Today we are going to talk about pavers versus concrete. As far as your patio surfaces, so the biggest question we get about these two different types of patios is the cost. So you’re always going to see a cost savings and regular poured concrete its not as labor-intensive it doesnt take as long to put it in and its its
Just kind of a it, it is what it is on that end of things. Pavers takes a lot of time, there’s a lot of time, and it does have a different aesthetic value to it. So it depends on how you want to go about it. The one thing about the cost of the things is that stamped concrete can be more expensive than pavers or is equal to, so that is when they actually stamp the concrete while it is curing and then they stain it oftentimes to
Make it look like a stone surface, so I mentioned aesthetics. Aesthetics are one of those things that depends on how you want it to look. If you want it to be ultra-modern, sometimes the paper patio can do that, as well as a concrete slab depends on how you cut it, how you make those things fit together, its definitely a different
Look when you go concrete slab versus a concrete, paver patio, so there is a difference in concrete types. So one of the things is a lot of the paver companies. The concrete pavers actually engineer their pavers to be super, durable and since theyre not a large area. There’s very small and concise, sometimes that big they oh this place that energy, when there’s weight on top better than regular concrete concrete, tends to displace it across a larger area and, if there’s any voids, underneath that concrete, it will crack or chip or break in some fashion,
So that’s something to definitely consider when you’re talking about durability, of concrete pavers to a concrete slab. So talking about durability is one of those things that transitions me into talking about concrete and its longevity and how it works. Like I had said, the pavers displace that energy a lot better, because theyre small concrete, on the other hand, is displaced over a larger area and it can crack that happens oftentimes during the winter when the soil is going up and down in those
Temperature freeze and thaw cycles so and once concrete is, is, cracked there’s not much? You can do besides, replace it, and that can be awfully expensive and you’re. Never going to match any existing concrete, no problem now pavers. On the other hand, they actually come up and down with the soil and the base that’s underneath it, and it allows for that fluctuation in the ground. The other thing is when something or if something ever happened to your pavers, you should be able to lift it right up.
Out put a new one in replace it and doesnt look any different, its the same material. It looks the same. I always recommend keeping a few extra pavers so that we can replace those things when that happens. Transitioning from repairs to maintenance wanted to talk about one other thing with repair, so a concrete patio you’re going to have to seal those cracks with a caulking, or something like that. In order for that, that issue not to continue – and it may still continue as it goes along – but it at least seals up that gap, and sometimes in in a in the
Scenario where you actually have a stamped concrete patio you can, those cracks will actually run with some somewhat with the stamps oftentimes, because its kind of a weak point it doesnt always so. Keep that in mind, because it could crack right across the wrong section and that’s. Just what it is, but you can do a little bit of more repair on a stamped concrete, because you
Can mix up dyes to make it look similar to the color of the concrete, stamped concrete itself? The next thing I want to talk about is cleaning so concrete and concrete pavers both have similar methods, methods of cleaning. So, typically, what we do is we power a power wash all of our pavers and get all that sand out and replace that sand occasionally, sometimes that sand will rush out of the the cracks and then youve got a big gap and it doesnt look finished so
Sometimes youll have to do that and the concrete will get kind of a dingy. Look to it occasionally too, so you, you want a power wash those things off and that’s that’s part of the maintenance of concrete surfaces, both pavers and slabs. The last thing last two things I want to talk about is safety and value, so safety is one of those things that there isnt always thought about when you’re talking about a paver
Or a patio excuse me patios, you want to you, want to make sure that theyre safe, because you dont want anybody, slipping and falling when theyre wet or damp, or anything like that. Oftentimes pavers are designed to have a little bit more of a rugged grip to them so that you dont slip on versus concrete, whereas concrete has a smooth surface typically and is more of an area.
Where you can slip very easily now there’s other options as far as concrete again that you can do with stamped concrete, so they’ll make undulations in the concrete but oftentimes that sealer or sealant that’s on top. That makes a little bit more slick and there’s other there’s. Other ways to pour concrete that may provide a more slip resistant surface, but these pavers are built in with that safety feature basically. So the other thing I want to talk about is value. Oftentimes value is in can come from different different perspectives, so when you’re
Looking at aesthetics, the value of a paver patio versus a concrete patio is often higher, so paver patios as far as resale value and all that stuff, they add value to your home, not to say the concrete doesnt it just doesnt have the same ROI. Your return on investment as a paver patio does so that’s our perspective from Earth crafts. And if you have any questions, please please contact us. Let us know if you, if you, if you want to move forward with anything or just have any questions in general,