Summertime offers simple pleasures; your highest ambition might be a hot, sunny day, a good book and a tall cool drink on the deck or patio. It feels even better after you’ve put some work into creating that patio. Some options:
Interlock brick: These pavers are often made of concrete, but you can choose clay brick manufactured to withstand severe weathering and regular traffic. Take off 7-9″ of topsoil to allow for a 4″ bed of tightly packed, but well-drained crushed stone, an inch or so of coarse, damp, compacted sand or — even better — stonedust, and the paver itself, then install a good, strong edger to hold the patio together. A good tip: since even single color bricks vary slightly, take them randomly from different skids when installing.
Stone: Smooth fieldstone or flagstone provides an attractive, but less formal look. Prepare as for brick, with at least 2″ of sand to accommodate irregular stone thickness. Leave about 2-3″ between stones, add topsoil and plant crawling thyme.
Broken concrete: Here’s a neat alternative. Laid out in random arrangements, broken chunks of concrete give the look of stone on a tight budget. Ask a contractor to let you have the jackhammered chunks from a sidewalk demolition. They might raise their eyebrows, but they should be happy to let you have it. Simply bury large pieces (6-plus inches in depth), or prepare for thinner pieces as you would for pavers or stone.
Poured concrete: Spice up concrete with coloring agents at installation time or add decorative gravel to the top before trowelling. A bed of crushed stone and sand topped by 4-6″ of concrete protects against heaving and cracking. Since concrete expands and contracts, you need to install expansion strips every 8-10 feet; use pressure-treated or other weather resistant wood. A broom-brushed surface helps traction in rain.