature. If we define a patio as a dry, level area that is fairly comfortable underfoot, a natural patio could therefore be made from shingle or sand to resemble a beach, from pine needles to reflect a forest floor, from shale to mimic a mountainside, or from long grass to look like a meadow. (See page 30.)

Salvaged mixed-media patio ~ A patio made from a mixture of salvaged materials such as old tiles and bricks, railway sleepers, sawdust or tree slices – any safe, salvaged materials that can be put down to make a level area.

Raised or sunken patio ~ Patios that are set either above or below ground level. An old, unused swimming pool can be covered over and turned into a wonderful patio by installing heating, bubbling fountains and exotic plants. (See page 38.)

High-tech patio ~ A patio that uses modern materials such as stainless steel, copper sheet or glass bricks to create a surface that draws inspiration from industrial materials.

TYPES OF PATH

You must consider cost, suitability and ease of handling. Bricks are expensive, but fairly light in weight. Reconstituted stone slabs are cheaper, but very heavy. Purpose-designed pavers (super-hard, thin concrete or clay bricks) offer another possibility. Think about the decorative potential of various materials, work out how you will lift the individual units, then make your choice.

Bricks are the perfect option for a traditional country cottage garden.

Modern reconstituted stone slabs are both functional and decorative.

A design of bricks combined with pavers can look really striking.

Crazy paving is low in cost and made from small pieces of stone.

A selection of different types of real stone makes an unusual patio.

Decking tile paths can be purchased in kit form, making construction easy.

TYPES OF STEPS

Brick and stone steps

A traditional option for a cottage garden

Brick and stone steps are a favoured choice because not only are the materials reasonably low in cost and easy to handle, but the design possibilities are endless. A good, easy- to-build option for steps is to use bricks for the risers and side walls, and stone crazy paving for the treads.

Wooden steps

Inexpensive and easy to construct

A wide, low fight of steps with railway sleeper risers and stone shingle treads.

Slow-rise decking steps leading to a decking patio – good for a sloping site.

PATIO ADDITIONS

When the patio is finished, you can start to consider additional features and furnishings for it. Think of the patio as a garden room, just like a room in your house, to which you can add various items to make it more comfortable, user-friendly or attractive.

Depending upon the climate in your area and the situation of your house, you might need shelter from the wind, and a pergola with a plant canopy to keep off the sun. Will you be using the patio at night? If so you may need lighting or heating. Which family requirements do you need to cater for? Perhaps you’d like a barbecue, a large table for family meals, a sand corner for the toddlers, or a bed for the dog. Do you want storage space? You might fancy erecting a hammock – will you need to put in posts to hang it from?

Do you want planters or raised beds for plants, or a small herb garden? Do you want to incorporate a gently trickling water feature? Live in the new garden room for several weeks before you make any hard and fast decisions.

A raised bed made from a reconstituted stone kit makes a beautiful addition to a reconstituted stone slab patio.

A traditional Japanese feature – water gently dribbling into a stone basin – would enhance a natural patio.

Checking the site

Before you start work, check the site to make sure that there aren’t any practical factors that are going to cause difficulties. You need to consider everything, from the position of underground drains to overhead cables, the way the sun affects the site at different times of day, shadows cast by trees, where a power supply will run from – anything that might cause trouble. Draw up a hit-list of potential problems and make sure that they aren’t going to hold you back.

What do I need to look out for on the site?

SITE CHECKLIST

Stand on the proposed site and look slowly around you. Look at the house, the trees and the position of the sun. Assess the degree to which the patio is overlooked by adjoining houses.

Sun and shade ~ Study the position of the sun at times when you are likely to use the patio. You will probably want to avoid heavy shade, and you need to think about how to deal with full sun – it might be too strong to sit in, so you may wish to counter it by providing a shaded area, such as under a pergola, or buy garden furniture to do the job.

Scale, orientation and viewpoints ~ Walk around the garden in order to view the site from a good number of positions. Do you want to see the patio from indoors? Do you want it to be an open, public space or a secluded spot, on high or low ground?

Providing shelter ~ Most patios need shelter – from the sun and wind, for privacy and for planting. If you live in an unpredictable climate, a covered area to provide shelter from light showers might be a good idea.

Problems above and below ground ~ Avoid a site that is crossed by underground service pipes for drains and electricity. If there are overhanging trees, will they drip on you? Keep away from tree roots, because they might cause concrete to crack.

Soil type and digging ~ Dig a few test holes to check whether or not it is possible to build on that site. If there are old concrete foundations, an old pond, wet areas or pockets of sand, these may cause difficulties and the design of the patio may have to be modified accordingly. A site on wet clay will be a lot of hard work to dig, so you may prefer to choose a site that requires less digging.

