Perfect Patios

After 11 years, the patios have been done. It was such a massive project it took three gorgeous hunks ten days but I have ended up with perfect patios.

So we begin with the kitchen patio and the original bread oven for the house ...





... and this was the front of house patio ...



Builders arrive and take over side of house and lower garden ....



... and another patio has to disappear under our stuff ....



... demolition commences on the bread oven ... some near-on 8 cubic meters of rock, red clay, cement and tiles were removed ... along with a pair of fully grown snakes nesting under the tiled roof ....







.... the front patio is removed and concrete laid .... the wire hung up on the house wall is our main electricity cable which was cut through during the works and we had to have the electricity company out on an emergency call as it fried something on the electricity pole but all over and done with in under three hours ...





... just under 50 square meters of terracotta tiles are then laid on three levels ...







.... and the result is this ...







... complete with granite counters for BBQ, buffet, bar, potting ....









We have laid 3 square meters of turf at the end of the front patio under the Bougainvillea for the cats and all electrics and irrigation has been routed through tubes underground (as they did the electrics in the house last year). It's easily accessible in the front under a gravel border.

There are still minor things to do, the finishing touches, but we are delighted and can't make up our minds where to sit now. We've almost abandoned the lower dining area and the deck .... how sad is that?

I have to say I owe these wonderful patios to my dear belated father .... as I owe the outdoor living room and deck above it to my beloved belated mother-in-law. Thank you both of you ...wherever you may be ... xx

 

Fan-bloody -tastic Vicky.........I envy you so much

The work you have had done looks fantastic my only green eyed monster question is:DWithout offending you is....................How much did it cost you,it looks expensive?

 

:thumb: Very very nice LoL, can I join you on those nice relaxing chairs for a glass of something strong ........................Reminds me of holidays xx.

 

Fantastic Lol, 10 out of 10,:thumb: The Hunky builders have done a brilliant job, and i love your choice of tiles, flippin gorgeouse I Also love the glass bricks next to your door, Your Father and mother inlaw would be chuffed to bits, i know i would.. oooh and your granite worktop is beautifull, Now, have you lots of planting to do? or is that a daft question haha....De....

 

Thank you, Slinky. Difficult to compare our prices here to there .... it was give or take £5,500, materials and labour (Euro weak against the Pound at the moment) .... and the tiles and granite were top of the line as I'm only doing this once. As I said, it was a gift ....

My dearest, you know you are always welcome .... xx

Cutie, pleased you have the same good taste as I ..... :D No, no planting, all is in place for the summer now ... guess I may have to take up painting again .... :rolleyes: You can actually see a peek of my wall art in the first picture.

 

It's all gorgeously beautiful, Sis, and Hubby says to tell you so, too. Love the tiles, love the granite counter and the brick supports, love the new house colour scheme (very well done, BiL, x) - we love it all!

The workers did a wonderful job and the new kitchen patio is a great addition to your outdoor living space. (TG that dreadful bread oven is gone!) Nice, too, that the cables and hoses have been hidden in conduits.

I don't have to say "hope you enjoy it" as I know you will. xx

 

Yes just perfect

 

EXCELLENT!:thumb:....So where will me and Mrs Pal be sleeping?:D
Lady you have such a lovely home We envy you so very much

 

Thank you Skotcat ... retirement is nice. :thumb: But you have to put up with a bit of 'inconvenience' if you really want what you want.

Pal ... in the guest room that had an en-suite added last summer .... that's a true offer. x It's just a small old farmworkers cottage we're taking forever to convert .... but think we're there xx

 

The transformation is brilliant but I would have been tempted to keep the bread oven:rolleyes: - we have thought of having one built here

 

Looks great lol,

I like the terracota tiles, not something you see over here probably due to frost resistance. I loved the cats paw marks in the concrete, must be something about wet concrete that they sense!!!

 

Oh, fmay .... the dreams and thoughts we had ..... a BBQ, a cathouse. a housing for gas bottles, a wine storage thingy .... you name it. .... We actually had it re-rendered and re-roofed about fve years ago .... trying to preserve the original..

However, it was not practical and as much as I am sad I have disposed of 'history' I am happy with the results (as were the builders who were one Ukrainian and two Portuguese). Got to go with what's right and right for the lifestyle.

We have for the main kept things as they were .... the outside looks old but all the mod cons are inside within an old environment. We've lived in old houses (up to 400 years) since 1978 so we like to keep the heritage as much as we can. xx

 

Thanks Pro .... the tiles are frost resistant. Cats are a nuisance with building works ... you know that! :D

What would you charge for such a project .. bearing in mind what you have to cart away ... and the bread oven was a nightmare in itself?

 

Love it ! I don't remember it being that crappy before to be honest, but now its fantastic !!!

 

"What would you charge for such a project .. bearing in mind what you have to cart away ... and the bread oven was a nightmare in itself?"


Lol,
Probably around what you paid, certainly about £3k labour. Mind you Ive only ever laid slabs and flagstones never large areas of tile. IMO youve got a very good job.