Thursday, March 31, 2016

How to Lay Deck Flooring on a Concrete Patio

LifestyledAtlanta_Patio-Style-Challenge_1




When Courtney Clymer of Lifestyled Atlanta created her gorgeous outdoor entertaining area, perhaps her most ingenious idea was laying deck flooring over the cement slab patio. It dresses up the space beautifully, and it's a lot more pleasant for bare feet than concrete.


Here, Courtney shows us how she and her husband installed the deck flooring in just a day.




Installing Deck Flooring on a Cement Patio


My husband Harrison and I have wanted to change out our patio floor since the day we bought the house. Ripping up concrete and building a deck seemed like a daunting and expensive task, so when we saw  NewTechWood Deck-A-Floor, we thought it would be absolutely perfect for our space. Within a day, our concrete slab went from drab to fab.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_1


Above is our 'before,' which makes me cringe a little bit (although Tuck didn't seem to mind the ugliness)!


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_2


This Deck-a-Floor system is so neat; it is like putting a puzzle together.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_3


First, you lay the grid pieces down.


On top of the grids, you place the clip-in accessories according to the instructions.

LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_4


Then, the deck flooring boards literally 'snap' into place on the clip-in accessories.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_5


One by one, board by board, it starts to come together!


Harrison and I took on two different roles, with me laying the grids while he took the boards out of each box laid them behind me.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_6


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_7


We decided to lay ours in a brick pattern so that it would look more like a wood deck, so this required cutting pieces on both edges to size. Luckily, Harrison's picture is in the definition of 'Handyman' if you were to look it up in the dictionary. He went to town with the saw and cut the boards down to fit on the edges.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_8


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_9


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_10


VOILA! And just like that, we had a new patio floor! I love how user-friendly this deck flooring system was, and how it turned our concrete slab into a clean, nice patio space in one day. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to transform a patio space like this. It is also so easy to clean, which is great for our two dogs who love playing in the dirt.




On her blog, Lifestyled Atlanta, wardrobe stylist, blogger, and interior designer Courtney Clymer covers an array of topics, from fashion, to interiors and more. Courtney and her husband work as a team at their company, Mimosa Design Co., helping couples renovate, remodel and generally fix up their homes.


NewTechWood Deck-a-Floor is available at The Home Depot, along with a wide selection of other decking materials.


Check out more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Outdoor Living board on Pinterest for ideas on how you can make the most of your outdoor space.




The post How to Lay Deck Flooring on a Concrete Patio appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

How to Lay Deck Flooring on a Concrete Patio

LifestyledAtlanta_Patio-Style-Challenge_1




When Courtney Clymer of Lifestyled Atlanta created her gorgeous outdoor entertaining area, perhaps her most ingenious idea was laying deck flooring over the cement slab patio. It dresses up the space beautifully, and it's a lot more pleasant for bare feet than concrete.


Here, Courtney shows us how she and her husband installed the deck flooring in just a day.




Installing Deck Flooring on a Cement Patio


My husband Harrison and I have wanted to change out our patio floor since the day we bought the house. Ripping up concrete and building a deck seemed like a daunting and expensive task, so when we saw  NewTechWood Deck-A-Floor, we thought it would be absolutely perfect for our space. Within a day, our concrete slab went from drab to fab.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_1


Above is our 'before,' which makes me cringe a little bit (although Tuck didn't seem to mind the ugliness)!


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_2


This Deck-a-Floor system is so neat; it is like putting a puzzle together.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_3


First, you lay the grid pieces down.


On top of the grids, you place the clip-in accessories according to the instructions.

LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_4


Then, the deck flooring boards literally 'snap' into place on the clip-in accessories.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_5


One by one, board by board, it starts to come together!


Harrison and I took on two different roles, with me laying the grids while he took the boards out of each box laid them behind me.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_6


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_7


We decided to lay ours in a brick pattern so that it would look more like a wood deck, so this required cutting pieces on both edges to size. Luckily, Harrison's picture is in the definition of 'Handyman' if you were to look it up in the dictionary. He went to town with the saw and cut the boards down to fit on the edges.


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_8


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_9


LifestyledAtlanta_HowTo_10


VOILA! And just like that, we had a new patio floor! I love how user-friendly this deck flooring system was, and how it turned our concrete slab into a clean, nice patio space in one day. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to transform a patio space like this. It is also so easy to clean, which is great for our two dogs who love playing in the dirt.




On her blog, Lifestyled Atlanta, wardrobe stylist, blogger, and interior designer Courtney Clymer covers an array of topics, from fashion, to interiors and more. Courtney and her husband work as a team at their company, Mimosa Design Co., helping couples renovate, remodel and generally fix up their homes.


