Most of the patios on older southern homes are just a flat slab of concrete. They are not very interesting and they definitely don’t make you want to invite friends over for a backyard cookout. The problem is that it is often too expensive to tear it out and have a new patio built. With the growing popularity of Native Custom Stone, many people have found a way around that particular problem. When you are laying down a Manufactured Stone Patio you need to have a concrete slab in place anyway so you can just build on what’s already there and a Custom Stone Patio will definitely add a little visual flair to your next get together.
If you would like to transform your eyesore of a patio into a Custom Stone Patio then you will need to gather a few materials:
Cement trowel- Flat ended shovel
- Wheelbarrow
- Concrete mix
- Flat pacing stones
- Masonry saw
- Garden hose
- Dish soap
- Brush
- Broom
- Sweep off the patio to clear all debris then clean it thoroughly. You need a spotless surface to build on. Once you are finished let it dry out.
- Place your stones down where you want them to go leaving about an inch between them. If they won’t fit correctly you may need to make alterations with your masonry saw.
- Use the shovel to mix up the cement in your wheelbarrow. Start at one end and lift up a stone. Smear about a half inch of cement on the stone and another half inch on the patio where it will go. Press it firmly back into place until it starts to squirt up through the spaces.
- Continue doing that with every stone. Once you have done a few go back and trowel extra cement into the spaces where needed and scrap off any excess cement.
- Mist the patio with your garden hose and then let it dry over night. Do it again every morning and evening for the next 2 days. After that you are finished.
