Do you have a dull and dreary backyard? You can change the look and feel of your entire outdoor area with a new brick paver patio. If your backyard is just like millions of other backyards in the world with nothing but grass from the back fence to the house, close your eyes and imagine a beautiful patio with all of the trimmings. Can you see it? Most people can see the bricks but do not get a clear sense of what a pavers patio would really look like in their own backyard. This is because they have not completed the first five steps in patio design. Do not worry, we are here to help.

Step One: Visualize Your Patio

Grab yourself a glass of tea, a notebook, a pencil, a lawn chair, and head on out to the backyard. If you have some shade claim your stake to some of it, plunk yourself down in the chair and get ready to take the first step in design. On your notebook, make a list of all of the activities you plan to enjoy on your new patio. This can include cooking out on the grill, sitting in front of an evening fire pit, or relaxing with a newspaper and a cup of coffee in the mornings at your patio table. Whatever it is you plan to use your patio for, regardless of how many items make the list.

You are probably a little surprised at how much more in focus your mental picture is becoming. This trick, called activity image projection, helps designers create functional patters in living quarters. By now, you can probably see yourself, cook’s apron on, enjoying your weekend. Pretend a blank piece of paper is your yard with the house off to one side of it. The paper represents the area where your patio design will be.

Step Two: Best Use Designing

Take a look at the sky. Where is the sun? You know your yard better than anyone so you probably already know approximately where the sun rises and where it will set. Your patio design should afford the best use of sunlight. If you have trees that shade the entire back yard where you patio will be, that is great; however, if it receives only partial sun, you will want to design your patio in a way that makes the best use of the sun whether your goal is to be in the sunlight or out of it. If you love plants, herbs, or growing your own spices, you will want your shelves and work table in or near the sunniest area.  Your grill will be hot enough and should be in the shade. With this in mind, sketch a rough design.

Step Three: Deciding on Permanent Structures

Make a short list of any permanent structures on your new patio. Is the grill going to be a portable unit or will it be part of the patio? Are you designing a fire pit for your patio? Many people build a permanent structure table on their pavers patio and add the chairs later. Very often, a patio design will have benches for sitting and holding larger plant items. Is there a small tree that will have a permanent home in the middle of your patio? All of these permanent things that will become a part of the building process must be accounted for and placed strategically into the design of your new patio.

Step Four: Staking Out Awkward Patterns

Now that you know what is permanent and what is not. You should be able to sketch the shape of your new patio. Finish your drink, lose the chair and whip out your trusty tools. Now that you have the shape worked out, measure your patio’s square footage. Some people can do this from scratch with no visual aids. Why take the chance? With string and lawn stakes, create the outline of your patio by driving the stakes around the perimeter, starting with a square or rectangle that encompass the body of the design.

Once the body is staked out, go back and stake the parts that jut out at irregular angles individually. For instance, if there is a walk that comes off the patio and leads to a pool, garage, or garden, drive your stakes and string it out separately. If there are rounded sections, make sure you stake the arcs separately from the squared area. (See Figure)

If your design looks something like this, it was not a rectangle, however, you staked out the body in a rectangle and then staked out the rest separately in order to be able to get a more precise measurement. This will help you determine how many pavers and other material you will need with greater accuracy.

Step Five: Consultation

Now that you have a rough idea of what you want in a pavers patio, it is time to call the professionals and have them come out to give you a rough estimate. With your design in hand and all the measurements taken and noted, together, you and your professional landscape paver will be able to come up with an estimate on materials and labor. This is the perfect time to work out any problematic areas. (Remember the tree that some people just refuse to cut down and place their pavers project around it?)

You are now on your way to enjoying your new pavers patio. Remember to order a bit more than you will actually need for future repairs should they be needed. Deciding upon the type of pavers you will use will depend upon the look you want for your patio and matching the surrounding structures. Your landscape professional will have plenty of information and suggestions that help you on your way.