Inspiring patio designs, porches and deck plans for relaxing, tranquil outdoor living.

If you love to spend your weekends relaxing outdoors, a new deck or patio will make it even more of a pleasure, particularly if you have the satisfaction of building it yourself. More and more people are building their own porches, pool decks and patios using any of the many basic deck plans and patio designs which are readily available. If you need to know where to start, you’ll find an abundance of information and resources on the internet, including instructions, tutorials, guides to tools and materials, and hundreds of patio designs and deck plans for everything from porches and pool decks to complete rotundas.

Do your homework, and you can’t go wrong.

No matter what kind of structure you’re planning to build, you should check with your local planning authority for information on building regulations. Find out whether you need permission for your project, and what information you need to provide to obtain the permission.

Building a patio using brick pavers is probably the simplest home improvement project of them all, and ideal for beginners. It’s not even necessary to cut the bricks to fit if you use a simple layout like a basket weave pattern. There are plenty of free patio designs and layouts on the internet to help you plan. Once you’ve chosen your design, it’s essential to measure the space in your yard, and calculate exactly how and where the geometric shape is going to fit, and how many bricks you will need. Before you begin laying down the foundation material you can check your measurements by laying the pavers out on the ground first, and correcting any errors.

Building porches and other timber decking structures requires a few basic carpentry skills and tools, but it’s still a great DIY project for any homeowner. Again it’s very important to plan your design first, and work out exactly which materials, tools and equipment you will need. There are deck plans you can download from the internet, which will help to inspire you, and ensure that your design is structurally sound.