DOSTAIN MUHAMMAD
dostainmuhammad.com
2022 · Build
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2022BuildSeattle, WA

Backyard Patio

Removed a failing concrete slab and replaced it with a dry-laid bluestone patio. Roughly 220 sq ft, two weekends of demo, four weekends of base prep and setting.

Why this one

My dad and I had been talking about fixing the slab for years. Two months of weekends together with a plate compactor turned out to be one of the better things I did that summer.

Backyard Patio
Scope

Demo, drainage, base, setting, jointing.

Role

Lead — with my dad and a borrowed plate compactor.

Goals
  • 01Solve the drainage problem against the foundation.
  • 02Get a flat patio that wouldn't heave in a Seattle winter.

Process & progress

  • Phase 01· May 2022
    Demo

    Sledged and hauled the old slab in 5-gallon buckets.

    Milestone — Demo weekend

  • Phase 02· Jun 2022
    Base

    8" of crushed base, compacted in 2" lifts. 1" of bedding sand screeded flat.

    Milestone — Base in

  • Phase 03· Jul 2022
    Set

    Random ashlar pattern, full-thickness bluestone.

    Milestone — All stones set

  • Phase 04· Aug 2022
    Joint

    Polymeric sand, watered in, swept clean.

    Milestone — Jointed, done

Documentation

Base prep, plate compactor in frame
Base prep, plate compactor in frame
First stones set
First stones set
Tools & materials
Plate compactorWet sawRubber malletScreed pipe
Lessons learned
  • 01Compaction in lifts is non-negotiable. The one corner I rushed is the one corner that settled.
  • 02Polymeric sand wants a dry day and a patient hose.
Outcome

Two winters in, still dead flat. Drainage problem solved.