Marcus Delvecchio · June 3, 2026
Last spring, I was 400 square feet into a paver patio installation and already exhausted. Getting a solid plate compactor paver base is the most critical step in any hardscape job. Do it wrong and your pavers shift, crack, and…
Marcus Delvecchio · June 2, 2026
Last October, I finished what I’d call my best backyard project yet — a 1420 foot paver patio with a built-in dining area, complete with a six-person table and four padded chairs I’d spent way too much money on. I…
Marcus Delvecchio · June 1, 2026
Last spring, I tackled a 320-square-foot patio extension behind my house. The project involved laying roughly 400 concrete pavers — each one needing to be seated firmly into a compacted sand base. I’d done rubber mallet paver installation dozens of…
Marcus Delvecchio · May 31, 2026
Last fall, I finished repaving a 42-foot flagstone walkway along the front of my house. The project took three weekends, two bags of polymeric sand, and more knee pain than I care to admit. But when the sun went down,…
Marcus Delvecchio · May 30, 2026
Last fall, I finished a 400-square-foot flagstone patio behind my house. Fifteen years of outdoor builds, and this one finally came together exactly how I pictured it. The problem? Once the sun dropped below the tree line, everyone went inside….
Marcus Delvecchio · May 29, 2026
Three years ago, I tore out a crumbling concrete patio and replaced it with about 480 square feet of tumbled travertine pavers. It was a six-weekend project, roughly $2,800 in materials, and more lower-back pain than I care to admit….
Marcus Delvecchio · May 28, 2026
Last spring, I finally hit my breaking point with my patio pavers. After six years of Minnesota winters, spring runoff, and general neglect, the 380-square-foot travertine patio behind my house looked like the surface of the moon. Moss had crept…
Marcus Delvecchio · May 27, 2026
Last summer, I finished the biggest backyard project I’d tackled in years. We’re talking a full 400-square-foot patio expansion — mortared bluestone, a built-in bench wall, and a new pergola frame. The whole job took about six weekends and cost…
Marcus Delvecchio · May 26, 2026
Two summers ago, I ripped out a muddy, weed-choked strip along the side of my house and decided to finally build a proper gravel path. The area runs about 60 feet long and 4 feet wide — right between my…
Marcus Delvecchio · May 25, 2026
Five years ago, I finished pouring a 400-square-foot flagstone patio behind my house. It took three weekends, a rented plate compactor, and about $1,800 in materials. When it was finally done, I stood there covered in stone dust and realized…