NewTechWood Deck-a-Floor is available at The Home Depot, along with a wide selection of other decking materials.


Check out more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Outdoor Living board on Pinterest for ideas on how you can make the most of your outdoor space.




The post How to Lay Deck Flooring on a Concrete Patio appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio




This gravel patio was created for a patio makeover by Kevin O'Gara, the editor and founder of Thou Swell. Read about how he decorated his new patio in A Backyard Entertaining Space in Blue.


Here's Kevin's step-by-step tutorial showing exactly how he built his new gravel patio.





How to Create a Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Materials





Step 1: Measure and Prepare


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Start by measuring the area you'd like to fill. In my case, an existing retaining wall runs the length of one side of the patio, so we built the gravel barrier around the other three sides.


If you're filling a dirt area, you'll also want to make sure you've leveled the area as well as possible, but with careful attention to flattening the outer edges so the lumber will lay flat on the ground. If your ground is particularly soft, you can consider covering the area with a layer of landscape fabric.


Determine where people will be entering the area and accommodate for easy access – we built a little concave landing area outside of our back door to decrease the tripping hazard of the wood.




Step 2: Gather Materials and Lay Out Your Wood


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Once you know how much wood you will need, you can either have it cut at your local Home Depot store or take it home and cut it yourself.


To ensure water drainage, use a hammer and chisel to create notches on the bottom side of the 2 x 2 wood. In our case, we made about four notches at the ends of the wood farther away from the house.


Once you've laid out your wood, connect the corners using corner brackets. Use a 90º angle to ensure accuracy and make sure to screw in the brackets on the bottom side of the wood so they're out of sight.


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


For the pebbles, the standard recommendation is to use about a third of a bag per square foot, however, perhaps due to the foundation layer being concrete and providing no sinking for the rocks, I ended up using less gravel than I expected. I covered 524 square feet with 105 bags of Vigoro pea pebbles.




Step 3: Secure the Wood and Adhesive


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


To secure the wood, we originally planned on screwing the wood into the concrete, but the concrete proved way too difficult to drill into for our screwdriver!


Instead, I used an indoor/outdoor construction adhesive. It was easy to use, and it's very secure. I glued the bottom of wood at the ends and corners. After about 30 minutes, I could already feel the adhesive setting. It's important to secure the frame first because once the gravel is down it can be difficult to keep it from slipping under the wood and preventing contact with the slab.




Step 4: Spread the Gravel


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

I mainly used my feet to spread out the rocks, but you can also use a rake to smooth it once you've poured all the pebbles out.


You may also consider putting your patio furniture in place before spreading the gravel to make sure it's sitting on even ground.


Once it's all spread out, sit back and enjoy your new gravel patio!




Kevin O'Gara is editor and founder of Thou Swell. He's inspired by a mix of traditional and contemporary design.

He built this gravel patio as part of a total patio makeover–A Backyard Entertaining Space in Blue.


Check out more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Outdoor Living board on Pinterest for ideas on how you can make the most of your outdoor spaces.




The post How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio




This gravel patio was created for a patio makeover by Kevin O'Gara, the editor and founder of Thou Swell. Read about how he decorated his new patio in A Backyard Entertaining Space in Blue.


Here's Kevin's step-by-step tutorial showing exactly how he built his new gravel patio.





How to Create a Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Materials





Step 1: Measure and Prepare


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Start by measuring the area you'd like to fill. In my case, an existing retaining wall runs the length of one side of the patio, so we built the gravel barrier around the other three sides.


If you're filling a dirt area, you'll also want to make sure you've leveled the area as well as possible, but with careful attention to flattening the outer edges so the lumber will lay flat on the ground. If your ground is particularly soft, you can consider covering the area with a layer of landscape fabric.


Determine where people will be entering the area and accommodate for easy access – we built a little concave landing area outside of our back door to decrease the tripping hazard of the wood.




Step 2: Gather Materials and Lay Out Your Wood


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


Once you know how much wood you will need, you can either have it cut at your local Home Depot store or take it home and cut it yourself.


To ensure water drainage, use a hammer and chisel to create notches on the bottom side of the 2 x 2 wood. In our case, we made about four notches at the ends of the wood farther away from the house.


Once you've laid out your wood, connect the corners using corner brackets. Use a 90º angle to ensure accuracy and make sure to screw in the brackets on the bottom side of the wood so they're out of sight.


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


For the pebbles, the standard recommendation is to use about a third of a bag per square foot, however, perhaps due to the foundation layer being concrete and providing no sinking for the rocks, I ended up using less gravel than I expected. I covered 524 square feet with 105 bags of Vigoro pea pebbles.




Step 3: Secure the Wood and Adhesive


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio


To secure the wood, we originally planned on screwing the wood into the concrete, but the concrete proved way too difficult to drill into for our screwdriver!


