My wife would love a patio at the rear of our house. It's not an area that will ever see vehicle traffic or anything extremely heavy. I'm thinking of pouring concrete a section at a time. I would mix by hand and pour 9 or 10 square feet per night.I would place expansion material between old and new pours and frame the outside edges. I'm not sure how big the total patio will be yet. I'm trying to convince my wife of how much work it will all be. I have experience with flatwork and pavers but I was always working for a contractor with power equipment and I wasn't paying the bills. In this case everything will be done by hand, my hands. The ground is flat but I need to tear out the topsoil, spread gravel and all of that. Am I crazy? Is this possible or is it going to fall apart? I don't think pavers would be less money. I'm not afraid of the work, just the expense. Any advice or instruction is welcome. Thanks!

I'm building a 2' high retaining wall parallel to the house about 7' out from the house. Behind the wall will be built up a driveway, which will get paved. I understand that the base of the retaining wall should be below grade and conventionally would be compacted stone, topped with sand. But my excavator suggests pouring a 4" deep concrete pad the length and width of the wall and laying the first layer of blocks on that. He thinks that will be easier to make level and provide a firmer base. The grade slopes slightly so there will need to be a couple of steps down along the wall. I've never heard of doing it this way. Any opinions? Or better yet, experiences? :confused: