concrete verses pavers for patio....

15 years ago

We are in the process of getting bids for a new patio which would be behind our garage and off of our deck. Does any one have any advice on which material would be best, or does it just depend on the look that you are going for.

I live in the Midwest....extreme weather conditions in summer and winter.

Thank you... :o)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

fnmroberts
15 years ago
We selected pavers because concrete patios always seem to eventually get a settling crack. At least with pavers any settling can be easily corrected.

We too live in the midwest and have found it necessary to lift a few pavers from time-to-time in the 10+ years since installing our patio. Relatively easy to do though and no regrets with our decision.
lalaland4me
Original Author
15 years ago
Thank you so much for your response. I did some checking on the web and found some good info. Exactly what you said about the cracking of the concrete and the ease of repair with the pavers.

One site said the price was about double for pavers yet another said that the two were about even. We are getting a bid on Monday. I like the look of the pavers much more than the concrete. I don't know the total square footage of the patio but the concrete bid is $3,200. I'm hoping that the pavers aren't too much more.
Related Discussions
Patio - stamped concrete vs. pavers - Conflicting Info
Q
Comments (18)
You know, it's interesting how when we travel to Europe or other parts of the world where we can see buildings several hundred years old, we appreciate the patina of age on things -- plaster showing its age, cracked stone paving, irregular color in brick, time-worn marble, and so on. In the US we always want to rip out the old, solid materials because of minor imperfectons, and replace them with something shiny, new, and not necessarily of equal quality. If there is a real problem with your tiles -- undermined and unstable surface, safety issues, water leaks, or whatever -- sure, replace them. But otherwise the older material has charm that pavers do not have, in particular with your nice brick wall and balusters. You'd want all your architectural elements to be speaking the same language.
...See More
your comments regarding laying paver on old concrete patio
Q
Comments (1)
forgot the picture
...See More
Patio steps: concrete pavers vs natural stone
Q
Comments (6)
I can't speak to permacon as they're not sold in my area, but that looks like a pretty standard wet cast step slab. At this point most of the paver manufacturers have ripped off one another's designs so much that structurally, most products are virtually similar. The big difference is in the finished look. For example, Techo-Bloc's Rocka step (similar to your Hemmingford) has less color variation than the equivalent from Cambridge-Armortec. For areas that see a good bit of traffic, we generally only use wet cast slab steps or sawn natural stone slabs (when we're not doing a full masonry set of steps). The really natural steps just have too much variation in height and depth to pass the official Revolutionary Gardens test of "can I navigate this safely after a bottle of wine?" For coming out of a house you will likely need something on the sides, but it's impossible to advise beyond that without knowing what you're looking at.
...See More
Can I Whitewash a Concrete Paver Patio ?
Q
Comments (9)
take some spare bricks and try it w/porch paint watered down to a wash consistency. ( The porch paint should actually be Masonry Paint. ) Try adding water to sample cups and see which measurement looks best. Once you get the right formula, get one of those pump sprayers and apply it using that . It might be better to have a second person back rolling as you do it. (or you can just do something like this guy!) You may have to apply a masonry brick sealer to them after you 'wash' them. they also have a stone color coating. don't know if you can lime wash w/this
...See More
fnmroberts
15 years ago
Ours is comfortably sized for group gatherings - 26 x 24 plus an area for a hot tub and a smaller one for grilling. It was DIY and took a summer of evenings and weekends to build. There are so many more colors and shapes of pavers available now compared to 10 years ago. I've seen some spectacular paver patios and walks.

As our site grade flows toward the patio, I incorporated french drains to direct water away. Also buried PVC below for electric and natural gas lines.

Here are a few photos, good luck with yours.

Here is a link that might be useful: Patio
fradog68
14 years ago
lalaland4me,
So what did you decide to do? What was the bid for pavers?
niecyt13
14 years ago
I have a concrete patio that is cracked and somewhat settled so that in sinks in a bit. I had a bid for a 10x20 concrete patio with a walkway 4 ft by about 8ft. To remove the old patio and grade the area for drainage then put the new one in I was given an estimate of $2395 which is very reasonable. I just wondered if I could somehow repair the origional and add pavers and a firepit to it as a DYI project for less. The guy told me pavers are more expensive but I think I could do it myself with some prep-work...are they very hard to install?

Related Stories

MATERIALS Precast Concrete Pavers Make a Versatile Surface in the Garden

By Falon Mihalic

You can use concrete pavers in a variety of shapes and colors for your patio, walkway, driveway and more

Full Story

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING 8 Great Ways to Use Landscape Pavers

By decordemon

Today's Stepping Stones Define a Space While Adding Affordable Style

Full Story

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Patio Pavers Rock Out

By FormLA Landscaping

Pair stone or gravel with bigger pavers for a patio design that guests will pay tribute to

Full Story

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Pavers for the Perfect Patio and Path

By Vanessa Brunner

3 Landscape Designers Share Tips on Paver Materials, Installation and Cost

Full Story

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Tear Down That Concrete Patio

By Christine Tusher

Clear the path for plantings or a more modern patio design by demolishing all or part of the concrete in your yard

Full Story

PATIOS Landscape Paving 101: Cast-in-Place Concrete

By Falon Mihalic

A construction standard, cast-in-place concrete can be used for a wide variety of project types

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Outdoor Style: Creative Ways With Classic Concrete

By June Scott Design

Have you cast concrete aside as being too dull or crack-prone? Learn about new design options along with the basics of using it outside

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Ways to Make Your Concrete Patio More Attractive

By Falon Mihalic

These design ideas can liven up your paved outdoor space

Full Story

PATIOS Patio Details: Good-bye Cracked Concrete, Hello Lush Garden

By Annie Thornton

A San Francisco couple replace an old parking space with a barefoot-friendly outdoor retreat for eating, entertaining and play

Full Story

PRODUCT PICKS Guest Picks: Concrete Ideas for Patios and Decks

By Urban Gardens

Look to lightweight fiber cement for functional outdoor furniture and accessories that are heavy on style

Full Story

concrete verses pavers for patio....

Comments (5)

fnmroberts

lalaland4me
Original Author

Related Discussions

fnmroberts

fradog68

niecyt13

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

concrete verses pavers for patio....

Comments (5)

fnmroberts

lalaland4meOriginal Author

Related Discussions

fnmroberts

fradog68

niecyt13

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

lalaland4me
Original Author