Progress of the Patio

IT'S DONE, IT'S DONE, IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!! Our patio was a covered area with literally like a 4' width of concrete. Last February Nic added 300 sq ft of exposed aggregate concrete (aka washed concrete) and this February he added a retaining/seat wall and 200 sq ft of belgard pavers and a counter top.... This last project took over a month but it was surely worth the wait and although Nic is rarely home, this reminds me its worth being married to a meticulous architect=)

                   Nic digging out over two feet of dirt for the patio expansion. It had to be done by hand with a shovel, tiller, and wheelbarrel. We couldn't use his skid steer this time cause the last time we brought it back there, we ended up having to have fence repairs done. 

Adding crushed limestone for the base of the retaining wall.

Mixing quikrete to form a concrete slab for the steps. The slab serves as a steady base for the cinder blocks to lay on.

The first layer of retaining wall blocks. As Nic said, the crucial step in building the wall. This was like a 2 day project. All blocks have to be extremely level

Second layer.

Remi being patient

Adding the capping stones and backfilling with washed gravel.

Cutting the last few capping blocks for the wall.

Bottom step going in. It is made of cinder blocks and filled with concrete.

Capping the steps with pavers.

Starting the first level of pavers .

Laying a paver band along the wall with a herringbone pattern between them.

Putting out bedding sand for the sugar kettle

Nic laying pavers

Making progress..

Almost done.

Pouring polymeric sand ( joint locking sand) into the joints. This keeps weeds out, locks the pavers in, and sets up like concrete.

Putting the counters and backsplash together.

The counters after being smeared with colored mortar and tops having slate tile on them.

The finish product. The sugar kettle serves as a firepit. Nic found this somewhere in Louisiana. He took off work one day and drove like 8 hours to get it. We BETTER use this thing!

Lower patio, bar area- I typically don't leave flowers out like this...we had a party the night before so I figured they could make the picture!

 

 

Looking up at the upper level.