DIYing A Paver Patio In The Backyard: a house log
Even though spring is a ways off, Sara’s before and after pictures had us feeling all sunny and cheerful. Here is her letter:
I am a longtime reader of your journal, and I have a big Reader Redesign for you. My fiancé and I picked up our house last summer and have slowly been fixing it up. I am so excited to share our biggest project to date: a Hands-on paver patio. We got a quote from a contractor that hoped around $8200 for the job! We chose to do the work ourselves, and also add a wall for extra seating. With no experience. And only two weeks to get it done before our big summer party. Yikes! We spent all of our nights and weekends (and a couple of vacation days) digging, compacting, leveling, shoveling, and moving (literally) tons of gravel, pavers and sand. It was backbreaking, but we are so pleased with the end result! With some clearance patio furniture and pillows from Home Depot, clearance seat cushions from TJ Maxx and a new fire pit from Menards, we ended up with a 300 square foot outdoor room that was nothing but weeds before! We still have some things to do out there, but for this season we are done. Oh and you can see more details and photos over on our journal. Here is our budget breakdown for you:
- Belgard Dublin Cobble pavers, Weston Universal wall stones, edgers, stakes, 11 tons of crushed limestone, two tons of sand, three bags of polymeric sand, concrete adhesive for wall – $2054
- Compactor rental – $200
- Patio table – $140
- Six patio chairs – $300
- End table – $40
- Six throw pillows – $40
- Six seat cushions – $60
- Umbrella – FREE gift from neighbor (thanks, Margo!)
- 50 pound umbrella stand – $85 and worth every penny
- Fire pit – $100
- Total: $3019 – over 5k less than the contractor hoped for simply the patio (not including the seat wall!)
Thanks so much for your strong journal and for taking the time to check out our big patio project! -Sara
Here is the bare before photo:
And here is the remarkable after:
Did not Sara’s Hands-on determination pay off big-time? What a fantastic place to entertain and enjoy three seasons out of the year! Plus we can only imagine the brought in resale value that it brings to their home. Do not forget to head over to her journal to see more. Remarkable job Sara! Now if only spring would hurry up and get here so you can enjoy all that hard work…
