What should I do with this patio?

Submitted ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago⁩ by ⁨Lawdoggo@lemmy.world⁩ to ⁨[deleted]⁩

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/65c55bff-c4d3-49f8-a2ff-4a4e2edf0c7e.jpeg

The center slab is pretty thrashed and has some failing previous repairs. A couple of other slabs have more minor damage. At the very least, I’m interested in removing and repouring the center slab, but a contractor recommended against doing anything less than a full demo/replacement of the whole patio based on foundation/structural reasons.

Beyond aesthetic reasons, is this advice legit or just an upsell? If I shouldn’t just do one or two slabs, I might consider pavers instead of concrete, but any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

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Comments

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rice@lemmy.org ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
That middle slab is like 8ft away from the house there is no way it will do anything to the house foundation. Even digging like 1ft away from a house foundation won’t do anything unless you leave it there to collect tons of water for years.

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entwine413@lemm.ee ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I’d remove the center and put in river stones and a fire pit.

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ikidd@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
If money is limited, I’d just take out the center section and inspect/repair the substrate. This is probably bad preperation underneath and there’s slumping and/or frost heaving. Once you have that part removed, you might decide the other areas aren’t much better underneath. Then you can decide to repour concrete or move on to a different style of patio, like pavers or a wooden deck.

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wuphysics87@lemmy.ml ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Gazebo?

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protist@mander.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
If you remove and repour just the center slab, you’re going to change the pressure against the ground which is likely to cause some shifting among all the surrounding tiles. You’re definitely going to find someone willing to replace just the center tile, but if you do that you’ll almost certainly be in a position in a couple years where you’re looking to replace the whole thing.

I’d save up to remove it all, and think creatively about what an entirely new patio could look like. You don’t have to replace it on its current footprint, but I can’t see enough of your space in this picture to give you any layout recommendations.

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- Lawdoggo@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Thanks! This is the input I was hoping to hear. Good to know that the “piecemeal” replacement concerns are valid. I’ll aim to do the whole patio in time.
  
  Here’s another angle if you’re curious:
  
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talentedkiwi@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
You could always get a second or third opinion, but there’s a decent chance you’d want to do it all at once.

If you want a short term solution while you wait to redo the whole thing. Then you could always get something like these outdoor tiles.

They would provide a decent look and still cover your patio until you’re ready to replace the whole thing.

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Substance_P@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I’d cover it with something more attractive. If drainage isn’t an issue, I’d consider a floating deck with planters on the sides. Otherwise, I might remove the concrete and plant culinary or exotic plants for effect. It would be interesting to know how you plan to use this area. If it’s for kids, the approach would differ from adult outdoor dining and recreation. Personally, I’d go for a floating deck with planters or potted plants on the edges or paving to maintain the theme. I’d love to see a BBQ area, plants, a deck, and landscaping lights.

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