DO you want to transform your patio but don’t want to fork out a fortune?
A single mum of two young kids has shared how she was shocked when she received a quote for £650, so decided to do it herself for a fraction of the cost.
A single mum has revealed how she was fed up with her untidy garden[/caption]
She impressively laid a patio by herself to save money[/caption]
Taking to the Facebook group DIY on a Budget, she shared jaw-dropping before and after photos of her handiwork.
She wrote: “I needed a small patio area doing, I got quoted £650, not even sure if that’s reasonable, but way out of my price range.
“So this group gave me the confidence to give it a go myself.
“It was hard I won’t lie, especially being a single parent to two small children, I mean I don’t have time to finish a cuppa let alone laying a patio.”
The savvy mum first of all dug out the area, which she claims was the “hardest part.”
She shared: “I recommend doing it over a week as I did, bit by bit makes it feel less strenuous.
“I watched several YouTube videos to learn how to lay the patio.
“Some suggested you needed expensive machinery to level/compact the ground etc, but it can be done by hand/feet.”
The mum said she put down a membrane to stop weeds peeking through, and levelled out the space with sharp sand.
She added: “Use a piece of wood to sweep over the sand to make it nice and level.”
Next she placed the paving stone down and gave a tap with a rubber hammer.
She checked it was level with a spirit level, and then moved on to the next one.
The mum continued: “For the edging I mixed 1 part cement to 2 parts sharp sand, added water, levelled/smoothed it with a trowel, then just placed the pebbles where I wanted them. “Let it dry for 24/48hrs and done!”
She was very pleased with the finished result.
The mum wrote: “It’s not perfect and I had to contend with an uneven surface but I’m dead proud of myself, so thought I’d share, and say, ‘give it a go yourself’ you might even surprise yourself with what you can achieve.
“The overall cost of the project was £220 in the end.”
What the mum used for her DIY patio
- Paving slabs
- 1 tonne bag of sharp sand
- 1 bag of cement
- 2 x 22kg bags of pebbles
- Trowel
- Bucket to mix cement in
- Small rubber hammer
- Wheelbarrow borrowed from a neighbour to move the sand
- Piece of wood to level the ground
She seems to have impressed internet users, as many people praised her hard work.
The mum responded: “I’m so overwhelmed by your lovely comments and likes! So first thank you!
“*Top tip if you have kids, give them a frozen/microwave dinner the day you lay the patio, you won’t want to cook!
“And don’t you dare feel guilty, one day will not kill them and you’re doing it for their enjoyment as much as your own.”
How to repair broken patio slabs
THE paving specialists at Simply Paving told Fabulous how you can repair broken patio slabs, without the faff.
The experts advised: “If you have a loose paving slab, then it’s unlikely it can be lifted straight by hand. Instead, you will probably need a hammer and chisel to prise the paver free of your patio.
“To remove loose paving slabs without damaging your flagstones, carefully chip away at the mortar around the paving slab with the plugging chisel and rubber mallet until the slab comes completely loose.
“Then, slide the spade into the gap left by the mortar and prise the paver free of the patio.
“As you lift it up, place a short piece of timber underneath the spade to act as a lever, making it easier for you while protecting the slab underneath.
“When the paver starts to give, place the cylindrical wood underneath it and roll the slab out of the patio.”
