How to Make Concrete Patio Pavers and a Solid Cedar Deck

The weather condition can be quite harsh and unforgiving; therefore, concrete pavers are a great choice if you are looking for something more durable and weather-resistant. But, to bring a bit of class and warmth to your home, laying out cedar deck over concrete can break up space visually and boost up the look of your property.

However, keep in mind that this is a costly and time-consuming process because you aren’t building one, but two surfaces at the same time. So, here are a couple of necessary steps you should start with.

Make a frame

To install concrete pavers, you first need to make forms which will serve you as a frame and stop concrete from leaking out. Depending on how big you want the pavers to be, you will create forms according to the desired size.

However, keep in mind, the bigger the pavers are, the thicker they need to be, to prevent cracking. You can also fill in the gaps with gravel and start by filling the forms at the center and then work your way out.

Many people buy already made a form; however, you can make them as well, but this will require more time, especially if you aren’t skilled.

Secure the forms and prepare the ground

Make sure that all frames are leveled and screwed together. When it comes to ground, it should be a pressed hard mixture of clay and rock, but you need to add a steel reinforcement at the bottom.

For this, you can either use steel mesh or #4 rebar; however, a mesh is more comfortable to manipulate.

Considering the concrete, it can be poured by hand, or you can hire laborers for this project. The pavers don’t need to be as smooth as countertops because they will go beneath the deck.

Build the deck

First of all, start with a layout. If you want to achieve a traditional design, then boards should run in one direction, and for this, you will require rows of parallel sleepers. On the other hand, if you want a bit complicated design, then you can install double sleepers to withstand any boards.

When setting up sleepers, they don’t have to be level; they can follow the slope of your patio. However, sleepers should create an even and flat surface. To attach them to concrete, you should drill through the surface and drive in concrete screws.

You can cover sleepers with flashing tape, and without it, the water can soak the top surface and will cause timber to rot. In this case, the flashing tape is the best way to prevent decay of the wood.

When you install deck boards over sleepers, which is similar to a traditional standard deck framing. You can begin with dark accent boards, which can serve you as temporary guides. To cover the end of the sleepers, you can use the deck fascia board.