No Stone Was Left Unturned In This Round Rock Outdoor Living Transformation!
Patio builders and pergola builders may come and go, but one thing is for certain. With an extensive and creatively-designed outdoor living space transformation like this, Archadeck of Austin proves we will be here for the long haul. Using our acclaimed expertise to create the ultimate in Round Rock patios and fire pit combos, we made the magic happen for this Round Rock family.
Before we began the project, the homeowners had an incredibly small and limited backyard. Sadly, it was not very versatile, leaving little if any room to even turn around. Additionally, the area lacked a sidewalk providing access to their front gate, too. Archadeck of Austin put on our thinking cap for this outdoor living space transformation.
Archadeck Comes To The Rescue With A Bigger, Better Design
First things first, our team began by adding a much larger patio space. Adjacent to the new patio and accesible via the new beautifully fashioned river rock pathway, we built a wood-burning fire pit for those evenings when the outdoor air is just a tad too chilly.
The crowning glory to this beautifully large patio is the majestic pergola, structured to evolve seamlessly off the rear roof of the home. To provide a more convenient and natural way to access the front gate leading to the backyard, a four-foot-wide concrete sidewalk was added as part of this transformational plan.
To accent and frame the new sidewalk, we removed a good portion of the side yard lawn and installed a heavy-duty weed block to prevent unwanted growth around the new pathway. Atop it, we installed two to three-inch Texas café river rock on either side of the sidewalk.
To ensure that the pathway down to the wood-burning stone fire pit would stay strong and in place, our team used a metal edge on the pathway downward. The area where the fire pit area is located measures a generous 12-feet in diameter.
The new main patio area adjacent to the rear of the home is new concrete with a flagstone overlay application. As for the beautiful pergola, it is handcrafted out of cedar with a TopGal polycarbonate cover for added protection.
Unlike fabric pergola shade covers, TopGal is excellent for more intense weather situations like rain and snow. Made from high-quality PVC they make an excellent choice for pergola roofing thanks to their affordability and high light transmission.
Archadeck Is Ready To Design & Build The Backyard Of Your Dreams
Get your wish list ready and contact us today to schedule your free outdoor living design consultation.
Spacious South Austin Patio and Elevated Deck Create Multi-Faceted Outdoor Living Space
Today’s featured patio and deck project in South Austin illustrates the almost-unlimited scope of an Archadeck of Austin backyard makeover.
If you want to replace an older deck, porch or patio, your next outdoor living space can be completely fresh and new. Not just new materials, but a completely different design, too. Unless you specifically want to use the same footprint for your new structure(s), let’s think outside of that pre-existing box! At Archadeck we always have fresh design ideas to enhance your outdoor living lifestyle.
Replacing an Old Deck with a New Patio … and a New Deck, Too!
For these South Austin homeowners, we created a design that increased the size of their outdoor living space exponentially. We built a new patio more than twice the size of the old deck it replaced. Then we added a new deck on top of that. And we mean “on top of” quite literally – as in, overhead. The new elevated deck gives these homeowners a second-story spot for relaxing, at eye level with the treetops, something they didn’t have before.
Before 
After
Not only do the new patio and deck add more outdoor living space to the clients’ home, they contribute stunning aesthetics and additional function, too. All with low-maintenance materials for easy upkeep through the years ahead.
A Large South Austin Patio with Room for Everything, even an Outdoor Kitchen
We predict this gorgeous patio will be the scene of many outdoor gatherings of all kinds. From quiet dinners al fresco to great big parties, this multi-level patio can accommodate any occasion. The homeowners can use the different levels as different outdoor “rooms,” which is how you create an intimate space on such a large patio. This patio has two covered areas for comfortable sofas and chairs, a separate dining area, and an open area big enough for games! And there is more: an outdoor kitchen. We designed and built the stone structure for an outdoor kitchen, and we will add appliances and kitchen amenities at a later date.
Altogether the new patio space covers about 1300 sq. feet. We created the beautiful patio surface with a concrete epoxy quartz overlay to give it the look of Roman stone. We installed aluminum railings on the patio and wrapped the existing brick columns with Hardie wrap in a paneled design for an elegant touch. And while the new stone retaining wall serves an obvious function at the patio’s edge, it can also provide additional seating.
We installed a Synergy Wood ceiling in the covered area of the patio. The stain color our clients selected for their porch ceiling is called Colonial. The clients purchased the ceiling fans and sconces they wanted, and we installed those. We also installed recessed can lighting in the ceiling, and we added lights on the patio steps. These little patio lights will add ambiance while also increasing safety.
The patio also features a custom Texas star that we added toward the end of the project. Our clients saw a star like this on our website in images from another patio project we completed, and they just had to have it. It’s a splendid finishing touch for the new patio!
The Perfect Vantage Point: A Low-maintenance Elevated Deck
We designed and built a second-story AZEK deck to give these homeowners a separate outdoor living space accessible from the upper level of the home. The ornate, baroque railings set the space apart with flair. For access to the deck, we removed an upstairs window and installed a door and sidelight.
