Operation Back Yard Part 2

Next up in Operation Back Yard was a patio. We discussed multiple options including ground-level decking, brick pavers, concrete pavers, natural stone, and concrete.

{all images found via Google Images}

After evaluating our options based on price, availability, durability, and customization we determined that concrete was our best option. It can be stained to fit any design, is durable when cured, and is easy to clean and maintain.

We contacted a co-worker of mine who does concrete work as a side-job. He gave us an estimate and talked with us at length about what the plan for our patio was.


On a side note, did you know that cement and concrete are different? Well, you probably did, but I didn't. According to all-knowing Wikipedia:

Concrete should not be confused with cement, because the term cement refers to the material used to bind the aggregate materials of concrete. Concrete is a combination of a cement and aggregate.

Now that that's settled...


Our original patio was about 4'x8' and about 8" deep with two sets of rebar and mesh. That wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so we decided to raise the patio and pour over it.

We wanted to extend the concrete out to encompass the shaded area from the pergola and provide extra strength to the Oz Posts. Also, when it rains out here in West Texas it pours, so a sidewalk to our back fence was a must-have for rainy-day trash runs and alley access.

Our final pour dimensions were 15'x15' with a sidewalk of 3'x5' that flared at the end to accommodate our 4' gate at a depth of 4-6" with a slight slant away from the house.

West Texas has (up until the past couple of days) been in the 2nd worst drought ever. So, we opted to add a moisture barrier under the concrete. This was for two reasons: 1- Keep the dry ground from sucking all the moisture from the concrete as it cures (more on that later) and 2-Keep the concrete from absorbing moisture from the ground when it finally rains.

We also decided to add rebar, even though it's not necessary for a patio. This will add extra strength to the patio and keep it from "floating" if it cracks.

Our friend did a wonderful job on the concrete. It has a "broom" texture, which we'll tone down as we stain the concrete. 

Travis (as a scientific-minded mechanical engineer who works to figure out how things fail for a living) did some research on curing concrete. "Wet curing" seems to be the most preferred way to extend the curing process so that the ultimate strength of the material can develop. This basically means that the slower it dries, the more uniform the dried concrete, the stronger the material. 

This is actually a pretty easy (although time-consuming) process. Cheap plastic moisture block tarp ($10) + garden hose = happy engineer. You can see all the fancy testing that was done by Purdue University materials testing here that proves compression strength improves with "wet curing" here. You can find out about how to "wet cure" your concrete here and here.

And here is the final product!

Next up is furniture!