Patio Season
It’s summer in the Puget Sound region! Now is the time to take advantage of the dry weather by entertaining and spending time in your outdoor space. A well-conceived and constructed patio functions like an extra room in the outdoors, adding valuable living space to your home. The design options for these outdoor rooms are vast, from surface materials to features like grills, fire pits, custom planters, and even hot tubs.
So Many Design Options
For the patio surface, options are extensive and range from dimensional and natural Flagstone, to small scale and large-scale pavers laid in any number of patterns. Accents can add visual interest to the patio layout, with paving gaps inset with plantings of sod or mosses, or specialty aggregates and decorative stone. Tight joints between large pavers provide a clean modern look. Borders made of different colored material can set visual boundaries that direct foot traffic or just add to the look of the space. Height changes can have a dramatic impact in a new socializing space, increasing focus and setting an outdoor room apart. Well-placed steps and lighting can have striking effects on projects of any size.
The sky is the limit for feature options and compositions. One of our favorite projects featured a hot tub set at grade in a composite deck, with custom benches and a natural gas fire pit in a lowered plaza space. The result is a very usable and inviting area in a rather small space.
A Well-Built Patio
A well-constructed patio starts with a properly installed base course. We use a minimum of 4” depth of gravel, properly compacted to support the pavers. Then, sand is used as a leveling course on top of the compacted gravel base to ensure the surface is consistent and drains properly. If necessary, area drains or trench drains can keep water runoff from pooling. Polymeric sand can be used to ‘seal’ seams, cutting back on weeding maintenance.
With so many design and material options available, patio spaces can be complex or beautifully simple. At True Scape Design, we have the design and installation expertise to transform any outdoor spaces into an attractive socializing mecca. Contact us soon for a consultation, and see what’s possible.