Pavers, Flagstone, and Concrete – The Best Choices for under your Feet

Creating a new patio for your backyard begins with choosing the floor.  The colors from the patio and the texture can really enhance the materials used elsewhere and the colors matching throughout.  There are three main types of patio, paver patios, flagstone, and concrete.  Each with their benefits but also not without their disadvantages.

Paver patios are the most versatile material and come in every shape and color.  From traditional brick shape to 3 piece patterns of block and every shape in between pavers will give you the most options for the patio.  Pavers work as a system, all jointed together like a woven blanket meaning that it can rise and fall with the freeze-thaw cycle and shift with the ground to all stay together and still look great.  There are even pavers no that mimic flagstone, so you can have the rustic look and still use pavers.  Pavers are manufactured and have to be installed one at a time, so the price is slightly more than the other options, but it will last a lifetime and in the long run the best option for a patio. 

Flagstone patios are the most freeform and natural.  Using all natural materials can really give a rustic feel and has a lot of potential as a patio.  Flagstone pieces at least 2-3’ in diameter really make a big difference, allowing chairs to be entirely on one piece countering the uneven texture can happen with natural stone.  Flagstone price is the highest of the three, but is slightly cheaper to install as laying down 9 sq ft at a time is a lot faster than individual pavers so it sits right in the middle of concrete and pavers for overall price.  There are many types of flagstone, ranging from red to black, brown and grey.  Each has a different price and can alter the final price depending on the type of flagstone used.

Concrete is the most widely used.  Its easily managed, easily shaped, and can be installed a lot cheaper than the other two options.  Concrete normally is the go-to for contractors just trying to get a patio in as soon as possible for cheap, so its very likely that a new house will have concrete patios.  Concrete will last a while also, but as the years go by cracks and discoloring will set in.  Cracks from settling and water freezing and thawing will eventually take over and the concrete will become uneven and unsightly.  Concrete is a good solution for a quick cheap patio, but the long term life is the shortest by far of the patios.