Concrete is a very versatile and hardwearing material that, in recent times, has moved from the commonly seen, standard grey format to a much more creative and aesthetically pleasing resource. These days, in addition to the simple, plain variety, concrete is also being stamped, brushed, moulded and coloured to offer consumers a much wider range of styles and designs.
STAMPED CONCRETE
With stamped concrete, your preferred style or pattern is stamped onto the surface of the concrete before it fully dries out. The benefit of doing this is that it does add a very individual look to your patio. As with all concrete, it is a very durable surface for a patio, and not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it will also add ambience and value to your property. Concrete is cheaper than bricks or pavers, but it can be stamped to resemble those materials, minus the gaps, which means no wedding.
On the other hand, this process is not a quick method and the technicalities involved when it comes to pouring the concrete can be challenging. It is imperative that you use an experienced and professional company to carry out this process. Also, once the design has been stamped into the concrete, if you ever did need to carry out minor repairs or wanted a change, it would prove tricky, as you cannot just remove a portion of the patio.
AGGREGATE CONCRETE
Concrete can be mixed with a number of coarser particles such as gravel, coloured stones and sand, just to mention a few. This gives the design a very unique finish, and can add “sparkle” to your patio, depending on the translucency of the particles used. If you are planning on using your patio on a regular basis, if it is subject to a lot of foot traffic, or if it is situated next to a garden pond or a pool, then this is an ideal concrete style to use. It is a very cost effective method and there are many different colours and textures to choose from with this very durable material.
On the downside, if you do choose very complex patterns or intricate designs, these can really add to the final bill. Aggregate concrete can also sometimes acquire stains, which can be hard to remove and could potentially damage the surface.
COLOURED CONCRETE
Concrete can be stained in many colours depending on your requirements. Other than ensuring it is resealed every couple of years with the appropriate sealant, this is a very low maintenance surface for a patio, not to mention durable and hardwearing. However, as with all the other styles mentioned above, you need to ensure that you have the appropriate substrate before the concrete is poured to prevent sinking and cracks appearing on the surface of your new patio.