Patios are a great-looking feature that helps improve the visual appeal of your house. Laying down a patio is not an easy task especially if you are dealing with materials like cement. However, the good news is that if you are limited on the budget or intend to lay down the patio on your own without a patio builder, you can forget using cement. Let’s discuss how you can come up with a patio without having without spending too much money.

Measure And Mark Up The Area

The first thing you need to do when it comes to laying a patio without cement is to measure and mark the area. This is the most important part of the process; therefore, you need to get it right. Using a tape, measure the area where the patio will be and begin digging.

At the same time, make sure to remove any debris so that you don’t face trouble during the digging process. Use a powder or a rope to mark the area in case you forget the markings or are not able to find them later on.

Prepare The Ground For Pavers

If the existing area where you intend to build the patio is a lawn or long grass, you should use a spade to cut the turf into strips and roll it up. This way, you will be able to fill any gaps between the lawn and your new patio once you are finished.

Then, dig out a 150mm deep area, ensuring that it is 10cm for your sub base and 5 cm for mortar and paving slabs. Plus, if the slabs tend to be very thick, you should allow extra depth. Keep in mind that if your patio is near the house, make sure that it at least 150mm below the damp course.

Using Sub-Base

While laying down the paving slabs, you should place something underneath as you cannot lay the slabs directly onto the grass or soft ground. Sub-base plays a crucial role in determining the success of laying down a patio. The sub-base acts as a load bearer of the patio. Laying hardcore with a layer of sand is the best sub-base for a patio. Then, you can simply lay the pavers on the sand. But if you want things to be permanent, you should use cement.

To do this, you should use the sub-base to fill your patio’s bottom and rake to an even depth of 50mm. You do not need to use any tools for it, you can simply walk over it. Make sure that you cover the area twice.

Check Your Base

Cover the patio with a thin layer of builder’s sand. It is important to remember that your base should be completely flat and level at this point. If it is not, you will need to work on it to make sure that it is completely flat and level. Otherwise, your outdoor patio will appear uneven.

Once the area is flat and level, spray some water to dampen the area a little and begin laying down the pavers. Then again, this is another important part of the process and you will need to take your time to ensure that the pavers are laid down perfectly. You can use a mallet to gently tap in the pavers.

How To Maintain A Patio?

Now that you are done building the patio of your dreams, you will be spending a lot of time with your friends and family members in this particular area of the house. This means that it will need regular maintenance. Since you have not used cement, you will need to inspect the patio every now and then and make small fixes to keep it in shape.

Patios require maintenance just like other areas of the house. If neglected, no one would like to spend their time relaxing in the dirt and sand. This is why your patio needs to serve its purpose especially after putting in days of hard work and effort.

Final Word

Laying down a patio without cement is surely possible. However, you will need to follow the tips mentioned above and make sure it is regularly maintained. If you still find the process complicated, get patio contractors Long Island to help you out.