The new deck overhead supplies shade for a portion of the patio. We built the deck with an under-deck drainage system over a modified bitumen roof system to ensure the area underneath is dry space.
Did we leave anything out? What amenities would you add or subtract if this were your outdoor living space? We hope this patio and deck combination project provides inspiration for a backyard makeover at your home!
Let us create a custom solution to meet your outdoor living needs. Contact Archadeck of Austin to schedule your free design consultation.
Daniel Smith, Designer, Archadeck of Austin.
Challenge us! Archadeck of Austin designs a permeable patio to complete the perfect combination outdoor space
Present us with a design challenge, and we will show you a big ol’ knock-your-socks-off solution. Archadeck of Austin was thrilled to work with this Northwest Austin homeowner to design and build a spectacular outdoor living space, a combination screened room, patio and deck with an outdoor kitchen. One of the things that is so special about this project is its unique patio with a hot tub and a dramatic fire wall.
What could be so unique about a patio? Well, that brings us to the challenge presented by this homeowner. We were asked to design a patio that incorporates the proper drainage for water runoff so moisture will be retained and released properly into the natural aquifers in and around the Austin area. A permeable patio, that is. Jim Schallon, Archadeck’s lead designer on this project, managed to meet the technical requirements while creating a beautiful and relaxing oasis for the homeowner, family and friends.
Image of backyard before we began the project:
The home had an existing wood deck in good shape and just the right size for an outdoor kitchen. By power-washing the deck and restaining it, we were able to restore the wood’s beauty and establish this area as the centerpiece of the project. On one side of the deck, we added a spacious screened room with a new roof cover that we tied into the existing slope system of the house. On the other side of the deck, we added the patio with hot tub and fire wall.
We placed the outdoor kitchen on the deck by building a wall, counter height, with Concrete Masonry Units (CMU, also called concrete blocks) and finishing it with a facing of beautiful ledgestone. All of the outdoor kitchens designed and built by Archadeck of Austin are built with masonry-cinder block construction. Other builders may use wood for the kitchen structure, since it will be covered with a stone facing and no one will see it. However, our sturdy outdoor kitchen construction won’t deteriorate or degrade over time; it’s permanent.
The 1” hand-installed ledgestone facing helps provide a solid support structure for the kitchen counter and appliances. The homeowner chose brown Lueders stone for the countertops, and we used matching brown Lueders cap to top off all of the walls. A dense limestone known for its durability and low maintenance requirements, Lueders stone is perfect for kitchen countertops.
This kitchen’s built-in grill alone will command your attention! It’s a Memphis wood-pellet BBQ system with Wi-Fi capabilities. The homeowner can monitor and adjust the temperature of the grill from anywhere; the grill can even send an alert to his smartphone if needed. In addition to the Memphis Wood Fire Grill, the new outdoor kitchen includes a refrigerator, drawers, storage and trash receptacle.
With plenty of space on the deck for a dining table and chairs, meals will go from grill to table in an instant. If (or when) insects are a problem, the new adjacent screened room offers a pest-free dining area as well.
This screened room boasts a rich Synergy Wood ceiling with ceiling fansto keep the air moving. A large flat-screen TV is mounted on a stacked stone wall built just for that purpose; we used the same ledgestone here that we used for walls in the kitchen and patio areas. Of course, we built in electricity to power the TV, fans, lamps and the homeowner’s outdoor heater to take the chill off in winter. The floor of the screened room is a textured stamped concrete that will stand up to many years of constant use.
And now for the patio, which had to be permeable. For the base of the patio, we layered gravel and soil. The patio surface is a repeating pattern of large pavers and smooth stones. Together these components allow water to flow naturally through the patio surface while providing a smooth texture on which to walk. Specifically, the patio pavers are 2×2 sawn cream Lueders stone, beautiful and durable.
The spaces between the pavers are filled with smooth Mexican Beach pebbles. Not only is the smoothness easy on bare feet but also the river rock feels cool to the touch as it retains the natural temperature of the ground at all times.
Prominent on the patio is the hot tub, and next to that we built a gas-burning fire wall, which might just be the fire feature of your outdoor living dreams. It is a ledgestone wall lined with fire brick and filled with lava rock. Hidden there are 60 and 72-inch stainless steel linear T-burners.
When lit, flames seem to dance along the top of the wall. The height of the fire wall is about even with the surface of the hot tub, so, as you can imagine, occupants of the hot tub will become a captive audience for this magical feature at night.
If you would like to challenge us to create the patio, porch and outdoor kitchen combination project of your dreams, contact Archadeck of Austin today at (512) 259-8282 or via email at jim.odom@archadeck.net to schedule a free design consultation.
Jim Schallon, senior designer Archadeck of Austin.
Austin Decks, Pergolas, Covered Patios, Porches, more 