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Landscape Design Porches & Decks Design Dilemma

Have you replaced a wooden deck with a stone or concrete patio?

last year

We are considering getting rid of an aging deck and replacing it with a stone or concrete patio. This would lower our deck space (outdoor dining table, bbq, sitting area) by about 3 feet.

Wood decks just seem so maintenance heavy and have a short life here in Canada. Anyone have experience with getting rid of a wood deck and enjoying an alternative?

Featured Answer

kandrewspa

last year

In my experience, a well-constructed patio lasts at least twice as long as a deck with less maintenance. At my previous house we had a tree that dripped sap on it, so we washed ours a couple times a year. Otherwise there is no maintenance. We also built it with stone steps so there isn't any wood to decay. My husband built it out of bluestone with someone who worked for a landscaper so he knew how to do it correctly. The previous one hadn't been done right so was breaking up, but it had still been there 25 years. I live in the NE US.

Comments (6)

Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
We were going to do the same for the same reasons (live in Ontario). In our case, our walkway had to be adjusted/incorporated and cost of new, additional landscaping would cost more overall than redoing deck. May want to compare both if budget is a concern. You could also look into a smaller deck with a patio, to reduce maintenance.

In regards to maintenance, I hated staining every year abd we opted for a treated wood (no need to stain) that supposedly ages well and has a longer lifespan.
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Another decking tile which uses Ipe wood from Sth America is available at www.swiftdeck.com. These seem to be a bit thicker than the VIFAH tiles. They also have couple of styles and have some clip on accessory pieces which make a neat finish to the outside of the deck and might be useful if you want a neat finish around your raised patio. The tiles work very well if the surface is level. Here is a link that might be useful: swiftdeck
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I'd do a deck. I hate weeding between pavers. Some advice: Our deck is about 10" off the ground, and we get suckers from our plum tree that pop up between the planks. It's low enough to make it really hard to trim under there, and thick weed cloth doesn't stop those things. If you have certain kinds of trees nearby, make sure something is put under it to stop suckers. Also, I cannot over emphasize how much I HATE maintaining the wood. I strongly suggest something like Timber Tech vintage collection (that brand in particular because it's more realistic looking than the other brands). We have that for our front porch and it's super easy to keep clean, and super grippy when it's wet. (edit: I see this is a very old post. seriously people, start a new thread if you have a question.)
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I would just do a much larger than what you have for sure I much prefer decks to patios . We just covered our patio with a deck and made it so that it works with the rest of the deck around our house and I love it it seems so much bigger than the patio not sure why. Then just have the steps run all along one side with nice railing . Make the deck large enough to have everything on the deck so bigger is better
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sharonfriend1
last year
Can you tell me what kind of stone is in the picture. Love it!
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Those are concrete pavers, if you are referring to the 'stone' in the above photo.
Maureen
last year
last modified: last year
The pattern is what may be appealing, so compare different materials for budget purposes and you can achieve the look by the layout.

https://mroutdoorliving.com/2019/01/25/paver-patios-outdoor-living-tip-day/

Not sure what was used. Concrete info:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pavestone-Holland-45-mm-7-87-in-L-x-3-94-in-W-x-1-77-in-H-Rivertown-Blend-Concrete-Paver-672-Piece-145-sq-ft-Pallet-22049/202364354?epik=dj0yJnU9YWh4dkFKdy1GYkZ1aGdiRkliaXpHM0xPMlBtUFRIajMmcD0wJm49MXktZkVzVlVFR0pKZlcySlRXUVZ6USZ0PUFBQUFBR1BaT3lR

Granite:
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last year
Generally, gravel and poured concrete will be the least expensive patio surfacing, concrete pavers next and natural stone at the top of the price range, both for the cost of materials as well as the labor needed to install.

Decks and patios are not necessarily interchangeable :-) Decks tend to be constructed above grade....often well above grade!! And patios or paved terraces at grade (or sometimes below). There will be substantial extra costs involved if replacing an above grade deck with a paved patio, not the least of which will be filling, grading/leveling and easing the transition from indoors to out.

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