Patios

I laid my patio nearly flat because it looked tidy on paper. Then the first real storm turned a corner of it into a shallow puddle that took two days to dry, right where the kids play.

Two seasons of rain, bike tires, and a dog who tracks in half the yard on her paws had left the patio looking tired. Resealing it taught me what I should have done from the start.

I built a patio big enough for gatherings that rarely happen. Watching where Ellie, Sam and Pepper actually spend their time taught me I sized it for a life we don’t really live.

Before I laid a single paver, I stood in the hardware store parking lot going back and forth between pavers and poured concrete. Here is what actually mattered once the work was done.

I tried to save money by hand tamping the base for part of my patio instead of renting a plate compactor for a second day. It felt fine at the time. It was not fine.

I skipped proper base prep to save a Saturday and ended up losing a whole weekend a year later, digging out pavers that had sunk unevenly under the fire pit corner.