Where to spend the patio dollars?

No. Drainage really hasn't been a problem and NOTHING is growing in our yard besides big trees because it is so shady. We had the trees pruned so now we get some sun and I'll be able to do some planting after we get the patio in.

I liked that photo, boomer.

On harlequin... try it out with some stakes and string or chalklines to see what you think.

One of the reasons for scoring/expansion/contraction joints is a kind of crack containment. Concrete sometimes cracks at corners, say at the corners of a post or pilaster, thus scorelines going in following the face-of-pilaster. Hard to describe in words.

On the semicircle, I'm not reallt pushing that, I like a rectangle myself. Just if you want a curve that is a way to do it.

Big thing here is to toss chuncks of rock salt on top of the freshly poured concrete. Makes some interesting patterns.

If you go for second best now, you'll be sorry later.

Like my brother, he bought the cheaper car so they could also afford new furniture for his daughter, and is still sorry about it (several years later)...

Actually boom, that's not a harlequin pattern.

A harlequin is diamond shaped, where the height of the diamond is twice as long as the width.

In that photo, you've just got a square turned sideways-ish.



We poured a concrete patio in the front of house, maybe 10 x 12. For me personally, I didn't want the stone, partly because of the expense (we'd already blown our wad on everything else), but because, well, we just didn't want it.

Mostly the latter, because if stone is what I'd really wanted, I'd have said let's just do it.

Initially I etched and stained the concrete, and at first loved the results, ask shewolf, she's seen it. However, don't let anyone tell you it's permanent.

Well, lesson learned. I'm in the process of creating a new harlequin pattern on it with concrete paint, and I'm loving the result. Brick red, tan, and a lighter tan/yellow. Started the painted on Saturday, worked all morning Sunday....Monday, Memorial day, it rained. Getting the lines perfect was really the hard part, that took a couple of weekends.

I know, it may sound garish, but, it's really not....looks pretty classy actually, with a touch of whimsey. I'm being careful not to overdo either of the red or tan/yellow. I'm not nearly done, but if I think about it I'll take a picture of the progress.

I was just thinking of this because I know you like to paint.

just ignore me, I'm just chatting.

chai's patio really does look wonderful.

And yes.. that stain she used was gorgeous right after it was done.. spots of it that remain that I saw about 3 weeks ago looked weathered and old and not in a good way sadly.

Ian and I did stain on MIL's floor

holy hell. I will never do that again.

If you go with stained concrete please... PLEASE do not skimp on the seal.

Do not try to be green with your product choice either. MIL insisted that everything be 'eco' friendly.. ( this is another rant entirely )

We tried several different types of so called eco products. All of which we had to re apply over small amounts of time because they would literally just fade away. And it was not even in a high traffic area. It was indoors and only three of us living there.

I'd love to see photos of your patio, Chai!

I know that's not a harlequin patten but it's the closest thing I could find to the style I was talking about.

I'm curious whether you used an acid stain, a chemical stain, or a dye. Acid stains use hydrocholoric acid to react with the lime in the concrete so the color actually becomes part of the concrete. It doesn't have to be sealed and it doesn't wear off. Acid stains only come in about eight colors where chemical stains and dyes come in lots of colors.

I agree. But sometimes simplier is better AND less expensive. It isn't so much a question of settling but a question of money well spent.

Just dropped in. @ cents is , SPEND ALL THE MONEY ON THE BONES OF A PATIO.
We blew our budget on the patio and dealt with crappy old furnioture for a few years. (This gave us time to rebuild the coffers and to really think about what we wanted).

When the final decisions came, we actually went back and found some old 1950"s Iron patio chairs and tables. We had em stripped and powder coated.

NOW, everybody so wants to buy our patuio furniture that I could start a business. Ive told so many people that "the hunt" for **** is hlf the fun. EVery piece of patio furniture now has a story and a lesson.


Definateky go for the patio itself. I think this is one place that everybody agrees.
NOW DONT BE STUPID!

remember the pitch to properly drain the patio.

Boomer is right re integral or 'dust on' colored concretes (see Scofield products. I don't know much about the recent top stains.

Again the diamonds in a real or faux harlequin might not always match with where you do need scores/joints. Scoring is not just decorative.

Yes, the patio should drain. Recommended pitch can vary with the material, relatively smooth concrete versus all brick, for example.

On the rock salt finish, I'm not so positive on that in a northwest coastal climate - in fact I never saw it in Humboldt County, at least that I remember. Maybe it works ok and I don't know it.

That furniture sounds great, Farmerman.

Well, yeah, spend it on the bones.

But if I chose simpler bones I have money left in the budget for other things. I'm not going to say "Throw in another $700 worth of labor because I didn't have to buy stones!" or "Only pour it an inch thick because I want to spend $2,000 on other stuff."

What kind of bones you chose affects the price -- a lot.

I'm just really thinking something simple would suit my house better. We laid out a variety of curves and we've looked at many stone samples and it didn't seem to add a lot to the house, it kind of competed with it.

Sometimes plain-jane is just better.

well, I agree with that last part.

If you can imagine yourself 5 or 10 years in the future, looking at the plain jane patio, and thinking "This is just fine", then do it.

If you imagine yourself saying "why didn't I...." then go for it.




I have this "thing" about carpets. I knew I wanted a really good one, and it had to be beautiful.

I have vases that look just great, and they only cost a small amount, like at Garden Ridge. Got a lot of other decorative stuff there for a good price too, and no one would know they didn't cost a lot.

Anyway, I'd chosen this carpet, and was willing and happy to pay for it.....Then....right before I was going to take delivery, I saw one verrrrrry similar, for a bit less.

Oh no! What to do? My gut was telling me I wouldn't like it as much, but my brain said "they're so close in pattern, take the less expensive one."

Then I talked to a friend, who tells it like it is. I was still debating, and I brought up the point "Well the less expensive once is also has a slighty higher wear guarantee"

My friend said...."Oh good, you can regret you bought it that much longer."


I got the carpet I initially chose, and I enjoy it every day.

But I haven't chosen anything initially.

I think it just patterns the cement.

Oh! I'm sorry. I read up on the salt finish after you posted that and I thought I had responded to it.

It is pretty cool! Apparently they don't use that technique much in areas that are likely to have freezes because the holes fill with water which turns to ice which mucks up the whole look because of expansion.

I like that aged look it gives to the finish.

ahhh....but it will come to you in a dream.

Good quality plain-jane bones would be my vote. errr, was my vote.

I'm not a huge fan of curves and patterns that don't add anything (in any context). If they take away from the overall effect, or just don't do anything, I'd avoid 'em.

Our bones include a series of Kneewalls. Each about 3 ft tall. Its a visual break from the patio "room" to the kind of free flow gardens . No pools or too fancy patterns, just a basketweave brick floor and stucco walls with brick cap. there are some interior flower beds that line 2 walls and thats enough because weve worked some outdoor studio space where weve put up some drawing tables in one side. The patio is "U" shaped and it surrounds the back part of the house It is about 1800 sq feet so it collectrs a lot of water in a 1" rain( about 1100 gal), so its a design challenge to keep the water from puddling or going down the basement.
I diid the surveying so its "poifectly drained"

fman, that sounds so good.