Concrete Patios – Landscape Design

With the popularity of concrete paver patios, many homeowners neglect to closely review the options for concrete patios. The mention of a concrete patio can bring to mind the boring white slab tacked onto the back of a house. But concrete patios can be designed in dynamic and interesting forms. In some modern or contemporary landscape design aesthetics, concrete is a more appropriate choice. Concrete technologies have also evolved to include aesthetically attractive finish options. Installed properly, a concrete patio is a low maintenance and cost conscious approach to building an outdoor living space in your landscape projects.

Concrete patios offer a clean, simple and elegant opportunity when a modern landscape design aesthetic is preferred. It offers the opportunity to create large seamless slabs, simple flat colors and strong geometric patterns with cut expansion joints. That style cannot be achieved with the numerous pieces of a modular concrete paver.

Poured in place concrete patios involve less maintenance material than the concrete paver. With all the joints in a paver patio, individual pieces may settle or shift and moss or weeds may grow in the joints. Concrete paver patios need to be pressure washed and have new joint sand added to keep a fresh and clean appearance. Done properly, a concrete patio eliminates those maintenance issues indicative of a paver patio.

Concrete patios are around 25% less expensive than a paver patio. That cost saving will vary by 5-10% depending on the project site access and the finish style. A stamped concrete patio will cost more than a textured concrete patio. A textured concrete patio will cost more than a flat finish patio. Concrete patio’s also require less installation time and expedite a projects completion.

I personally am do not like stamped concrete finishes. The illusion never works and the result always looks contrived when the stamps try to make a concrete look like brick or flagstone. However, I do like the result if the stamp is simple and geometric, meant only to create a pattern and not the appearance it is something other than what it really is. I do also like a finish called ‘textured’ concrete. In this case is ‘stamped’ with very large sheets creating the cleft one would see on a large stone. The patio is then loosely scored for control joints. The result is clearly concrete that is not pretending to be something else, but it has a texture one would find in nature. Textured concrete patios have a comfortable sense of place and can be interesting without being contrived.

Some people can be snobs about concrete patios. I like them when done properly. They can be as nicer than a paver patio depending on the overall landscape design. Concrete offers a great value since it is less expensive than pavers, and it has more structural integrity. But, it must be installed properly with good sub-grade compaction and proper control joints to reduce the risk of any cracking. The quality depends on a professional landscape design and highly qualified concrete installers.