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Porches & Decks

New patio--pavers vs. stone

12 years ago

Hi! We are planning on having a patio installed in our backyard and I would really like some more info. on the pavers everyone seems to be using. I really like the look of natural stone(flagstone, slate), but are pavers more economical? And is there mortar used in between them and if not, are weeds a problem? I also like the look of mortared brick. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

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Comments (4)

jonnyp
12 years ago
Check out cultured stone. The look of real stone but a lot cheaper. There is a paver sand on the market that is made for, well, pavers. It used be to so many parts sand mixed w/ mortar.The occasional weed can be knocked down w/ vinegar. What ever you do,do not use embossed concrete w/ a stain. A close friend had it done on a very expensive house and looks like who did it and ran.
I am partial to pavers because of the variations that can be mixed and matched.Go to a masonry supply house,not a box store and browse.
fnmroberts
12 years ago
While the look of natural stone is "natural" the installation problem is it's varied and uneven thickness. Pieces must be individually set.

The success of a patio is dependent upon your climate (frost zone) and the drainage base provided. Where I reside, northern IL, mortar between stone or pavers would not work due to seasonal movement.

I've had our paver patio for 14 years. It was a DIY project which is fairly simple with pavers. The only growth between the brick is the inevitable moss. Annually I pressure wash and sweep fresh sand over the surface as maintenance. Any weed can simply be plucked away as it isn't able to obtain a good rooting.
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Our patio is 23' x 28' and I did it myself. I would suggest staying away from pavers (bricks;) you will kill yourself trying to get it leveled! I went with the 18" patio stones instead and that was a bear. I used dirt to do the backfill and packed it down with the truck, car, riding mower and 8 lb tamp. Next I came in with small gravel (crush-n-run under 1") and packed it. Finally I leveled it all down with several inches of sand and put in the stones. Shoot me an email and I'll give you the rest of the details and a pic or two. Tia this isn't something that I would suggest you try and do by yourself unless your patio is very small. If the base materials aren't level and done correctly then your patio will look like a drunk put it down. There are several other things to take into consideration too like power lines, sewer/septic lines, gas lines... You also need to think about where your downpipe drains from your gutters; you wouldn't want one corner of the patio to drop because of incorrect drainage around it. Jeff
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MongoCT
12 years ago
Your best bet for a flexible, non-mortared installation would probably be pavers with polymeric sand.

If you prefer the "brick look" over the "paver look" then you could use clay brick pavers.

As far as economy, it can go either way.

My favorite patios are made from bluestone set over a stone dust base. I'm on a freeze/thaw climate, so the stone dust base allows excellent drainage to prevent frost heaving. The rectangular slabs of bluestone get gapped about 1/2" or 3/4" or so, the joints get packed with stonedust too. Over time moss will grow in the joints or a low creeping thyme can be planted in the joints.

Bluestone is about $4-$5 a sqft.
danielle2006
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Think i'm going to go the paver route w/ brick-look pavers.

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