Concrete Patios in Robbins Pitched Away From the House

The most common patio regret is size. Somebody pours a neat square, then finds that once the table is out and the chairs are pulled back, there is nowhere to walk around it. So before we talk concrete, the foreman asks what is going on the patio: a dining set, a grill, a fire pit, a couple of lounge chairs. We lay the shape out on the grass with paint or string so you can stand in it and picture the furniture. Then comes the part you will never see but will notice every time it rains. A patio against the house has to fall away from the foundation, a small but steady slope that sends water into the lawn or toward a place where it can soak in. Too little fall and puddles sit by the back door; the wrong direction and water heads for the basement. With the grade set, we dig out the sod and soft soil, compact crushed stone in layers and form the edges. Patios are usually poured about four inches thick, with reinforcement placed in the slab. The surface can be a broom finish for grip, or stamped and colored if you want a stone look. Joints are cut on a planned layout, the slab is cured properly and the lawn is cleaned up around the new edges.