A patio is often the central element of a residential landscape. It provides a space for gathering or entertaining, becoming an extension of the indoors. The specifics of a patio can be customized endlessly to suit the needs and lifestyle of the homeowner, but there are a few broad categories of material to choose from.

Poured Concrete Patios

Poured concrete is by far the most popular choice for an outdoor patio. It comes in a range of colors and textures (see our post on concrete finishes here), which makes it suitable for any style of landscape. Concrete provides a smooth, flat surface that is easy to walk across and is a perfect setting for outdoor furniture. Other than regular cleaning and sealing, concrete is extremely low maintenance option, and properly installed and cared for concrete has a very long lifespan.

A stamped concrete patio creates an entertaining pocket on this hillside.

Concrete can be an expensive option, however, especially depending on the complexity of the finishing process. It is also difficult to repair any damage that occurs, and the old saying that there are two types of concrete--concrete that has cracked, and concrete that will crack--holds true, even with the best preparation. Concrete patios also have a heavy environmental burden, requiring a large amount of energy to produce the cement that binds the concrete together. Concrete is also an impermeable surface, meaning that water cannot pass through it. Instead, water runs off the surface, which can cause localized flooding. Runoff from concrete can also carry contaminants, which is an important consideration for landscapes near sensitive wetlands and bodies of water.

Paver Patios

Paver patios are a classic style that still works in modern landscapes. While traditional paver patios were usually made of clay bricks, today you’re more likely to find pavers made from concrete in an assortment of shapes, sizes, and colors. Paver patios can create a rich, elegant look in the landscape, and the variety available makes it possible to find a paver that complements any landscape. Because they are modular by nature, a paver patio is easy to repair if part of it gets damaged, and the pavers themselves can be used if the patio layout is changed at some point in the future. Depending on the installation procedure and the style of paver, the joints between pavers can allow water through, allowing for water infiltration into the soil below. These semi-permeable designs can be a good choice for patios in ecologically sensitive areas, creating less runoff than concrete or non-permeable pavers while still offering a smooth, usable surface.

Modern concrete pavers come in a variety of styles, like this flagstone look.

Concrete pavers, however, carry with them the same energy intensive manufacturing process as poured concrete. They also require a great deal of work to install, especially in regions like Spokane and Coeur D’Alene where extensive preparation is needed to counteract frost heave. When accounting for all the labor involved, paver patios usually end up more expensive than even the priciest concrete finishes. And while well-chosen pavers can give a landscape a luxurious look, the wrong pattern or color will make things look busy or overwhelming, detracting from the overall design.

Flagstone Patios

For a patio that truly expresses the character of its setting, local flagstone can’t be rivaled. A flagstone patio is usually constructed one of two ways. Either the flagstone pieces are set in a bed of sand, similar to paver installation, or they are mortared on top of a poured concrete slab. Either method can be repaired in case of damage, and the former has the added benefit of being permeable to water infiltration. The irregular shape of flagstone can add a natural feel to the landscape, but it can also be cut to size, known as dimensional stone, for a more classic style.

This flagstone patio creates a natural, low-impact entertaining area by the water's edge.

The variation in the surface of flagstone, however, doesn’t make it a great choice for high use areas, especially dining areas where people will be frequently moving furniture around. Additionally, natural flagstone is often one of the most expensive patio options, depending how common the stone is and how far from the quarry the project is located. In addition to the high costs of materials, uncut flagstone requires even more installation time than pavers, as each stone has to be fitted together with others like a puzzle. Dimensional flagstone has the advantage on install time, but more than makes up for it with the increased processing it has to undergo. And when it comes down to it, natural stone simply doesn’t work with every style of landscape.

Gravel Patios

Gravel patios offer a substantially different surface to other options, and the exact gravel choice has a lot of impact on the functionality of a patio (see our post on that here). Overall, however, gravel patios are an inexpensive option for outdoor gathering space. Gravel is fully permeable to water, and of course won’t suffer from cracks or chips in the surface. From modern to rustic landscape designs, there are gravel options to fit.

Concrete pavers set into this gravel patio create a more robust walking path.

Gravel is best suited to patios that don’t get heavy use, however. Foot traffic and the movement of furniture will displace the gravel, although the degree of movement will depend on the type of used. Sitting areas can be great, for example, but the constant scooting of chairs around a dining table would be difficult on most gravel surfaces.And without some sort of buffer between the patio and the indoors, it’s easy to track gravel particles indoors, potentially damaging floors inside.

One material does not exclude another, however, and it’s possible to artfully mix patio materials in the landscape, or even within an individual patio. If you’re interested in a creative patio design, get in touch with us at Pacific Garden Design to discuss your landscaping project.

Concrete is used more than any other material worldwide because of its strength and durability. At its most basic, concrete is a mix of aggregate and cement which is mixed with water and poured into forms to cure. The exact materials and ratios used can impart a wide range of characteristics, making concrete an incredibly versatile material. In the landscape, the most obvious characteristic of a concrete installation is how it is finished after it is poured into a form. There are four typical outdoor finishes: broom-finished, exposed aggregate, sandwashed, and stamped.

Broom-Finished Concrete

A gray, broom-textured concrete is the most basic outdoor concrete finish. It is commonly used for sidewalks and driveways and, as the name suggests, involves dragging a broom across the surface of the wet concrete to give it a ridged texture. Its popularity lies in the fact that it is a durable and economical finish, as well as one that provides good traction in wet conditions. For a little extra interest, a colored pigment can be mixed into the concrete to give it a tone other than the basic gray.

Exposed Aggregate Concrete

To give concrete an exposed aggregate finish, the surface of the wet concrete is treated with a chemical that stops the outer layer of cement from curing. That outer layer is then washed off, revealing the aggregate within the concrete. Exposed aggregate concrete features a bumpy, pebbled texture, which creates excellent traction when wet. The aggregate, however, often has sharp or pointy edges which can dig into bare feet, making it an uncomfortable choice for a backyard patio. Exposed aggregate is also prone to damage, as the protective cement that binds the aggregate together has been removed from the surface of the concrete.

Sandwashed Concrete

Sandwashed concrete undergoes a similar finishing process as exposed aggregate, but the composition of the concrete mix is different. For a sandwash finish, the mix will have a higher proportion of small sand-sized particles versus pebble-sized particles for exposed aggregate. When the top layer of cement is washed off, the concrete is left with a uniform texture much like the surface of sandpaper. The surface is comfortable to walk on while still offering excellent traction, and the unobtrusive finish is suitable for any style of landscape.

The sandwashed finish gives this concrete sidewalk traction even when wet.

Stamped Concrete

Because of the extensive process for finishing stamped concrete, its final appearance can vary. Stamped concrete typically has a pigment mixed into the concrete itself to give it a base color. Additional pigments are often applied to the surface of the concrete to give it depth and character, and then large rubber stamps are pressed into the wet concrete. The concrete takes on the texture of the stamps, which can be patterned with organic or geometric shapes that mimic stone or other material. The stamping process gives the concrete a very smooth surface that can be slippery when wet, however, which makes stamped concrete a poor choice for walkways or pool decks. The smooth surface also shows wear much more easily than a more textured finish, which may give the concrete a shorter aesthetic lifespan.

New concrete work is a big investment, and it’s the sort of project that you only get one chance to do right. If you’re considering concrete patios or walkways, get in touch with us to see what our expert concrete finishers can do for your landscape.

Choosing the Right Patio Material for Your Landscape