Dear James: The concrete patio at my old house cracked a lot. I am adding one now in my newer house. Do you have some sizing guidelines and basic installation tips? — Sean D.
Dear Sean: When installed properly, concrete is probably the most durable material for a patio. Decorative pavers may look a little nicer, but there is some maintenance required with them. It is possible to colorize the concrete for a more distinctive appearance.
It is best to first plan its location and proper size before discussing the proper construction techniques for a concrete patio. A patio is typically located at an entry door, but this is not possible with all homes. Locating it adjacent to an existing walkway is also a good option so the patio will become part of the natural pathway.
The proper size of your patio will obviously depend on the layout of your house and the size of your lot. People often underestimate the size of patio that they really need. You can add to it later, but this ends up being much more expensive.
A size of 12 feet by 15 feet is probably the smallest you should consider if you plan on having a standard four-person round table on it. This might sound big, but remember that the chairs will be pushed out when people are sitting in them. You will also need some space to walk around the chairs and for another small table, grill, etc.
If your patio will be located by a door or an existing walkway, you must also consider expected paths across it. You don't want to have a table or grill situated such that you have to walk around it each time you carry something outdoors or across the yard. This may increase the size of patio that you need.
It is a good idea, as it is with any outdoor project, to sketch a scale drawing of your proposed patio on graph paper. Pick out the patio furniture you like and include it on your drawing. An open path width of 3 feet is usually adequate.
Talk with your contractor to make sure they are planning to follow local building codes. Construction requirements may vary from area to area depending on climate and soil conditions. For example, if you live in a cold climate, frost heave will be a consideration.
Digging footers is not generally necessary, but if there has been a settling problem at other houses in your neighborhood, deep footers might be a good idea. Certain types of soil, especially if it is fill, may not be very stable. The last thing you want is to have the patio settle and slope toward the house. This will result in leaks when it rains.
There are many different strengths of concrete that you can specify for the patio. A 4,500 pound-per-square-inch strength should be adequate for a 5-inch-thick patio. Adding 1/2-inch steel reinforcing rods will add strength and keep the patio stable as small cracks form.
When the concrete is delivered to your home, make sure the contractor will have enough workers there to finish it quickly. Tell them not to add any additional water to make the concrete work easier. That can result in weakened cured concrete.
View Comments