What Are Your Options For Building A Concrete Patio?
Are you looking to add a concrete patio to your home's exterior environment? When designed and built well, a residential concrete patio can increase the functionality and beauty of your outdoor space. But which type of concrete should you use on the project?
Multiple options exist for your concrete patio. While this means you have a greater chance of getting something that suits your particular needs and budget, it also increases the complexity of the decision-making process.
Below are some popular options to consider when designing a concrete patio for your home.
Poured concrete
Popular for its simplicity, pouring a concrete slab is a time-honoured paving method that ensures fast project completion time, provides cost savings and reduces the risk of damage from flooding.
If you want to make your concrete slab patio more beautiful, you can add a tint of colour to the concrete before pouring.
Concrete pavers
The design and installation process for these pavers replicates that of brick pavers, but they are superior in many aspects. Concrete pavers are more affordable, long-lasting and cost-effective than classic brick.
Some concrete pavers include interlocking systems that allow the pavement to move as the ground shifts, minimising damage to patios.
Stamped concrete
This concrete patio option is similar to poured concrete in many aspects. The only real difference between the two kinds of concrete is that stamped concrete requires using rubber mats or moulds to imprint decorative impressions into the wet concrete.
With stamped concrete, you can achieve the look of high-end paving materials like slate and rock stone without the high price tag.
Exposed aggregate concrete
As the name suggests, this concrete patio construction technique involves exposing the aggregates in the concrete to give your pavement a unique appearance. Modern concreters use various job techniques to accomplish this.
They can scatter stones on the wet concrete and push them in before the concrete hardens. The stones will remain visible as the concrete hardens, creating an exposed aggregate finish. Another way to expose aggregate is to apply a chemical surface retarder onto the surface of the concrete after placing and finishing.
Each option has specific pros and cons that you should consider before deciding how to expose the aggregates in your concrete patio.
Building a patio is a clever way to take indoor living to the outside and improve the curb appeal of your property. With the many options available for your concrete patio project, you may struggle to identify the best one for your specific needs.
Talk to a concrete contractor today to get your quote or learn more about your concreting pavement choices.