As anyone who has built a house in the city of Calgary knows, maximizing the space on your lot is a priority. Many city homes have a garage, a driveway, a front yard, and a back yard to consider when planning for landscaping or other outdoor necessities. Decks are often popular for back yard enjoyment, however with the cost of lumber sky rocketing, building a deck this summer may be a very expensive endeavor.
One way to maximize your backyard space, and save on deck building costs is to have a patio instead. Patios are a great feature because unlike decks, they don’t hog all the space off your back door. Rather, patios create a seating space, but still maintain the complete visual integrity of your yard, making it seem bigger than if a deck was in the same spot.
There are plenty of options when building a patio. The most obvious of course is the standard concrete broom finish, but patio building has come a long way since then! Concrete patios now have the option of being colored, stamped, and texturized. Exposed aggregate concrete is also a good option that offers a unique look, combined with an element of safety because of the textured, non slip surface.
Patios can also be built out of a variety of paving stones, flagstones, natural stones and slabs that can be paired with natural elements to seamlessly integrate into your landscape. The benefits of paving stones and the like are they don’t crack, and are easy to fix or replace in the event of damage or frost heave. Of course, prepping of the area is absolutely key for building a low maintenance patio. The ground must be cleared, compacted, and properly prepared before putting any stones in place. This ensures that grass and other weeds do not grow up between stones, and stones remain in place with proper drainage. This attention to preparation makes any needed future repairs much easier and more efficient.
Another added bonus of a patio is it lends itself quite naturally to having a fire pit. Fire pits offer a common seating area for the family to gather, and the enjoyment of the natural element of fire. There are a multitude of options to add a built in fire pit to a patio design that allows you to play with different elements to provide a unique look to your yard.
Patios are a flexible option for creating a seating space in your yard that can be tailored to your unique needs and ideas. Here at Curbmaster Concrete and Landscape, we are dedicated to helping you meet your landscaping and patio needs. Please do not hesitate to call us at 403-240-2526.
Comments