It is no secret that concrete is regularly used for modern patios. When weighing up paving options, it is nearly always the one chosen over alternatives like asphalt paving. The reason for this is, most fundamentally, that asphalt does not look so good in a natural setting, and patios are most commonly found in gardens. Asphalt is a pitch-black material composed of aggregate and a sticky black substance derived from crude oil called bitumen. And that certainly doesn’t look terribly nice for a patio.
Concrete, on the other hand, looks more at home when surrounded by a garden. Its color is more neutral and muted, and it looks like a natural substance – stone. However, this is not at all to say that patios have always looked the same. Patios can be considered – for most intents and purposes – as an element of interior design (even though they are found outside). This means that they are always subject to the whims of ‘fashion’. Parking Lot Pros, concrete paving experts for parking lots, say that patio fashion is a fast-moving thing, but that concrete always reigns supreme as the main material. Durable, strong, and easy to grip, concrete can also look great.
Types of Patios
So, what types of concrete patios can you potentially install in your garden? There are several kinds, and they are always subject to certain fashion trends. Nevertheless, here are some of the most popular right now – perhaps to give you some ideas:
Paver Patios
Paver patios are those which use concrete in the traditional way, as a means of paving over ground. They therefore resemble a concrete driveway in the way they are constructed. Note however that the concrete itself will be a bit more attractive looking.
Brick Patios
Using small and thin concrete bricks to pave over the ground, brick patios resemble the pattern found on brick walls, meaning that there are more bricks used than there would be concrete slabs in other kinds of patios.
Flagstone Patios
Flagstone patios are exceptionally fashionable right now, and they involve using massive – and often irregularly shaped – flagstones to cover over the ground. These can be expensive, but they truly look great.
Why Concrete is Great for Modern Patios
With these suggestions out the way, here follows some of the reasons why concrete is the winning material for back yard patios:
Low Maintenance
We are all aware of the maintenance involved with outdoor concrete installations, but a well-installed patio will require less maintenance than, say, a driveway. Whipping out a power hose every now and again and being sure to brush away debris is really all you need to do.
Durability
As mentioned, concrete is exceptionally durable, which is why patios can resist the type of use that would destroy a lawn in a couple of days. With a little maintenance, you will find patio concrete is broadly resistant to weathering, foot traffic, and furniture use.
Flexibility
You might think of it as tough, hard, and stiff, but concrete actually offers a good deal of flexibility in the precise way it can be set over the ground. To see that this is so, simply refer to the patio suggestions listed above.
Mimicry
Chameleon concrete! One of the best things about modern concrete is that it can be made to resemble lots of other materials. This is possible thanks to things like stained and pigmented concrete, which can make your patio look like it is composed of anything at all.
Ultimately, patios seem likely to always be made of concrete. The substance has been around for thousands of years, and it seems set to be around for just as long yet.