Adding a patio to your backyard is a great way to enlarge your living space, add value to your home and beautify your garden. A patio is a relatively straightforward addition and can be built quickly and cost-effectively in comparison to many other home improvement projects. If your home is a terrace or on a block that has no side or rear access, then you might think it will be too difficult or impossible to complete the project.
One of the main difficulties that homeowners foresee in this type of situation is how to have the concrete needed for the base of the patio poured. After it's poured, the issue is then how to get the materials to cover the concrete base into the backyard without having to laboriously carry them through the inside of your home, piece by piece. Here are two ways to make the installation of your new concrete patio base fast, stress-free and cost-effective.
1. Have the concrete pumped
Concrete pumping is most commonly used in large-scale industrial projects. However, it's also used increasingly in residential settings, particularly when site access is limited. Instead of the concrete being poured directly into the patio base, you can have it pumped from the truck via a lengthy pipe.
Most concrete pump vehicles use a telescopic arm which goes over the top of your home or fencing to direct the concrete into the desired location. If your home is too high for this option, then a small, flexible hose can be taken through your home to the garden to get the concrete where it's supposed to be.
2. Use decorative concrete as a patio surface
Raw concrete isn't the most appealing of surfaces, which is why most people choose to add tiles, pavers or a floating timber flooring on the surface of their concrete patio base. Opting for a decorative concrete finish instead means you'll get a beautiful patio base surface without the extra costs and logistical difficulties of using an additional product.
Concrete can be stamped, polished or coated with an epoxy resin to give it a more attractive and refined look. Stamps can even replicate the look of other more costly materials such as sandstone, marble and granite. You can also add aggregates such as river stones or quartz, which will give your patio base a unique and decorative look after it's sanded and coated with resin.