About this project
We built this long exposed aggregate patio behind a ranch on Renee Drive in Troy and completed it in September 2026. The house is light-colored brick with a bay window, a sided chimney chase and a back door that steps down onto the new slab.
The patio runs almost the full length of the back wall. A dark border frames the outside edges and turns in where the slab meets the corner of the house, and a pair of dark-edged steps drops from the back door. In the second photo a crew member is raking the soil along the patio edge.
What we did
- Poured an exposed aggregate patio along the back of the house
- Framed the outer edges with a dark border
- Built steps down from the back door to the patio
- Cut control joints across the length of the slab
- Raked and leveled the soil along the patio edge
Control joints on a long, narrow patio
Concrete shrinks as it cures, and a long, narrow slab like this one feels that shrinkage most along its length. The lines you can see crossing the patio are control joints. They are placed at regular spacing so the slab has planned places to crack, out of sight in the joint, instead of random cracks across the stone finish.
Where the slab meets the brick, it needs an isolation joint so the house and the patio can move independently. A patio this close to the foundation should also be pitched away from the wall. The downspout at the near corner shows why: roof water coming down there needs to run off the slab and into the yard.
Questions homeowners ask about backyard patios
How wide should a patio be?
It depends on how you plan to use it. A strip wide enough for walking feels very different from one that fits a table and chairs. A good starting point is to list the furniture that will go out there and how people move from the door to the yard, then size the slab around that.
Can the patio meet the back door at the same level?
The door threshold sets a limit. The slab has to sit low enough below the door that water cannot run inside, which is why this patio has steps down from the back door rather than meeting it flush.
Do you work in Troy?
Yes. We have completed more than 20 concrete jobs in Troy and more than 75 jobs there overall. Renee Drive is one of them on our concrete contractor page for Troy.
More photos from this job
See more of our patio work and exposed aggregate projects, or call (844) 757-6543 for a free estimate.
