Hi all, we've been planning to put a patio on the back of the house for a while but haven't started anything yet. I'm debating the pros and cons of poured concrete versus pavers. Has anyone debated the two or tried poured concrete? It would be about 550sqft.

I'm slightly leaning toward pavers because I like the way they look and they could be popped out and replaced if need be. I haven't compared the cost of the two. On the other hand, there are stampings and stains to improve the look of poured concrete. I'm worried that concrete can't adjust well to heaving and ground changes and that it will eventually crack - it's just a matter of time.

Any thoughts or experiences?

CVette wrote:I'm slightly leaning toward pavers because I like the way they look

That is really what it boils down too, cosmetics and your preference. The only down side to pavers is the installation requires some skilled labor and a lot of it to get the bed set and compactcted correctly.

My other thought is, for an extra expense of course, is a textured and stained concrete, but should be a little less than pavers. The patterns and colors are endless.

I went back and forth between the two last year. I went with pavers because the cost was not that much more. I also hate having cuts in the concrete for expanding. I would so do it again forget concrete. Plus the cost to stamp the concrete goes way over the price of pavers.

I will so you some pictures later today when i get home.

Personally, pavers or flagstone type patio hands down. I have yet to see any concrete (stamped, stained or anything else) that comes close to the texture and color that can be obtained with natural stone.

That being said, it is a matter of personal preference and you have to look at it every day. In a very formal, more modern setting, concrete may do better than some types of stone. Personally for that, though, I would do large even colored stone with a highly geometric pattern and minimal gaps. For a more informal english or cottage garden look, I would shy away from concrete.

Some more detail on what you are trying to do with the landscape might help us...

I like my pavers. They're easy to replace if something goes wrong (nothing ever has, they're four inches thick), attractive, and no problem at all.

I spray with Prodiamine in early spring to keep weeds down in the cracks. End of issue.

Mine is about 500sqft also. laying the stone was the easy part. The base stone layer was the worst. I picked the hottest part of the year to take off and do it. We did not have rain for months then once i had the hole dug we got like 7 inches of rain in a week. Made things a huge mess.

If you know how to do thing like that i would say put the pavers down yourself.You will save alot of money that way. I have right around 2000 buck into mine. That was 300 for someone to dig it out and take all the dirt away. Then 6 inches of stone for the base plus 150 for the stone to be delivered.

Wow, thanks everyone! This confirms my thoughts that concrete can crack and pavers are a better route. I'll have think about designs and pricing.

That looks awesome Simpson! The circle design is neat, thanks for the pics. Five years ago I would have completed this job myself but back surgery and 2 little kids doesn't leave a lot of ability or time. I'll have to compare the cost of a contractor vs DIY.

Yeah if you have a bad back I don't think I would try this yourself. Its very easy to do but its alot a weight to move around. You can go crazy with patterns mine is a I pattern. Its a combo of 6x9 and 6x6 pagers. They sell that circle as a kit so its really easy to put in.

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