How To Build a Small Patio with Stone Tiles

There are many benefits to creating your patio with stone tile. For starters, repairs and upkeep are much easier and cost much less than other materials do. Instead of spending a day or days fixing chips and cracks, with stone tile, we’re talking minutes or at most an hour to make quick repairs. No more wasting money constantly sealing or staining your patio. Here’s a guide to building your own patio with stone tile.

Gather Tools and Materials

You are going to be measuring, digging, and tamping. You will need a tape measure, a level, shovels, a hoe, and a pickaxe. You will also need to have a wheel barrel to transport the dirt you dig up, a tamp, and a broom. As for materials, pick out your stone tiles, a landscape cloth, and some sand. This is not the time to be frugal – buy a few more tiles than you think you will need. If you have some extra, they will be good to hang on to anyway for future repairs.

Start the Work

Mark off the area you want to make your patio and measure it. Measuring the area will assist you in cutting your landscape cloth to form a good fit. Before putting your shovel into the Earth, double-check that there are no plumbing lines or buried electrical cables where you will be digging. Once you confirm it’s all clear, pull your wheel barrel nearby and start digging. A good depth is at least six inches. Ensure you are past all vegetation. If you are still running into roots and plant matter, dig a little deeper. Lay your landscape cloth when finished digging to prevent weeds from growing under and through your patio.

Create a Level Base

Once your digging is complete, pack in the base. Do yourself a favor and rent an automatic tamp. It will make the job a little less physically exhausting and enable you to focus on the quality of the job, not how tired and hungry you are. Make sure the base is smooth and level. To help with drainage, you should create a 1/4 inch drop for every two feet of distance, that way the rain will run off the patio instead of soaking or creating puddles.

Lay Tiles and Finishing Touches

It’s time to lay the tile. Make sure they are as close together as possible. After the tile is down, go around the edges and shave off any pieces to create the even edge of your patio. You don’t want any corners sticking out, giving it a sloppy appearance. To complete your new patio, pour sand on top of the tile and fill the cracks. You want to get sand in between the tiles and overtop of them as to fill in any voids there may be. The sand will also assist with drainage. Once you have cleared the sand and packed the cracks, you are ready to start enjoying the result of your hard work!