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The Patio Project

This is My Small Spaces Story

#BarkmanSmallSpaces

Aside from the initial excavation, I was able to do everything myself with the help of a few friends and family members. Excavation can be done by hand, but we figured it would be worth getting the sod removed professionally.
My Dad and I shovelled 2 inches of base material into the excavated area and then watered and compacted the layer using a vibrating plate compacter that I borrowed from a friend. We put down another 2 layers of material in the same way, for a total depth of 6 inches. I used 3/4 down limestone for the base, which comes highly recommended.
Once the base was complete, I spread a 1-inch layer of sand over the limestone and then levelled or “screeded” it out. I used long 1 inch pipes to act as guides so we could be sure the sand was 1 inch deep.
Once the screeding was complete, I installed Barkman pavers with help from a few friends and family members. With everyone working together, this step went by quickly. A few pieces needed to be cut because they joined the existing concrete pad. We used a mitre saw with a stone cutting blade, but there are a number of other ways to do it.
Once the pavers were down, my parents and I swept polymeric sand into the joints, watered the patio down and left it for 24 hours to set. After that, we installed the Belvedere Fire Pit in about an hour to finish the patio.

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Small Spaces

Big things begin with small projects