Instead, I used an indoor/outdoor construction adhesive. It was easy to use, and it's very secure. I glued the bottom of wood at the ends and corners. After about 30 minutes, I could already feel the adhesive setting. It's important to secure the frame first because once the gravel is down it can be difficult to keep it from slipping under the wood and preventing contact with the slab.




Step 4: Spread the Gravel


How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio

I mainly used my feet to spread out the rocks, but you can also use a rake to smooth it once you've poured all the pebbles out.


You may also consider putting your patio furniture in place before spreading the gravel to make sure it's sitting on even ground.


Once it's all spread out, sit back and enjoy your new gravel patio!




Kevin O'Gara is editor and founder of Thou Swell. He's inspired by a mix of traditional and contemporary design.

He built this gravel patio as part of a total patio makeover–A Backyard Entertaining Space in Blue.


Check out more DIY projects here on The Home Depot Blog, and follow our Outdoor Living board on Pinterest for ideas on how you can make the most of your outdoor spaces.




The post How to Create a Chic Gravel Patio appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look

Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look




To create an outdoor décor that's uniquely yours, choose a highly customizable patio collection with lots of good options for fabric colors and coordinating outdoor accessories.


Take a look at this lovely green, natural look that Gloribell Lebron created for her patio with the Edington Outdoor Collection.


As part of our Patio Style Challenge series, Gloribell takes us on a tour of her relaxing outdoor space with a soothing organic vibe.




Tired of not having a decent outdoor space to enjoy with our daughters, we decided to expand our patio a bit. We had a company pour concrete based on a design I made. Elsewhere, I also designed a patio extension made with concrete pavers and landscape rocks. This particular spot has the privilege of receiving the soft morning sun and during the rest of the day, the perfect shade. It was on this last area that we envisioned the perfect and relaxed gathering spot from where we can sit and talk while the girls enjoy playing.


Customizable Patio Furniture


To make our patio dream come true, we started by choosing the ideal outdoor furniture. I found at The Home Depot the Edington Deep Seating Set that, besides being comfortable, has a beautiful design on the back of the chairs and on the top of the coffee table that matched the organic look I wanted to achieve. The Edington is among The Home Depot's fully customizable patio sets, with 16 color options for the cushions, and a whole array of accent pieces, outdoor pillows and even four options for umbrellas– all which coordinate perfectly with the set. I chose the Celery color for the cushions. The light green brings a fresh feeling to this gathering area.


Subtle illumination for the nights was a must. For this purpose we used the Hampton Bay LED Black Coach lights, which comes in a pack of four. These can be placed in two different forms (either by hanging from the provided hooks or displayed on the provided stakes) and are very easy to assemble. I love how these accentuate the pattern on the floor at nights besides enhancing the rectangular form of this area.


Outdoor Accessories


Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look


The outdoor set came with a two pillows in an ikat pattern, but to complement its look, I added two Roux Palm toss pillows. The soft sand color blended very well with the rest of the décor and the palm trees leaves add an additional organic texture to the chair.


Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look


Another accessory I added was a ceramic garden stool with an intricate design. It serves as an additional sitting place or side table for placing the coffee while reading the newspaper.


On top of it I placed a 12-in. galvanized metal lantern (I used the 19-in. galvanized metal lantern, too) to add ambiance to this corner at nights.


Outdoor Plants


Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look


Plants give this area its fresh look. To make them stand out I used different planters besides the common terra cotta ones. For the palm trees I loved using the stylized urn shaped planters because, besides adding height to the plants, they serve as an added sculptural element to the space. I also used the artichoke ceramic planter for the big fern to complement its texture.


Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look


Other accessories that I found at The Home Depot were the Hampton Bay Galvanized Trays. They come in a set of three, each of a different size. I love using these to hold the beverages to serve to my guests, but they also came very handy for carrying some of my gardening tools as I take them wherever I need.


I love how this space now looks. It is a mini retreat for my husband and me, a place surrounded by nature and that breathes peace and a feeling of accomplishment. The soft green palette I chose provides that extra fresh appeal and the textures used add warmth and a welcoming sensation.


Now, let's invite some friends and open a bottle of wine!




Gloribell Lebron is a graphic and interior designer in Miami. She writes about decorating on her blog I Don't Know How She Does It! There you'll find decorating ideas and easy tutorials to decorate your space.


See her gorgeous small balcony makeover here on The Home Depot Blog.


Browse our customizable patio collections, each with 16 fabric color choices and plenty of coordinating outdoor accessories. Follow our Patio Style Challenge board on Pinterest for more great outdoor decorating ideas from some of the most talented bloggers on the internet.




The post Outdoor Accessories Create a Green, Natural Patio Look appeared first on The Home Depot Blog.