With a large patio, you can enjoy outdoor activities, like BBQ parties or movie watching. You might ask: How large should it be? Can I patio my whole garden?
There are more than just aesthetics when setting up a patio. So we will give you a comprehensive guide on this topic today. Let’s join us to figure it out!
Table of Contents
Can I Patio My Whole Garden?
It’s not advisable to patio the whole garden. There will be many drainage problems because the patio has covered all the soil, limiting the ability of your yard to absorb water.
Avoid paving your garden entirely unless you use permeable materials to build your patio. We will discuss the water management, climate, and permission issues in this regard so you can make the right decision.
Water management
Paving, concrete, and tarmac patios are less permeable and dramatically increase the quantity of precipitation that flows off.
On the other hand, gardens, or soil, can perform a better job of absorbing water.
The extra water typically enters street drains, which often cannot handle it. The surplus may overflow into people’s front driveways, flooding their properties.
As a result, experts suggest utilizing permeable pavement and limiting the use of hard surfaces to prevent this problem.
Once you plan to patio your whole garden, the area is all hard. So where can water escape?
Unless you have planned a good drainage system, try to keep the hard surfaces as small as possible.
Climate
Local climate determines how bad water accumulation can be. Living in a region with long rainy seasons, you will likely flood your patio garden.
Moreover, regions that suffer from flooding annually enact more patio construction rules.
You can’t build any outdoor structure without getting permission from them. We will analyze this regard in the following section.
If you plan to patio your garden, you may take additional steps to manage water and minimize erosion on your property. Some practical measures are:
- Install correctly sized gutters, downspouts, and kick-out diverters that channel water away.
- Build swales that flow to a French drain.
- Build rain barrels to catch rainwater.
- When building a patio, consider porous bricks or permeable pavers.
- Create a rain garden with indigenous plants that have strong roots to absorb rainwater and promote filtering.
Permission
In some regions, you may not need the approval to build new or replacement patios with a permeable covering, such as gravel, porous concrete paving, or permeable asphalt.
Additionally, you won’t need a construction permit if a non-permeable structure directs rainfall to grass or borders for natural drainage.
Planning approval is necessary for any patio if you intend to cover the surface with bigger than five square meters of impermeable materials without a border or grass for drainage.
This rule entails submitting an application to your local municipality, which typically includes paying a fee.
Construction regulations are stricter in designated regions. For some jobs that do not demand an application in other places, you must apply for planning authorization.
It would be best to check with your local regulations before planning any patio. For example:
- Contact the local council if your kerb dropped outside your home for vehicle access.
- If your property is listed, you need to discuss any type of renovation, upgrade, or extension project with your local government. The rules are tougher for this case. What matters for most structures may not apply here.
- Ask your council if you want to construct any banks for your patio.
How Big Should A Patio Be In Your Garden?
There are three average patio sizes:
- Small: 7×7 feet
- Medium: 12×14 feet
- Large: 18×20 feet
Determining the right size for your patio is not easy. Consider these tips to come up with the best option:
- Before setting up your patio, purchase your outdoor furniture. Don’t forget to note how people move around the patio and the ideal distance between furniture pieces.
- A too big patio is still better than one that is too small.
- Make sure your patio has each of the specific advantages it should offer.
- If there is a drop-down at the patio border without a railing, make it bigger to keep people safe.
- Position the patio to take advantage of both off- and on-site views.
- Add seat walls to reduce your patio’s requirement for additional space.
- Increase the patio’s size to benefit from the protection offered by the patio cover as the day passes.
- If near a body of water, leave space for pool supplies.
- To test the placement of your furniture, sketch paper furniture templates.
Other Considerations To Patio A Whole Garden
Water drainage or size is not the only thing to consider when building your patio. Follow this guideline to establish a fantastic structure for your outdoor entertainment.
Position
Consider where your patio would be most effective as you start planning. It should be in your garden where the sun can shine during the hours when you spend your time there.
Also, think about how you make the most of any views in the area or construct a private refuge to enjoy your garden’s peace.
Zonal space
Create separate levels with raised areas for your patio for a brilliant method to add zones.
By blending plants with elements like pavement circles, walls, and edges, you may also establish zones in more affordable methods.
Style
Your preference affects how you decorate your house and lay out your landscape. While combining your own styles, please also respect the architectural style of your property.
Traditional patios work well with period homes, whereas contemporary paving goes nicely with modern homes.
Budget
The planning procedure involves keeping track of your purchases and calculating how much money you will spend. You could wish to decorate the area with a lot of furniture and plants.
Setting a spending limit before starting your project can reduce overspend, whether you have to pay for an expert landscaper or you want to do everything yourself.
Design trends
Modern minimalistic layout with an outdoor lifestyle in shades of gray or silver is where you need to go if you want to follow garden design trends.
Concrete is a common material for interior and outdoor design because of its sleek industrial appearance, while porcelain materials are growing in popularity.
Materials
Research before you go. Whether you choose concrete, stone, bricks, or porcelain, each has unique qualities and benefits.
Hence, you must do your research to select the one that is most appropriate for your needs.
Lighting
Appropriate lighting is necessary to improve the aesthetics of a patio installation. To help save money on power bills, take into account the best practices while choosing LED lighting.
In addition to setting the proper atmosphere in your outdoor area, LED lights improve safety, especially during the night.
Think about buying path lights, post lights, or portable lanterns. Additionally, installing overhead lighting will be a good idea if your patio is enclosed.
FAQs
1. Can I set up a patio myself?
Yes. If you plan a DIY patio, we advise going for a straightforward square design with pavers. This approach is much simpler than those with various curves and sizes because you won’t have to cut your pavers.
Furthermore, pavers are robust, cost-effective, and easy to set up. You can effortlessly build your patio if you sketch your design well.
2. How big of a patio do you need?
The average size of a patio is 16×18 feet. Yet, the ideal measurement for your patio depends on various factors. For example:
- It should be big enough to accommodate all your family members and guests.
- Consider if your garden can fit it.
- If you want to add furniture to the area, ensure the space allows it.
- Each type of patio has a different size.
3. What is the average depth of a patio?
A concrete patio must have a minimum thickness of four inches. If you want your patio to support a structure like a pergola or hot tub, build it six to eight inches deep.
Conclusion
If you want to patio your whole garden, ensure the water drainage system works well, and your local council allows it. However, to avoid further flooding, leave some space to absorb water.
We have shared everything about planning your garden patio and water management. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you for reading, and see you in the next post!