I Added a Bonus Hangout Spot to My Yard Using Leftover Landscaping Materials
Out of all the physically intense DIY projects I could’ve chosen to tackle for my house, building a brand-new paver patio, which involves digging, lifting, hauling, and tamping, was maybe the hardest one I could have chosen to take on with a pinched nerve in my neck.
My timing? Impeccable. But my finished result? A beautiful new place to hang in my backyard that didn’t exist before.
I used leftover pavers to create a patio behind my garage.
There are lots of ways to use old, leftover materials in new projects, and I had saved some old pavers from a previous firepit project that were perfectly good. So my partner, Ben and I added a seating setup to this patch of grass behind our backyard (and perhaps Ben did a lot more than he bargained for after my pinched nerve).
First, I had to power wash over a hundred pavers, then prime and stain them (twice) to get rid of their faded pink color. I used Behr’s solid concrete stain in Storm and added a translucent slate color on top for depth. Once sealed, they were a pretty good match for the color I was going for throughout my backyard.
While they dried, I mapped out a 12- by 14-foot patio space using string, stakes, and a flat shovel.
The hardest part? Creating a level surface for the patio.
We had to remove the old sod from that 168-square-foot spot in our yard, and Ben did that. (Bless him — it was probably the hardest part.) My one bit of advice would be to rent a sod remover from your local hardware store. It makes the whole process so much easier.
We dug down 6 inches, rolled out weed barrier fabric, installed landscape edging, and poured in gravel for drainage. Ben unloaded gravel; I raked and leveled.
Next came adding a layer of sand, which was tricky but crucial. I spread it gently with a scrap piece of wood and smoothed it out with a 2×4 and level.
Laying the pavers was like a giant, backbreaking puzzle. I spaced them evenly, leveled each one carefully, and made sure everything pitched slightly away from the garage for drainage. Once the pavers were down, I filled the joints with pea gravel, broomed it in, then sprayed off the dust and locked it all in place with mulch anchor. I highly recommend doing this to avoid tiny rocks getting all over the place.
Plants and decor complete the setup.
To finish off the new hangout pad, I replanted hostas from the side yard (and some gifted from our sweet neighbor), added black mulch, and brought in the furniture: loungers, a coffee table, a succulent, some teal coasters, and even an IKEA chair that may or may not survive the weather, since it’s not really made for exteriors. But it looks really cute in that corner of the patio, so I’m taking the chance.
Sure, doing all this with a pinched nerve made me question my life choices, but it’s done, and we have a cozy outdoor setup just in time for fall. I highly recommend giving this a go if you’re considering doing a similar project. If you want to see the transformation from start to finish, check out my video.
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