Patio Befores and Afters

It's not quite finished yet. The contractor will be returning next week to replace about eight of the slate tiles that cracked after installation before they were grouted and more secure. Plus the whole area needs a good scrub to get rid of the grout residue. And then everything gets sealed. But I'm already pleased with the results. As you can see below, it now has a much different feel even though we only changed up the hardscape and won't start on the landscaping until spring. 

Lizardville in the before pics above and below has been replaced with a fountain and some mulch for the time being. In the spring we'll finish updating this area with some non-fussy, low maintenance plants and a bit of river rock around the base of the fountain to add some visual interest.

The pic below is the old mismatched flagstone with the concrete slab they poured for an outdoor kitchen area they never built. This is the new location for our outdoor fireplace. 

About 18,000 gallons of water later and we've got a full pool once again. I followed the directions from the pool folks on chemicals and it has now turned a shade of green. I'm hoping the daily addition of muratic acid over the course of the next week will get it back to crystal clear. Otherwise I'll be ringing up the weekly pool service guys to help me maintain it. We're finally replacing the cheap and inefficient old sand filter with a new diatomaceous earth filtration system next week, so hopefully that helps keep the cement pond looking less like a home for alligators and nutria rats.