When deciding on what you want to do with your patio or back yard, one of the most popular options that many homeowners and landscape designers choose is to install patio pavers. These are excellent ways to create an attractive focal point in any outdoor space that will bring a nice set of views, as well as making walking through your property a pleasant experience. Whether you decide to choose concrete or asphalt patio pavers, this process is not all that difficult, but there are some things that you will need to know before beginning.
First, if you have never laid concrete before, it is best to let a professional do the job for you. This is especially true if you have never had success with other types of patio surfaces, including concrete. Concrete patio pavers can be quite expensive, so if you are not going to hire a contractor to do the job for you, it is best to get the help of a professional. A lot of different landscaping companies can offer patio pavers at reasonable prices, so make sure to ask about them before deciding on which one is right for you.
Once you have selected the contractor that you would like to work with, they should give you a price estimate. This includes the cost of materials as well as the cost of the labor. If you are planning on having the patio paved by a concrete contractor, then the total price will include this cost. For asphalt patio pavement, the estimate should include the cost of the paving mix itself. Pavers are not all that expensive, so it is important that you consider that extra cost when deciding how to finance the project.
The next thing you need to know is how much the patio will be worth after it is completed. This will be determined by the size of the area that the patio is going to cover and the amount of labor that is involved in doing the job. In general, the bigger the area, the more expensive it will be to install patio pavers. Landscaping companies are used to doing just about any type of landscape work, but the soil density can vary depending on where you live. In order to determine the value of the finished surface, you should take the square footage of the patio and divide it by the number of feet of patio pavers that will be used to calculate the value.
Now that you have the overall costs, you need to figure out what material you want to use to pave your patio. There are several different options to choose from, including brick, stone, natural stone, concrete, and pavers. The most popular choice is concrete because it is extremely durable and easy to maintain. However, most patios will only have enough room for half a slab of concrete, which means the rest of the area will need to be grass or some other groundcover.
Once you determine which type of material you want to use, the next question to ask yourself is how much time and money will be involved with installing the patio. If you are going to use pavers, there is another important piece of information to keep in mind: the cost of labor versus the cost of the material. Laid concrete typically costs less per foot than most natural stones, but you need to consider the time it will take to prepare the patio for the upcoming weather.
Concrete is an incredibly durable surface that can last for decades with proper care. It is also very easy to install, and requires no ground cover such as grass to keep it from being destroyed by the wind or rainfall. Stone patio pavers, on the other hand, are usually only suitable for small patios and do require a fair amount of labor to prepare the surface. The cost of concrete will definitely be more than that of stone, but the cost of labor is definitely worth it if you have a large patio that you are going to use often.
So the answer to the original question, is it cheaper to lay concrete or stone? In actuality, it is cheaper to lay stone because of the time and effort it saves compared to concrete. If you want the best value for your money and you cannot afford the more expensive alternative, then you may want to consider concrete. With this material, you can be assured that your patio will be beautiful and that you will not spend anytime and anywhere near as much money as you would have to if you had a stone patio.