Patio Design
More Living Space
If you are looking for ways to get more out of your living space, patios are a great option. Here at ALD, we provide the services to make your outdoor areas a dream come true. Whether your outdoor area is small or large, adding a patio can change the look and feel of your yard in a cost friendly way.
Your outdoor living space can be your oasis, and the potential design is a blank slate to fit your dreams. Different from decks, patios are typically ground level. They can be used for entertainment, storage, multi-season recreation space, and to enhance your garden area.
There are many benefits and different types of patios to consider. Here is our list of the top four benefits, and five different types of patio flooring you should consider.
Benefits of Patios
While the benefits of a patio can be extensive, here are four of the biggest ones.
Patios Add Value to Your Home
In most cases, adding a patio will increase your home value by a lot more than what it cost to create it. Having an outdoor entertainment space is a considerable attraction for most home buyers. If two houses are close to equal value, and one has an outdoor entertainment space, buyers will typically gravitate toward the one with a patio.
The cost of building a patio can range from inexpensive and affordable to expensive, but the beautiful thing is that the value of your home will increase even if you make a simple and affordable patio.
Patios Are Great for Entertaining
If you like to entertain people, a lovely patio is a great place to do so. While the entertainment benefits of a patio work for all people, they are especially excellent for people who have a smaller house.
If you want a covered patio, we can help you build a patio that will protect you and your guests from the elements. You can plan get-togethers in almost any season with a covered patio. Being able to entertain others is one of the biggest reasons people decide to install a patio, and we can help.
Patios Offer an All-Season Outdoor Space
Depending on where you live, weather can be unpredictable. Covered patios allow you to have a protected outdoor space no matter what the weather is. Whether you want to relax outside during a rainstorm or sit in the shade during the heat of the day, having a patio can make that happen.
Whether you want us to build a pergola on your patio or install patio blinds, having an outdoor space that is protected from the sun extends your living space and allows you to have an outdoor option no matter what the weather is.
Patios Are Relaxing
Most people find comfort and peace in their homes. At the end of a hard day, most people look forward to going home to relax and unwind. One of the most significant advantages of having a patio is that you can enhance your relaxation by enjoying a gentle breeze or listening to the rainfall.
A covered patio means you can sit outside with nature and to reset before your next big adventure. Whether you have a firepit to sit around, a hammock to rest in, or comfortable outdoor furniture to relax on, patios are relaxing for most people.
Types of Patio Flooring
Stone Patios
Stone patios are durable and environmentally friendly. They add a natural look to outdoor areas, hold color, and last longer than any other material. The most common types of stone used are limestone, slate, and quartzite. Stone is a typical patio choice because of its durability; however, there are a few cons as well.
Stone is typically more expensive than other material types, and it is an irregular surface, which can mean a rough area for people to walk. There are ways to even out the stone to create a reasonably smooth walking space, but stone is heavy and irregularly shaped, so it takes more work than some of the other options.
Solid Concrete Patios
Concrete is an economical patio choice that provides a flat surface that lasts a long time and requires little to no maintenance. There are many different design options because wet concrete is malleable.
Some of the drawbacks of solid concrete are that it can be complicated to mix concrete, and will crack over time if it isn’t dried properly, or has drainage problems. Also, if there is no texture on the pavement, it can be very slick when wet.
Brick Patios
Brick is a standard material used for houses, but the brick used on patios is a little different. All patio material needs to be as minimally porous as possible. When most people picture brick, they picture red and straight-lined bricks. The reality is that bricks come in multiple other colors and shades, so there are more design options if you want to build with brick.
The cons of brick are that they are typically more expensive than concrete pavers, and they can be very uneven if not correctly installed.
Concrete Paver Patios
Concrete pavers are often made to mimic brick or natural stone, but are made of concrete. One of the most significant advantages is that they are easy to replace. Their interlocking joints create stability for your patio, and if they are placed on top of sand, they are durable through weather changes because the sand has an element of give.
While concrete pavers do have many strengths, there are a few disadvantages. Sometimes they lose their color quickly because of shallow pigments that are easily scratched or faded. Also, they have a strict geometric shape which means there isn’t a lot of variety in design options.
Ceramic and Porcelain Tiles
Tiles come in a wide range of designs and styles, can be arranged however you want, and can make a unique patio floor. It is essential to make sure the grout and tiles you use are made for exterior use, so they are capable of withstanding weather elements.
The pro for tiles is that it can add a creative flair to your patio, and you can have a truly unique design. The cons are that they can be slick and shouldn’t be used around water areas, and if you choose a porous tile, they can wear down quickly and be slippery because they hold water and grow algae. Tile is one of the more expensive choices.