When you need to give your patio a makeover, you might be tempted to do it yourself. After all, you can save a lot of money on labor if you do not have to pay a professional. But, when you want a beautiful patio that will stand the test of time, you need to seriously consider how hiring a professional makes the process easier for you.
You must have the skills to build a good foundation for the patio, grade it properly, choose the right material and ensure solid work. In the long run, an expert will give you the best investment. Here's four reasons why you should leave your patio remodel to the professionals:
The foundation of the patio is usually where most DIY homeowners realize they are in over their heads. The base determines how level your patio will be. Setting the base properly ensures that the patio floor does not shift or break. Experts can answer the following questions:
A professional ensures that the foundation is established properly the first time. Then, the rest of the patio re-do runs more efficiently.
What you do not know about grading land can certainly hurt you when it comes to improving your outdoor landscape. You may think that the land is flat, but it’s not. And, you need to ensure that the pitch of the patio moves down from your home, not toward your home. Flooding causes hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to homes in the United States each year. If your land is not graded away from your home, you encourage flooding.
Paving stones and brick pavers make an attractive pattern for your patio. There are alternatives, such as stamped concrete, but, this is an inferior material, prone to damage and expensive repairs. Concrete shrinks over time. And, as the foundation settles somewhat, a concrete patio will split. You can patch the cracks, but it will not look the same.
Professional landscapers recommend pavers as the better choice. Pavers are permeable, which makes them more environmentally sound. And, they make repairs much easier. Pavers are individual, shaped pieces of brick or stone that come in a uniform design. That uniform design makes it easy to obtain replacements if a paver breaks. And, the fact that the pavers are separate units makes them less likely to crack or break under pressure.
Remember the old adage that you get what you pay for. Your sweat and toil may cost you nothing monetarily, but it also guarantees nothing. By contrast, professional landscape architects want to ensure your business. This usually comes in the form of a contract guaranteeing their work. So, not only do you get their expert advice and construction to build you a better-looking patio, you also get the assurance that they will fix it if something goes wrong.
To save yourself the hassle of trying to build your patio on your own, hire an expert to do it for you. They do the hard work of building a solid base for the patio, grading it away from your home, and using the right pavers to give you the look you want. Then, they guarantee their design and installation, so you can enjoy your patio worry-free in the years to come.
