Where do great patio design ideas come from? You might see patio designs on TV or get garden design ideas from a garden tour.
Outdoor patios can be attached to a house, or detached. They are often designed and oriented with the landscape. Patios are versatile: they can take on any shape and be built with various materials, like concrete, pavers, stone, tile, brick or gravel. Most patios are set on a concrete slab or a sand and pebble base.
Once you've decided to build a patio and chosen a site, there are other design considerations:
- Space: Available space will determine your patio's size.
- Shapes: Squares, rectangles, ovals.
- Levels: Multidimensional surfaces work well with slopes and uneven levels.
- Drainage: Working with existing runoff systems or determining the best place to build one.
- Grading: Deals with soil redistribution for a flat, even patio base.
- Privacy Screening: Walls and enclosures turn a patio into an outdoor room.
The following pictures include these design elements.
- Graphic Index
- Text Index
