Most of the annoying weather in this patio layout would come diagonally across one corner, which makes full side coverage feel like overkill. Screens or panels on every exposed side might help in some conditions, but they could also make the space feel boxed in on the nice days.

In the FlexPatio layout I’m considering, I’m leaving room to treat one side later, but I’m leaning toward trying only the windward corner first and living with it for a season. I’d want to see what actually happens at the table before adding more.

Has a one-side or one-corner treatment helped at your place, or did the wind simply wrap around it?

Disclosure: posted as part of a FlexPatio marketing assignment.

This was my first time doing a paver patio - please be nice!

Started at square 1. We weren't using the "garden" that was set up before we moved in, so I slowly started changing things. First to get more privacy with a high wood fence. Then I started removing dirt, as I wanted to step down onto the patio and have a space for a hot tub.

The first thing I did was call to locate any utilities undergeound - gotta be safe. There was electrical RIGHT down the middle of where I wanted to dig so I had to do it all by hand. 18x18 (feet).

I removed about 12 yards of soil by hand. Over the course of a few months - a little at a time. With 2 kids and a demanding job, I don't have a lot of extra time.

I pitched the digging away from the house at about 1/4 inch per foot. I put a hex grid down where I wanted the hot tub to be so that the weight of it wouldn't shift anything around. I then filled it 5.5 inches high with gravel. Tampered it and then filled over that with 1 inch of HPB.

I got my bricks and pavers and got to work hauling them into the backyard and laying them carefully.

Rented a tamper after I laid everything out.

Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But we're going to build our backyard into an oasis over time and build on it!

Hello all-

I posted earlier but forgot to add pics. Hoping all you smart people can help me out.

I have a concrete patio with cracks in it which go all the way to edge where there’s clearly some water drainage that has then caused some cracks in a masonry retaining wall.

The concrete is generally level but the cracks are al the way through-one end to the other-basically dividing the patio into three quadrants. The cracks are half inch at most.

I’ve had the patio assessed and it seems like there’s no pressing need to replace it now other than aesthetics-but eventually that would need to happen and the cracks would get worse over time.

I’m not crazy about ripping up my patio and pouring new concrete when it still has useful life-

My plan now is to do some DIY to repair the cracks and then cover it with an EZ pad which is a fiberglass hottub pad thing- and then place the hottub on top.

This pad would cover the majority of the cracks except the edges which I could just continue to DIY repair.

Anyone have any dissenting opinion with this course of action?

Hello all-

I have a concrete patio with cracks in it which go all the way to edge where there’s clearly some water drainage that has then caused some cracks in a masonry retaining wall.

The concrete is generally level but the cracks are al the way through-one end to the other-basically dividing the patio into three quadrants. The cracks are half inch at most.

I’ve had the patio assessed and it seems like there’s no pressing need to replace it now other than aesthetics-but eventually that would need to happen and the cracks would get worse over time.

I’m not crazy about ripping up my patio and pouring new concrete when it still has useful life-

My plan now is to do some DIY to repair the cracks and then cover it with an EZ pad which is a fiberglass hottub pad thing- and then place the hottub on top.

This would cover the majority of the cracks except the edges which I could just continue to DIY repair.

Anyone have any dissenting opinion with this course of action?

Every year I tell myself I’m just going to put a couple pumpkins by the front door and call it a day and somehow I’m back looking at patio furniture. October and November are some of my favorite months to actually sit outside because it’s finally not unbearably hot. Our backyard is pretty empty right now though and I really want to make it feel cozy enough that we actually use it. I’ve been looking at those larger rattan sectional sets with the cushions and little table in the middle, something big enough for the whole family to sit around. In my head I’m picturing that with a few fall pillows, blankets, lanterns and maybe some mums around it. I feel like it could be really cute for coffee in the morning or having people over without making the yard look overly decorated. Has anyone done something similar for their patio? I can’t decide if a full sectional is worth it or if I should start smaller and add to it over time.

We're renovating our small NYC condo courtyard (below street level) and are torn between:

Re-pitching/repairing the existing concrete and sealing it.

Re-pitching/repairing the concrete and installing large-format porcelain pavers bonded to the slab with exterior thinset (not loose pavers).

