Concrete Patios in Wellington, FL

Concrete patios in Wellington get used most of the year. January highs average around 75 degrees, which is when many families want to be outside the most, and summer evenings under a screened lanai or a shade sail are not far behind. The most common jobs we see are extending a small original lanai slab into the yard, adding a patio beside a pool deck, and pouring a pad for a grill, an outdoor kitchen or a fire pit. HomeGuide's patio guide lists plain concrete at $4 to $12 a square foot installed, and a well-built patio lasts 30 to 50 years with regular care.

Get the size right

Undersizing is the regret we hear most. A dining table for six, with chairs pushed back, fills an area roughly 12 feet square. Add a grill with room to work, a lane to walk past and a couple of lounge chairs, and the slab heads toward 16 by 16 feet or more. At the estimate we mark the outline on the lawn so you can stand inside it before deciding.

Water is the first design question

A patio is a large flat surface beside your foundation, and Wellington gets heavy summer rain. The Palm Beach International Airport station records 61.75 inches a year, and much of it falls in short, intense storms. We set the slab with a fall away from the house, typically about a quarter inch per foot, and check where roof water, sprinklers and the neighbor's yard already send their runoff. On lots that back onto a lake or canal, we keep the patio from directing water into a spot that already floods. Downspouts may need to be extended past the new slab.

Extending a lanai slab

Many homes here have a small covered slab off the family room. To extend it, we dowel the new concrete into the existing slab so the two stay level, and match the elevation at the joint so there is no trip edge. If a screen enclosure is coming later, we talk about where its footing will sit, since enclosures often need their own permit and HOA approval. Finishes can match the old slab or give the whole area a new look with a stamped or colored surface.

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Finish options

• Broom: fine grip, lowest cost, easy to hose off.
• Integral color: tinted through the slab, often in tan or coral tones that suit stucco homes.
• Exposed aggregate: stone showing at the surface, good traction and it hides dirt.
• Stamped: stone, slate or tile patterns, covered on our decorative page.
• Decorative saw cuts: a grid or diamond pattern that also serves as control joints.

How we build it

Sod and soil come out first. We compact the base and set forms to the planned slope. Most patios are 4 inches thick, and HomeGuide recommends 6 inches with added reinforcement under hot tubs or outdoor kitchens. We pour early on warm days, finish, cut joints and keep the slab moist while it cures, because a patio that dries too fast in the sun cracks more.

Keeping it looking good

Sweep and rinse often, since mildew and leaf stains show quickly in humid weather. Put planters on feet. Reseal colored and stamped patios on the schedule we leave with you, and trim back roots from trees planted near the slab.