some sort of stone on top? flagstone?

I feel like that would be too weird of av transition from the driveway to the back patio at the gate.

how do you mean, that 2-4" difference in added height you would just float at a gradual slope at the gate, almost like a ramp that is somewhat unnoticeable...likely not describing it very well, but someone has solved this problem I would think

my thoughts were to keep the stone going a foot or two on the outside of the gate that slowly blends into driveway somehow.

what is wrong if its just like a small lip there?

Depends. You can get 1/2" to 1" thick.

Scrap it and turn this into an indoor/outdoor pool combo. Gonna have to knock that wall down too.

Easement gets in the way of the lazy river plans.

Sea Speed said:

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Easement gets in the way of the lazy river plans.

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That would be hilarious in a residential area.

You looked into a little concrete topper and stamp/stain it all? Don't know if it would work, but maybe worth a look into.

Had someone out and they said we would have to maintain same expansion joints which kills that idea for me.

What would it take to re-joist that ceiling and eliminate at least one of those posts?

I have a similar double post setup on my breezeway between the house and detached garage. In the next couple years when I do a masonite and stucco to Hardie swap one of those posts WILL disappear

Not sure, those are for the breezeway only. previous owners added an aftermarket patio cover which i am not too much of a fan of but I'm not going to go redo it.

Are you able to extend patio out at all?

Possibly extend and have it all stained/glazed same color. Then you have consistent color, level and a bit of extra patio space. Companies also have the small stone epoxy that will self level and fill in the joints, ot just may settle after an extended period.

We are in process of a patio extension. Concrete was poured last month for the extension. To bring the two together, we are doing an epoxy flake floor next month in neutral colors.

So from what I am gathering, tile is a bad idea?

Easy answer. 30mm pavers on a sand bed. Cover the expansion joints with fabric.

Sea Speed said:

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Again, that creates a large lip at the gate to the driveway that will be a tripping hazard for anyone going through it. This is how the entire family goes in amd out of the house several dozen times per day.

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carvestone.

Sea Speed said:

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Hmm. Seems like a decent idea. How would you secure it though? Mortar or glue of some sort? The grip is good but tile seems easier.

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You can mortar it to the concrete. That's how a lot of flagstone patios are done. Then grout in between.

Seems like the only solution is to epoxy the floor and have the visible expansion joints. Or, rip out the existing Flatwork and redo it a couple of inches lower then tile/stone.

Tile sounds like the worst idea.

Fair enough. Old house had a massive tiled covered patio and outdoor kitchen area and wasn't the worst. I figured outdoor tile had come a long way since then.

Maybe Slate 'tile'. I've seen a front patio look good with that -

we just put this on our patio.. looks awesome.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhalcyonhomesnc%2Fphotos%2Fi-mujst-say-the-shaw-san-francisco-4x8-tile-in-the-nob-hill-color-installed-in-a%2F614352992081796%2F&psig=AOvVaw1LMPoY1aBAXK06w2Q2yyib&ust=1620878586923000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJj5hrahw_ACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAF

Get a landscape or regular architect's opinion? Our regular architect figured a way to 'level out' a former porch, planter and 'jazzed up' greenhouse. There was varying thicknesses of concrete, a recent channel for some interesting plumbing, loose bricks (tightly laid over rock and dirt) and one square old slab six inches under those bricks.
I know that all sounds wacko but I'll eventually post pics of the project here and if you haven't fixed it by then it could help you think outside the box.

Current state:









Not awake enough to delete duplicate pic....