I think it’s okay to say that we recently completed the BIGGEST project on the house to date. And, we’re SO glad it’s done!
Welcome to our new patio!
What we THOUGHT would be a 1 day project costing $XXX, ended up being a 1 WEEK project costing $XXXX. Yikes. So much for budgeting, right?!
But, thankfully it’s done- it’s awesome - and, it was worth every penny!
I have to give every ounce of credit to my handy husband – the creative brain behind this adventure.
BEFORE, we had a typical concrete slab…
We purchased the bricks at Home Depot. They are called “Rumblestone.” Since we both drive small SUV’s, it took approximately 15 trips to 4 different Home Depot’s in Dallas to gather all the bricks we needed for this project. {Total # of bricks we used was approximately 1500 – I sorta lost count after awhile}
Oh – and did I mention we chose to complete this project on the coldest week ever?! {Hence- the gloves, hats, scarves and 12 layers of clothing we have on in these pics}
It also rained in the middle of the project… causing a few delays.
We rented a stone saw from Home Depot to make exact cuts of the bricks.
We used cedar 4x4’s for the benches. Sanded, sealed and stained them.
Almost done… then, we took a bag of sand and spread it onto the entire surface filling in the cracks between the bricks.
And, FINALLY – it was done! {With the exception of new outdoor furniture, a cedar wood fence to replace the chain-link & a few other small touches to complete the space.}
The plan is to make a square cedar table to fit on top of the fire pit. This would allow it to be multi-functional- doubling as an outdoor eating area in the spring/summer & firepit in the fall/winter.
Our prayer is that this new outdoor living area would be a warm and inviting place to gather with friends, family & neighbors. That it would help encourage deep conversations and meaningful memories – and, so far it’s been completed for one full week & it’s already done just that! There’s something about a campfire, roasting marshmallows, sipping on a warm drink while wrapped in a blanket that brings out the best in us all. You know what I mean?!
Thanks to our sweet parents for the countless Home Depot gift cards we received this Christmas! Maybe, soon I’ll remember to actually take some photos when people are over for you all to see. Then, you’ll get to see that fire pit in action!
OH MY GOSH, THIS IS AMAZING! What a vision y'all had, and I'm so impressed (but not surprised!) that y'all did this all yourselves.
ReplyDeleteNext time you need a truck...just give us a call, silly! We'd love to help.
Thank you! We may take you up on that offer sometime. :)
DeleteLooks amazing! Y'all are so handy!
ReplyDeleteYa'll are too awesome and handy! It's the best porch I've ever seen ;-)
ReplyDeleteWow! I can't visualize that kind of stuff...wish I had an eye. That looks amazing! Congrats on your new patio!
ReplyDelete-Suzanne
http://sweetteainthesunshinestate.blogspot.com
it looks so good Bethany! I like the string lights!!
ReplyDeleteWow. It's beautiful! I'm in the process of renovating my patio. How well do your chairs hold up? I was considering getting these plastic stacking chairs because I figure the plastic would be durable in the rain, and they'd be easy to put away. Are your chairs plastic or wood? it's difficult to tell in the picture. If they are wood, how do they wear in the weather? Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The round table and chairs are wood and the patio is actually their temporary home beecause they don't do very well in the rain. They are not stained or sealed, rather they have a poor paint job on them - so everytime it rains, I have to move them. Of course, if you purchased wood outdoor furniture, it would probably be better because the wood would be pretreated for outdoor weather conditions. The benches have wood on them, but we stained and sealed them. We'll probably have to re-stain & seal them every season. So, for less up-keep, plastic or metal outdoor furniture may be the way to go! Goodluck!
DeleteThanks a lot for the advice! We just moved into the house at the end of fall, so this will be my first experience with my own patio to decorate and maintain. We haven't even had a chance to use it, since it has been winter weather, and it needs work, which is why we are renovating it. I appreciate the input. :)
DeleteI love having a deck and patio in our new house. An outdoor area for entertaining and just relaxing at the end of the day is priceless. My next mission is to invest in an outdoor kitchen.
ReplyDeleteHi Bethany. You and your husband did a FANTASTIC job on the patio! It looks great. I'm in sunny California and I want to make the benches with the planters for my yard. One quick question. Did you lay sand on the concrete and then tamp it or did you just lay the bricks on the concrete? I will send you pictures of my yard with pavers and the benches! :-)
ReplyDeleteJose, we just laid bricks on our previous concrete slab. Then, we filled the cracks in with sand. Since the surface was already level and flat, we were able to just lay the bricks directly. But, if you're laying them on the ground or another surfact, you'll definitely want to tamp the surfact first. Hope this helps!
Delete“Our prayer is that this new outdoor living area would be a warm and inviting place to gather with friends, family & neighbors.” – In my opinion, you already achieved that. Your patio looks amazing. I’ve just noticed in the last picture that there’s a dark area in your patio. Additional light fixture is good to consider to highlight more of your home's landscaping. But if you’re achieving a romantic dim light appeal, this is just perfect.
ReplyDeleteThat fire pit was a nice touch! And I really like your idea for the benches. It really looks like a campfire area now, which is nice. Can’t wait for the fire pit action!
ReplyDeleteRosann
Bethany, how did yall anchor the 4x6's to the blocks? Patio looks awesome!!
ReplyDeleteI love the benches, how did you do the brick in order to hold the 4x4's?
ReplyDeleteLooks amazing! I am wanting something similar for our farm yard... Anyway you could tell me what bricks & how many you used for your bench seating & fireplace?!!! Looks GREAT, you guys did a AWESOME job!!!!!
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