Solution: This terraced patio sits behind a home in Saint Peter, Minnesota, alongside the shoreline of a lake. Built into a hillside, the patio is surfaced with large, light-toned concrete pavers, and is bordered by small dark pavers. A wall erected with concrete landscape units separates the patio from a garden feature at the top of the terrace. A concrete fire feature hugs the opposite edge of the patio, facing the lake. Below that, a wall constructed from the same concrete landscape units wraps around the patio’s lake side. Concrete step units form small staircases on both sides of the patio.
A Backyard Terrace Supported by Concrete Hardscape Products
The hillside behind this home in Saint Peter, Minnesota, runs down to a large lake. There, a terraced patio detached from the home sits just above the water’s edge. At the top of the terrace is a garden feature, which is separated from the surface of the patio by a wall erected from concrete Splitface TRIBUTE® WALL SYSTEMS and Double Sided Splitface Trapezoidal Caps.
Below, the freeform concrete patio’s surface is made of ash-colored Grand DISCOVER PAVERS®, with a border of dark 4x8 ELEMENTS™ PAVERS. A concrete fire feature constructed from a Smooth SUMMIT STONE® Square Fire Pit Kit and Cap serves as the focus of the patio, its colors matching the coloring of the patio pavers. Sitting opposite from the garden feature wall, the square fire feature hugs the edge of the patio’s lake side, where it offers a spectacular view.
One side of the patio is enclosed by a retaining wall erected with the same rough-hewn Splitface TRIBUTE WALL SYSTEMS and Double Sided Splitface Trapezoidal Caps that support the garden wall. A short staircase built of concrete PASSAGEWAYS® STEP UNITS interrupts the wall, providing access to the water’s edge. On the opposite side of the patio, PASSAGEWAYS STEP UNITS combine with flagstones to create a walkway that leads up past the garden feature toward the home.
Together, these attractive concrete elements create a cozy waterside hearth where the homeowners can escape the everyday.
Project Highlights
This project demonstrates that a hill is no obstacle to constructing a concrete patio. By using concrete step units and a concrete wall system, in addition to concrete pavers, a terrace can be built, and can incorporate a variety of features such as patios, gardens, and other landscaping elements.
