Best option for DIY extending patio flooring?

Hillaba
by Hillaba
We have a small patio that is long and narrow. Most of it is tiled with Mexican brick but we recently had an area added to it (about 20 ft. long, 4-6 ft. wide - width varies in different sections). This new area is just uneven dirt. We do not want to retile the entire area, just the new addition, and the question is what is the best option. If tiling or something along the lines, the area needs to be straightened some as the dirt is very uneven and the ground is very hard in our area - how do we do that? Also - new tile will not look like the tile we already have that has been exposed to the elements for several years so what are good options? We could add a section of deck - how do we lay it on the uneven ground? can we somehow raise the deck or platform to tile easily so we don't have to struggle with straightening the ground? I would greatly appreciate any creating ideas here - many thanks!
  9 answers
  • C Crow C Crow on Jun 08, 2017

    We once owned a house with a sideyard space between us and the neighbor of about 12ft. We built a deck raised about 6 inches above soil line which provided the kids from both houses a dry, clean playspace (area we lived in was damp). No weeds ever grew through it and only upkeep was a sealer every few years. It was much like this one: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/4996249561555784/ Maybe something like that would work for you. Wish you all the best.

  • Holly Kinchlea-Brown Holly Kinchlea-Brown on Jun 08, 2017

    You could also use attractive stones in costar sting colour, or lava rock to fill and even out the space. Place some decorative planters in spots to visually break up the space and you'll have an attractive addendum to your deck

  • Gma Kirk Gma Kirk on Jun 08, 2017

    You can level the uneveness by adding a layer of decomposed granite (it's coarser than sand, compacts well. Available at stone yards) First create a surrounding edge of pressure treated wood. If you don't want or need it to be very tall, probably 1x2's will work fine. Fill your edging frame with the granite and level it. The edge gives you a break between your new pavers and the old ones. i would suggest not trying to match but complement. Lay your pavers out and then go over them with sand or more granite, back & forth with a patio broom to help it settle into the cracks.

  • Wendy Moran Martynuik Wendy Moran Martynuik on Jun 08, 2017

    If you can find some stepping stones that resemble your current tile, and lay them out as needed, you could spread river rock between them. If you google images "stepping stones and river rock" there are tons of variations and designs that combine steppers, rock, flagstone and natural growth. A living carpet of walkable shade loving groundcover around steppers would look nice too.

  • Lori Lori on Jun 09, 2017

    What about peagravel and stepping stones and some bright colored planters.

  • Sharon Sharon on Jun 09, 2017

    You could also do tinted concrete to the color of your tiles, and stamp it with a rubber mold to give it the appearance of tile.

  • Teresa Teresa on Jun 11, 2017

    You could make an inexpensive deck using the wood from old pallets. By the pic it looks like it would take to much work, trimming or cutting the wood to size . Actually use the height of the wood pallet (laying flat) for the height of the deck then fill in with more planks if need be. I would put the black fabric under it to keep weeds away and just enough small gravel where the stone and deck meet to give the illusion that it goes through out under the deck maybe 2 ft deep.

    • Teresa Teresa on Jun 11, 2017

      Correction : I meant to say that by the pic it looks like that it wouldn't take to much work!

  • Teresa Teresa on Jun 11, 2017

    Actually recorded the show for you to find out exactly what it is called! It is called Walkmaker and I think it is by Quikcrete they showed a pattern called Running bond pattern.