- Select a material based on the patio use. Use concrete if the patio will ever be subjected to heavy pressure, such a big cookers or pickup trucks. Concrete will be stronger under pressure than individual stones, no matter how they are secured. Concrete also can be finished in an absolutely flat surface, important if the patio also will be used for games like shuffleboard.
- Stones can provide much more variety, with options for quarried stones cut in regular shapes or individual stones with irregular shapes. Even quarried stones will vary in thickness and surface texture and no stone patio will ever be perfectly flat. Individual stones will be heavier and harder to install than a concrete slab, but provide more interesting patterns and textures. Stones also offer more color options, although concrete can be colored or stained.
- Both stones and concrete need to be installed over a firm base of compacted gravel in an area with good drainage. Both should slope slightly, at least one-quarter-inch per foot away from the house, to prevent water from collecting. Both materials should be installed with the surface about one-quarter-inch above the adjoining ground, but not so high that it will be tripped over or interfere with mowing.
- There are more varieties of stone, from sandstone to granite, some available only in some locales; local stones are preferred for a natural look. Concrete can also provide some variety with a technique called stamping. This style, also called patterned concrete, imprints textures to resemble bricks, stones or even wood. This provides a more decorative appearance at much less cost than installation of separate stones or tiles.
Use Influences Material Choice
Stones Offer Variety
Both Need a Base
Each Material Can Offer Variety
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