Stamped Concrete Patio Area
We finally have a space outside for smore’s! That was my whole reason for this outdoor area. Well, I am kind of exaggerating, but kind of not. We had a pretty good size area that was just dirt and weeds on the side of our garage, so we decided to go with a stamped concrete patio and it turned out way better than I expected. I will let you know what we did, however, I want to say that I for sure could have not done this by myself. A fellow fireman from Nate’s work came and helped us out. He is a professional at laying concrete and was the biggest help. I would highly suggest having a professional help you with a bigger slab, like we had. Laying concrete is definitely an art.
Supplies
2X4
concrete
rebar
gravel
compactor
cut off saw
metal wire
concrete stamps
fence posts
dog ear fence pickets
deck screws
fence brackets
patio furniture
OPTIONAL:
mums
pumpkins
heating lamp
pillows
Stamped Concrete
Step 1
The first thing we did was figure out where and how big we wanted our concrete patio to be. Then we laid down gravel, made a frame for the concrete (just 2X4s together, along with reinforcements on the outside) and compacted the gravel. We rented a compactor from the Home Depot to do this.
Step 2
This is a bigger slab, so we needed rebar. You will need to cut the rebar the size of the slab you want to fit inside the frame. We made like a checker board pattern and put rocks under where they crossed. The rebar can not be touching the ground. We reinforced where they touched and tied them together with metal wire. Laying down rebar helps reinforce the concrete to stay together.
Step 3
Then it was concrete time. A truck came and delivered it to us. We had them slowly dump the concrete so we could mix it around and make it level. We used a 2X4 to glide it over the top to make it level and then a concrete leveler. There are many YouTube videos with techniques on how to do this. We also had a professional helping us, so it was a lot easier with him there. Honestly, we would have probably messed it up if we did not have.
Step 4
Once it was ready to stamp, we got out the stamps. We waited an hour and a half before we could stamp it. Our friend, the professional, had the stamps we needed and all of the materials we needed for this. This is for sure where we needed the most help. He walked us through this part, I did help stamp the stamps and it was a lot of fun. If you are going to attempt this yourself, you can find Youtube videos on how to do this.
Step 5
Wait for it to dry and take the frame off.
The Rest of the Patio
Step 1
We decided to build a privacy fence. We dug the holes for the posts and mixed concrete in the holes to keep them in place. Remember to level the poles off so they are straight.
Step 2
After the poles are set, you can put up the 2X4s with the fence brackets. We just measured and cut the length we needed and put them up. We then put the dog ear fence pickets up along the whole fence. After that we used the waterproofing stain.
Step 3
Set up the patio area! We got a patio set from Grove Furniture in Draper Utah. The propane fire table is from Home Depot. I then got pillows at Walmart. I also got some mums and pumpkins to decorate for fall. We also got this heating lamp from Dimplex.
This was such an amazing project and I am so excited for all the smore’s I am going to eat. We for sure could not have done this without the help of our friend, Kenny. I am so glad we went with the stamped concrete, it saved us money in the end compared to pavers. I hope you guys go out and enjoy the fall weather, I am so glad it is finally here!
If you love it, you can pin it!
