Get matched with top concrete patio pros in Ruleville, MS

It’s possible to pour concrete if the temperatures are expected to dip below freezing at night, but you need to take some special precautions before you do. Most importantly, you need to make sure your concrete won’t freeze, so the best thing to do is enclose the area and heat it. You should also make sure you’re using cold-weather concrete that’s designed for pouring in cold weather. Use accelerants to help speed up the curing process and avoid cold temperatures from resulting in weak concrete.

It’s technically possible to install your own patio, but we don’t recommend it. Installing a patio is labor- and time-intensive, and getting the end product to look professional demands patience and experience. Not only can mistakes lead to unevenness in your patio and expensive repairs, but not grading the surface properly can cause issues with water management, potentially leading to leaks in your home, foundation damage, and flooding. It’s more expensive to hire a patio company, but it’s usually well worth the investment to avoid costly mistakes.

The average patio takes anywhere from 30 to 50 hours to build, including leveling the ground and paving the patio. If you’re doing the work yourself, you might want to plan on spending significantly more time, especially if you don’t have all the equipment or experience. After completing your patio build, consider hiring a pro to prepare the patio for spring.

A concrete base—or concrete footings, more specifically—is necessary for a freestanding pergola build. A pergola is top-heavy and can’t stand on its own, so it will always need some type of base or support. If you’re attaching a pergola to a deck, the deck’s supportive joists will act as the support, so there will be no concrete base or footings necessary.