How to Build a Cheap Patio
- 1). Design your patio area and measure to the total surface area. Account for four inches of decomposed or crushed granite and calculate the total volume in cubic yards. Buy just over this amount from a garden store or rock yard. For example, a 10 by 10 square foot patio would require 1.23 square yards, so you would buy one and a quarter or even one and a half square yards of granite.
- 2). Measure the perimeter of your patio to determine how much steel or plastic edging you'll need. Keep in mind that you won't need edging where your patio meets an impermeable surface like concrete or brick or the foundation of the house. Most edging comes in pre-cut lengths, so round up to make sure you have enough. Buy enough weed cloth to cover the area of your patio plus 10 percent.
- 3). Dig out four inches of soil from your patio area. If you can, grade up toward the center to ensure that water runs away from the center. This means you may only dig three or three and a half inches in the center, grading down very gradually toward the edges of the patio to four inches deep. Keep the edges even, because this is where you'll be installing the edging. Lay your landscaping fabric over the entire area, running it up the sides.
- 4). Lay down a half inch of the crushed granite. Tamp it down along the edges. Install the edging flush against the sides, pushing it slightly into the granite you've laid down. Try to keep the top of the edging even. Most edging comes with stakes to keep anchored in the ground. Wait until you've installed two more inches of crushed granite before you install the stakes on the outside of the patio edging.
- 5). Install two more inches of crushed granite. Roll the compactor over the area to get an even, sturdy surface. This is a good time to ensure that the edging is at an even height and laid out smooth. Install the remainder of the crushed granite and roll the compactor over the entire area again. The reason you buy a bit more crushed granite than your calculated volume is to account for the compaction.
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