Building a patio allows you to take advantage of your garden and outdoor space. You can use it to entertain, relax on the weekends, or have sundowners after a long day of work. Avid gardeners may use patios as a place to grow some of their pot plants, displaying their beauty in a place where they can appreciate them. Whatever your reason for choosing to build a patio, it will be well worth it. But, is there a best time of year to build a patio? That’s what the topic of this article is.
Which Season Is Best For Building a Patio?
A patio can be built at any time of the year. There are some advantages to building a patio in autumn or early winter. The weather during these months allows work to continue unchecked. Cement can dry at optimal temperatures, and building companies are available to complete the job.
If you are researching building a patio, you will probably think of the shape, the design, surface ideas, and the position first. As you progress with your patio planning, you may start to wonder when it is best to build it.
Everyone has an opinion on which season of the year is best for building. We will offer some facts that give insight into the building trade, allowing you to come to your own conclusion.
When Do Most Building Projects Take Place?
Many building projects take place in spring and summer, making it difficult to secure a builder or construction company during these months. Builders often have less business during late fall and early winter, making this an ideal time to get your patio built.
Is There A Cheaper Time To Build A Patio?
Building companies often do a yearly increase rate in the spring of each year. By choosing to build your patio in autumn or winter, you can take advantage of the current prices, avoiding the spring price hike.
How Does Temperature Affect Patio Building?
Most patios use concrete of some form. Concrete consists of a mix of sand, gravel, cement, and water. This mixture needs to dry to harden into the hard surface that holds its shape and keeps bricks and poles in place. Temperature plays a critical role in the drying process.
The ideal temperature for drying concrete is approximately 50° – 72° F (10° – 22° C). At this temperature, the concrete takes around twenty-eight days to harden. Concrete cures through all the layers and forms a solid mass that is less likely to crack.
If the temperature exceeds 85° F (29,5° C), the concrete fails to harden correctly. The top layer, exposed to the sweltering sun, dries out before the bottom layers dry. As a result, a hard top layer forms, which ‘floats’ on a soft, wet underlayer, and cracks form in the concrete.
If the temperature is less than 40° F ( 4° C), the water will freeze. When water freezes and ice forms, it expands, taking up more room. This will result in cracks in the concrete as the water thaws again.
Similar problems can be encountered when laying paving or tiles in very hot or cold conditions.
Are Spring And Summer A Good Time To Build A Patio?
You can build a patio in spring or summer, but there are some disadvantages that you should be aware of.
Spring and summer are growing seasons for plants in your garden. This makes them more vulnerable to damage from workers and machinery from maybe your lawn-care company. The result will be a messy garden with damaged plants for the rest of the summer.
If you live in a climate with summer rainfall, there will be extensive mud while you are building the patio. This could make the process more unpleasant as you try to keep the mud out of your home.
Children and pets want to play outside during spring and summer. It makes it challenging to keep them cooped up in the house so that they do not get injured in the building process or disturb wet concrete.
You will not be able to carry out your spring and summer plans for outdoor socializing if a building project is underway.
The cost of building may be higher in spring and summer. As mentioned previously, many building firms put through price increases in spring each year.
Builders may have a waiting list during spring and summer as many people choose to complete building projects in these months.
Planning offices are much busier during spring and summer, making the process of getting your plans approved more time-consuming.
The heat may affect concrete curing and the integrity of the adhesives used in laying tiles or pavers.
What Is The Ideal Season For Building A Patio?
Late autumn and early winter are the best months for erecting a patio. There are numerous advantages to building at this time of the year.
The weather is at a suitable temperature for curing concrete and laying pavers and tiles. It is best to avoid building too late in winter as the temperature may be too low, and freezing water hampers building and causes cracks in concrete.
The temperature makes pleasant building conditions for workers. Once again, avoid late winter as snowfalls and sleet can make it impossible for workers to continue with the project.
Plants enter a state of dormancy as winter approaches, making them less vulnerable to damage. Any plant damage that occurs will recover quickly when spring arrives, and you will have your beautiful garden for summer.
The ground is usually harder from the cold and less likely to form ruts from wheelbarrows or machinery passing through the garden.
Many building companies have winter specials to encourage people to build at this time of the year, making it lighter on your budget.
Children and pets may be happier to spend more time indoors if the weather is chilly, making it easier to keep them out of the construction site.
Assess your Climate When Making Your Decision
Climates differ with regard to temperatures and rainfall patterns. This can influence your decision about when to build your patio.
A place with frigid temperatures for most of the year may have ground that is too hard to dig at any time except summer. Some climates have heavy winter rains, making it difficult to complete building projects.
Conclusion
Although it is often best to build in late autumn or early spring, each climate must be assessed, and a decision made accordingly. By looking at the points discussed in this article, you can determine when would be best for you to build your patio.
