New Patio

  This is the completion of one of my summer projects.  I originally built this patio when I moved into my house in 2009.  I used the concrete blocks, 12" squares. some red and some grey to make a pattern and filled the area between the blocks with cement.  I had to remove a couple of blocks when I enlarged my back porch and one was broken for some unremembered reason but the two biggest reasons for rebuilding it was first it was just a little too small and the most important reason was the cement grout has become broken and cracked over time and weeds has grown between the blocks.  Last year the weeds were so thick I actually had to mow my concrete patio. 
   Being sold grey the patio isn't as pretty as it was but being a solid slab means the weeds cannot grow.  Just the extra foot around the patio makes it more functional. 
  During the summer months I really need an umbrella or gazebo tent to make the patio comfortable enough to use in the heat of the day but in the evening the sun is blocked by the house so the patio is shaded.  I enlarged the back porch and purchased a patio set and gas grill to go on the back porch since my wife has trouble with stairs and steps so we don't use the patio now as much as we did in the past but I still wanted it to look good.