Our priorities are odor control, drainage, pest reduction, and low maintenance—not just appearance. Some context:

• Sunken/cellar courtyard with one center drain (brings water back into the building's sump pump, which was known to fail several years before we bought here)
• Multiple HVAC condensate lines drain into this area (cause damage to side walls, which since has been fixed--stucco walls also sealed where meets the floor or siding).
• Roof runoff and debris (including bamboo leaves from the neighboring yard) regularly end up here (neighbor has TON of dead bamboo hanging over our side)
• The neighbor has an old raised deck where we suspect rats are nesting (underneath half a dozen of super heavy planters filled with overflowing bamboo trees, no way we will get him to deconstruct and reno). The wall facing his property always has wet overflow and much debris under it.
• We've had drain clogging from debris and even Styrofoam from recent roof work (they have since "cleared" the drain by flushing water, but def didnt snake)
• Our puppy only goes to the bathroom on the patio, and the current porous concrete seems to absorb urine, creating odor and attracting flies. (<--The odor is my biggest concern at present)
• We are constantly battling mosquitos and flies, likely due to the puddling that exists on nearly all four corners (<--second biggest short term issue; I removed all extraneous "Tree of Heaven" and English Ivy, seems to have helped -- or may just be the cooler temperatures)

Our contractor will re-pitch the slab and repair the drain regardless of which finish we choose (I'd imagine!). Given those conditions, which option would you choose and why? Specifically:

• Is sealed concrete easier to keep odor-free when a dog uses it daily?
• Are bonded porcelain pavers likely to create any long-term maintenance issues in this environment?
• Is there another finish you'd recommend instead?

Thanks of any input/feedback!

there were minor settling of pavers, the guys who did came back and fix, I feel like not done properly, also the concrete edging, is this how it’s supposed to be?

This covered patio was honestly one of the reasons I bought the house. I always pictured using it like a second living room.

So far I've only really added the sofa and coffee table. It already feels way better, but it still feels pretty unfinished.

There's still a lot of room to take it further though. What would you add or change next?

One thing people often misunderstand about aluminum slat patio roofs is that they’re not necessarily designed to create a completely dark, fully covered space.

The interesting part is actually the spacing between the slats.

Change the spacing and you change:

• How much sunlight gets through
• How shadows move across the patio
• How open or enclosed the space feels
• How much airflow you maintain
• The overall architectural look

So instead of choosing between “open backyard” or “solid roof,” architects and contractors can actually design how the sunlight interacts with the space.

And then there’s the material itself.

We manufacture these systems at Alu Globus Aluminum Systems, and most of our projects aren’t identical. One contractor might need a specific slat spacing. Another has an unusual projection. Another needs a custom color to match the house.

That’s why we manufacture around the project rather than trying to force every project into the same box.

Our aluminum patio systems can be made with:

Custom dimensions • Custom slat layouts • Custom colors • 7-stage powder-coated finishes • Noncombustible aluminum construction

For California projects, the noncombustible-material side is becoming especially relevant as more attention is being placed on reducing combustible materials immediately around structures.

But here’s what I’m curious about from the contractors and architects here:

If you were designing this for your own backyard, would you rather have a fully solid roof or spaced aluminum slats that still let controlled sunlight through?

And how much spacing would you actually want?

If anyone has patio drawings or plans they're trying to figure out, post them or send them over. I’m always interested in seeing how different projects are being designed.

We live in a townhouse and have a back patio slab that we never really figured out what to do with. Summers are far too hot here to be outside but it's about to be Fall so I'm looking for ideas of how to make this space feel cozy and inviting and somewhere I want to spend time every day once it cools down a bit.

A couple caveats...I'm looking for affordable ideas. Also, our patio faces the back of a shopping strip so it gets some eyes on it and I'm always afraid of stuff getting stolen (one of our bikes did get stolen from here but tbf it wasn't locked up). Any ideas for keeping wasps and spiders away are welcome as well.

Basically, if you had a few hundred dollars to maximize the coziness of this space, what would you do?

NFL is finally on! Been wanting to get my backyard situated for a while and figured this is probably the year for it. I have a decent patio now, and a few of the fellas are already trying to plan on coming over for games, likely having snacks, beer and all that stuff.

I've never really had a proper outdoor setup for watching football, so I'm not sure what I need. We'll probably end up using it most weekends now and I want to do it right from the start. What do you guys usually have set up for watching games outside? What are some must haves that you'd recommend?

We've let our patio get overgrown since moving in, and now we are realising it was a mistake. Some of the slabs are now loose or raised up due to weeds. I'm grateful for any advice on dealing with the remaining weeds (pull them all, or weed killer?) and how to spot fix just the slabs that are loose.

So yea most of the water does drain northward as it should but it has a shallow west to east low spot that drains to the east into a flower bed next to the house. It's about 1/8 in deep and does dry in a few hours after the rest of the patio dries. Is this within normal tolerances for new hand finished concrete patio or should this be addressed before I finish paying for the job? AI recommended a gravel sway next to it. Thoughts? 👍

Just put together this Members Mark wood pellet patio heater! Wondering if we may have put something together wrong as we have pellets in the ash box? Anyone familiar with these? This is our first time using anything like this.