A Firepit-Ready Patio in One Day

Interview with Joe Rider of Stone Age Manufacturing

First, we installed rough-in gas plumbing for the grill and fire pit, then set the forms and poured a 4-inch concrete sub-base. As a general rule in the concrete industry never pour two to three inches because it doesn’t allow enough concrete around the rebar, could lead to cracking, and isn’t thick enough to support the weight of the fire pit on top of it. Images courtesy of Stone Age Manufacturing.

Joe Rider of Stone Age Manufacturing just finished doing this one-day installation of an outdoor patio with a fire pit and outdoor kitchen. It was filmed for The Today Show and appeared on the segment called “Stay-cation.”

The homeowner wanted to expand the size of the existing concrete patio that was installed when the home was newly constructed in August 2008. The existing patio was too small for entertaining. To maintain the existing grade and proper slope for drainage, a new concrete patio was joined to the existing one to create the size and aesthetic design the homeowner desired.

Next, we installed 800 square feet of Apache Blue flagstone. Because the existing concrete was poured close to the door thresholds it was important to use flagstone that was one-inch in thickness so it wouldn’t come above the doorway entrances. The flagstone was cemented to the concrete pad using type S cement.

To make both patios match, the entire area was covered with Apache Blue Flagstone from Arrowhead Quarries out of Grimsley, Tennessee. This stone was chosen because of its unique characteristics, exceptional quality and thickness consistency.

Lastly, we pressure washed all the stone to make sure it was clean. Then we installed the fire pit and appliances, and connected the gas and electric. After that, the only thing left to do was re-sod the backyard.

Afterwards, the entire back yard was resodded. The sod used was supplied by Easton Sod of Bixby Oklahoma and is very unique because it was developed at Oklahoma State University. It is a bluegrass color and is a new blend of highly durable grass with a thick fine texture that is easy to maintain but resists wear patterns in high traffic areas. The grass is used at a lot of sports facilities (including professional venues) and there are only five companies licensed to grow it and the only one in the Mid- South is in Bixby, Oklahoma, also known as the sod capital of the US.