PRESERVING PRECIOUS TOPSOIL

If you are going to move a lot of soil or lay down a concrete slab, you have to avoid burying the fertile topsoil, which is the layer plants need to grow. As you strip away the topsoil, put it to one side. Shovel the sterile subsoil on to an area that needs to be built up. Finally, bring the topsoil back to the site and spread it over the subsoil.

GROUND CONDITIONS AND PROBLEMS

If the ground in the proposed site is overly boggy, sandy or rocky, there is a risk that the conditions will in some way be a nuisance – either while the work is in progress or when the patio has been completed. It is usually possible to overcome these problems, but sometimes it is simpler to opt for another location, or to build a raised patio that doesn’t require digging.

THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STARTING TO BUILD A PATIO

Designing a project

Once you have decided on the type of patio – size, style and location – it is most important to draw out a plan and make design notes on paper. When all the facts are set out, you will be able to do calculations to work out quantities of materials required. This written record of specifications will always be ready to refer to throughout the project – useful when contacting suppliers, and essential during the construction process.

Do I really need to draw designs?

Inspirations

Get yourself a folder complete with plain and gridded paper, pencils, a ruler and coloured crayons. Make a “wish list” of things you would like to have. If the design includes brick and stone, decide on colours and textures. Don’t be too specific at this stage, just try to visualize the overall shape, colour and form. Start a scrapbook of pictures that inspire you (do not limit the collection: include everything at this stage).

YOUR CONCEPT

You may know that you want to build a patio by the house rather than a patio at the end of the garden, but are you aware of the available materials, colours and textures? Talk the idea over with your family and friends, perhaps even with your neighbours.

VISUALIZING

Cover the ground with something the same size as the envisaged patio, such as a tarpaulin. Live with this full-size plan for a few days and see how it impacts on your use of the garden. Could it be bigger? Does it need to be realigned? Set out tables and chairs and try it out – does it feel right?

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Look closely at your chosen materials in order to balance their dimensions with the proposed structure. If, for example, you are building a rectangular brick patio, the starting point for the design will be the surface pattern you would like, and the width and length of the patio in terms of whole bricks. It is much better to spend extra time at the design stage to avoid problems later.

DRAWING YOUR DESIGN

Use gridded paper to ensure an accurate plan, which will help you assess how the proposed position of the patio will relate to the house and garden.

Measure your garden and draw the plan to scale on gridded paper, so that each square is a set measurement. Draw the patio on the plan so that its position is distanced from a couple of fixed points, such as the house and a boundary fence. If you are building a structure from manufactured materials (bricks, slabs or blocks), draw out the various views. As far as possible, size the structure to use whole units, and minimize complex cutting.

Checklist

• Is the design suited to the size and character of your garden?

• Have you worked out the exact dimensions?

• Do these need to relate to unit sizes?

• Have you chosen the best materials at the lowest cost?

• Is the design structurally sound?

• Do you know how it is constructed?

• Is the patio going to interfere with the integrity of existing structures?

PLANTING CONSIDERATIONS

If you plan to have a patio with a vine-covered pergola, raised beds and various pockets of planting, you cannot build the patio and then backtrack in order to remove parts of the structure and accommodate these desires – the position of planting areas must be established at design stage.

Decide on planting areas and map them on paper. When you are marking out the patio site on the ground, set out the planting areas and put a frame around them. Make sure that they are kept free of hardcore and concrete during the construction process.

FOUNDATIONS

If you are using brick, stone or blocks, you will first need to build a stable foundation under the structure. This will ensure that the structure resists summer and winter ground movement and stays in one piece.

Designing with brick

Good brickwork means designing a structure that minimizes the need to cut bricks; also the vertical joints should be offset in neighbouring courses. In most instances, manufactured items such as pre-formed concrete slabs and blocks are compatible with whole brick sizes.

Important principles

The principles that govern the shape of a space, and dictate the character and size of its contents in relation to that space, have gradually evolved over time to produce a set of rules that we know from experience give exciting, well-balanced results, so it is best to adhere to them. Read through the guiding principles described below, and see how they relate to your proposed patio and any other garden structures that are planned.

Are there any set rules or principles to follow?

Planning and preparation

Now is the time for drawing up lists, working out quantities, scheduling when you are going to do the work, deciding whether or not you need help with the heavier tasks, and phoning around for prices and delivery times. If you put in time at the planning stage working out the fine details – from how much it is going to cost, to where the delivery men are going to put materials, and what happens if it’s raining – the project should run in a orderly fashion!

What will I need? How long will it take?

SORTING OUT THE ORDER OF WORK