Turning a Neglected Side Yard Into a Patio with ChatGPT - Part 1

So I had all these 12" x 12" paver stones and a ton of river stone gravel just sitting in the side yard with weeds growing between it. It was an absolute mess — unsightly and depressing. I kept telling myself I'd do something with it. Problem was, I didn’t know what to do with it.

I knew I wanted to reverse the gate’s swing to make it easier to access the area from the front yard. Beyond that, I had no real plan. My wife suggested making a patio out there, and that seemed to make sense. But I didn’t have the first idea how to design a patio with the materials I already had. So I decided to ask ChatGPT.

This was the first time I’d really asked it for help on a project this big. Being the sycophant that it is, it said, “Great idea.” It was an okay idea.

Anyway, I took a picture of the side yard and uploaded it to the robot. I told it about the paver stones and the gravel. It asked for close-ups of both, then proceeded to tell me what I already kind of knew — the gravel needed to be cleaned.

I asked what a patio made with these materials might look like, and it spit out an impressively solid rendition of what I was vaguely envisioning.

So I got to work cleaning the gravel. I made a sieve out of 2x4s and some wire mesh I had lying around in the garage. Then I really got into it. I broke down the rotten planter boxes. I raked up the gravel, sifted it, and piled it next to the paver stones — some of which I had to pull out of compacted dirt.

It took two weekends, but I finally got the area prepped. After that, I reversed the gate swing. That part I know how to do.

Installing pavers? Not so much. So I asked ChatGPT again.

It told me to dig down about 4", remove the dirt, compact the ground, lay down a thick weed barrier, add a layer of sand, and then finally set the pavers and gravel.

Solid plan. But then a heat wave hit, and I still need to rent a truck to haul away all the excess dirt. So for now, the project’s on hold until the weather breaks.

Still — this was a fun, practical use of ChatGPT that actually got me motivated to do a heavy project I’d been avoiding for years. I’ll post again when the patio’s done.