Patio Progress - Footings Finished & Retaining Wall

Another busy weekend here. 

I had a phone call from my bricklaying friend, Dill, last week and he said he could come over and work if I had the footings ready. 

I mentioned this to dad and he sprang into action. He came over Friday night and we got them dug out, it didn't take too long and surprisingly we weren't doing it in the dark! 

Digging more footings along side the steps I built last year. 

Footings for the curved bit

 Then on Sunday my dad and my brother came over to give me a hand, we started mixing concrete and got all the footings poured by about two o'clock, I was pleased as it meant I had time to get ready for my bricklayer!

Pad for more under patio storage

Dave, my brother, digging another two foot as we had some concrete left! 

Footings done! 

 I then spent ages moving everything around, getting blocks in the right place, moving the mixer, getting sand out for him. 

Dill is a quick worker and he managed to get most of the retaining wall built. The new section includes two under patio storage cupboards and a curved section to try to soften the look of the whole thing! 

Under patio cupboards

Curved wall

Cupboards from above - I now need to create some shuttering to pour the slabs on top

The view at the back of the house, I think the patio goes nicely with it all. 

There's still loads to do, I need to shutter and pour the concrete for the patio storage, then the hardcore needs back filling against the retaining wall, stone added to the top and wackered down, loads of slabbing, then dwarf walls built with planters in them, cupboard doors to make, etc...

But in spite of that long list it really does feel like we're making serious progress and at least half of the patio should be finished by the end of next week, giving us somewhere outside to eat without worrying that our little boy is going to run off the edge learning to fly! 

What do you think?

Do you think the storage areas are a good idea or too much work for what I gain? 

Is the patio going to be too big (I think it'll be great for parties!)?

Patio Progress - Concrete Steps

This has been a labour of love over the last three weeks! Blood, sweat and the whole of my little finger nail (which got ripped off on a piece of reinforcing bar) have gone into these steps! 

With the patio being so large I decided that having a nice, wide flight of stairs would really set it off. There was a few ways I could have made them; timber was out of the question as I wanted something maintenance free and to last a long time (it's very wet here and they'd rot in ten years or so). 

That left me with either using blocks or concrete, the blocks would be more expensive and I'm not great at laying them (so I'd get my brick layer to do it. The concrete on the other is something I could do myself but it does involve a lot of work (and I mean a lot!).

First step form work

Not one to be deterred by a bit of work I went for the concrete option. I have built full flights of stairs like this where you pour all the concrete for the steps in one go (have a look here) but I decided that as I was mixing the concrete in a small mixer by hand I'd do one step at a time, doing it this way means I can use the same timber to form each step as well so it save money. 

I join each step by leaving some reinforcing wire between each step to tie into the one above. Each step is also vibrated to remove the air from the concrete using an industrial vibrator (no rude jokes please!) 

These pictures show the process, there was a bout 6 to 8 mixes full of concrete in each step! I tended to move and set up the shuttering/form work one night, then mix and pour the concrete the next and strip it the night after that. 

Pouring the concrete in for the first step

Removing the shuttering/form work 

Second step form work in. Stone fills in behind and is compacted down. 

third step - note teh bars in the back to tie in the next step

Another step - I did this one when we poured the footings for the extension as I ordered enough concrete to do it - seemed daft to mix it if we were having some delivered.  

Nearly there! 

Steps finished!

I was surprised how much work were in these stairs, even though I knew there would be. I guess mixing concrete after eight at night after doing a ten hour day on a building site is going to make me a bit more tired as well! 

Still it feels great to have them done. They'll get clad in the same stone that the patio will be with a handrail down the sides. 

What do you think? 

Ever made steps like this?