DIY Network

French Path and Patio An attractive, new tiled patio has a shade sail for sun protection and a French-style path and garden. From "Grounds for Improvement" episode DGFI-313

Figure A

Leland and Michelle Murphy enjoy hosting wine-tasting parties at their house, but the parties are always held indoors because their back patio is nothing more than bare concrete and brick walls (figure A). The Murphys would love to turn their patio into a fun and stylish area for entertaining but aren't sure how. With help from the Murphys' friends and family, landscape designer Dean Hill and Jackie Taylor transform their boring patio into an attractive tiled patio with a French-style path and garden off the back entrance. A shade sail provides protection from the sun.

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Tools
shovels, spade
rakes
wheelbarrow
sod cutter
hammer
plate compactor
bucket
compact utility loader with auger
framing square
trowel
tile spacers
wet saw
safety goggles, gloves
landscape marking paint

Laying the Tile Patio

The existing patio is simply a small concrete pad next to an exterior brick wall. Overhead, an upper level deck provides some shade.

Materials
240 square feet Weatherstone tile
2 bags tile mortar
2 bags tile grout

First, the crew cleans off the existing patio (figure B) before laying the new tiles. They add water to the mortar mix until it resembles a cake frosting consistency. They measure out the area where they want the new tile to go and mark it using a chalk line. Then they spread the mortar using a trowel (figure C) and arrange the tiles (figure D), pressing down evenly on the tiles to make sure they lay flat. They use two or three tile spacers on each side of the tiles to allow for gaps to grout (figure E).

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Figure E

TIPS: Be careful not to mortar too far ahead of yourself, otherwise the mortar might harden before you've put in the tile. Always wear safety goggles and gloves when using a wet saw to cut tiles. And it's always smart to buy 10 percent extra tile in case your cuts are off.

Once the tiles have set, they spread the grout with a trowel (figure F), pushing it into all the gaps and smoothing over the surface. Then they remove the excess grout from the tiles with a damp sponge. The completed tile surface is a dramatic improvement over the concrete slab, bringing texture and pattern to the space (figure G).

The Murphys add accessories to the patio to create an outdoor living space: a portable, refrigerated bar caddy (figure H), a bistro table and stools and outdoor artwork (figure I).

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

Figure I

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