Mark Pawelec, DIY enthusiast from Donora, Pennsylvania recently finished building a stone patio and outdoor fireplace in the backyard of his home. Additionally, he paved the path of his backyard with stone, and also made two stone benches for relaxation. It took around four years of long time and hard work to complete this project. This design was motivated from his desire to restore the worn-out concrete patio poured by his father.
With a little experience of stone cutting at hand, Mr. Pawelec, firstly thought of repairing the concrete patio but later decided to replace it completely. Restoration process started with the boring task of removing old concrete patio. After that, a French drain was built and poured with concrete footer to keep the patio dry in all seasons.
Most of the stone required for the patio surface was purchased from Craigslist. However, he was lucky enough to procure an extra quantity from a house owner in Bridgeville, who didn’t like a flagstone patio. The flagstone procured from the house owner was major material for the surface of his 24 x 15 foot patio. Mr. Pawelec spent many weekends collecting and assembling stones to complete the patio. There was a need of proper consideration and safety to organize the stones properly in the project.
The outdoor fireplace was the main attraction of his project. Its 6 feet firebox is concluded across the 32” x 24” curved opening that catches eye with the stone texture. The fireplace built over the patio is about 10 feet tall and almost 13 ½ feet above the backyard behind it. Height of fireplace is perfect according to the patio and keeps the smoke away from the backyard. Moreover, he also remodeled his kitchen by designing a fruit bowl backsplash from the tiles. A gas-burning fireplace decked with the faux stone surround was also installed in the kitchen.
All the creations by Mr. Pawelec were simple but needs more consideration and time. The all green design ideas were inspired from the internet or HGTV. His determination and encouragement from neighbors led him to design such a wonderful backyard in a cost effective way. This project utilized the unused materials, so it becomes a green design IMO.
Via: PostGazette
