How to Redo a Small Concrete Patio With Rocks

Break up the concrete slab into large pieces with a jackhammer, beginning in one corner. Break it up into smaller chunks with a sledgehammer and dispose of the concrete in a dumpster. Call a local waste-disposal company to pick up to materials. If the slab has steel rebar through the center, use a chisel and hammer to remove as much concrete from the steel as possible and dispose of the materials separately.

Measure the depth of the site from the gravel base to ground level with a measuring stick. Pour in 3/4-inch gravel to raise the level of the base until it is two inches from the ground.

Set a 4-foot bubble level on top of the gravel base. If the patio is near the house, it must slope away from the home’s foundation for proper drainage. Shift the gravel with a rake to slope it down 1/4-inch for every foot of length, then tamp it with the flat end of a 4-by-4-inch board. Roll out landscape fabric over the compacted base.

Install metal or plastic edging restraints against the inside borders of the site. Pound lawn spikes through pre-cut holes along the bottom of the restraints with a hammer. For a more natural look, line the walls with flagstones or bricks and pack stone dust between the joints.

Fill the remaining expanse with small, decorative gravel until it is 1/2-inch from the top of the edging. Rake it even and tamp the rocks until they feel sturdy.