Patio Floor Design: Concrete Pavers vs. Stamped Concrete

Beautiful patios bedeck the pages of home and garden magazines, inspiring the energetic (and slightly envious) home owner to don the weekend warrior uniform and get down to some serious patio building.

After deciding on whether to wear a bandana or a ball cap, it’s time to make some serious decisions about the patio, namely whether to use concrete pavers or stamped concrete for the patio floor. Both have advantages and disadvantages and can help turn a bare spot of earth into a patio worthy of a photo spread.

Concrete Pavers

Concrete pavers are precast concrete blocks that come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They fit together easily, like a puzzle, and creating a patio floor with pavers requires no special skills, tools or knowhow.

These pavers cost less per square foot than stamped concrete, making them ideal for smaller jobs. But, concrete pavers require a lot of work, time and patience.

Stamped Concrete

Stamped concrete provides the same effect as pavers, a decorative floor, but with less work. After pouring liquid concrete, it’s smoothed, leveled and then stamped with a design.

Stamped concrete takes less time to install and, using color and other finishes, can mimic more expensive materials like slate. It also offers more creative options for elaborate and unique patio installations.

Most experts do not suggest eager homeowners try to install stamped concrete themselves as it requires a special skill set and errors are costly to fix.

A patio worthy of envy needs a knock-your-socks-off floor. Both concrete pavers and stamped concrete can do the trick and provide a solid base for the patio everyone will want to have.

About Monday West

Monday West has been designing beautiful things for over 20 years. With a degree from UCLA in Landscape Architecture, she is well versed on all classes of design and myriad landscape services. Her focus is on the client, and what best suits their family. She has designed projects in every style possible, from Contemporary, to Craftsman, to Eclectic. She has an eye for color and style, and she is able to envision the final idea that pulls it all together. Plants are her specialty, and the way they are paired is unique as well as practical. Monday balances the construction business with her husband, Bill West, three kids, three dogs, and a lizard in sunny southern California. Google +

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