Marin Patios

A patio is an outdoor living space. Their gift is that a well-designed patio can be more beautiful and enjoyable to spend time in than any room in the house, while costing a fraction of the amount spent on even a small room indoors.

To make a patio in Marin an ideal outdoor room consider the following:

• What is your favorite views of garden and surrounding areas?

• Do you need to plant or erect any kind of screen for privacy from neighbors?

• Does it need protection from the wind in any form?

• What time of day would you use the patio the most

For patios used at night, landscape lighting, heaters, circular tables with gas flames and wind protection may be ideal. For patios used mostly in the daylight hours, consider creating shade with umbrellas, gazebo roofs and garden tents.

Privacy can be created not only by erecting a screen, but in some cases by sinking a patio further down, as in this sunken patio that created privacy from the street:

The most economical way to build a patio is using DG (see article on pathways). The next is the technique used in this photo. Instead of setting this Connecticut blue stone in sand, I've laid it on an inch of dry mortar, then swept mortar and DG into the cracks. This blocks weeds and makes for a stronger patio, while being half the cost of mortaring flagstone on cement.