Outdoor Paver Patios

Updated: June 22, 2022

While plants and sod are important aspects of a landscape design, hardscape materials are equally important. There are countless materials to choose from for your patio, but pavers are one of the most popular! Hardscape materials are easily a big commitment, but they are worth the investment. Choosing a paver patio gives leeway for creative design and custom paving patterns that can be used for small or large patios. There are options with a range of patterns and textures that can be laid out to create striking designs that leave an impression, especially in the winter!

Types of Patio Pavers

Concrete Pavers

Of all paver types, concrete pavers have the most options of shapes and sizes! While they can be a quick and inexpensive choice, are easily replaceable which makes the maintenance a quick and easy fix. Whether you are looking for an old-world charm or a walkway with a modern style, there are a variety of pavers that can fit your space.

Natural Stone Pavers

If you are looking for a natural look, stone pavers can offer unique options for patios with extreme durability. Choosing between slate, travertine, flagstone, and limestone can be difficult, so when it comes to choosing a stone, it depends on the look and feel of the space. Some stones offer more of a rugged style with angular and irregular pieces compared to others that offer more of a modern landscaping style using uniform shapes.

Porcelain Pavers

Increasing in popularity, porcelain pavers are a great option for your patio. Combining beauty and durability, these pavers have an unmatched performance for withstanding outdoor elements. Since these pavers are made of recycled materials and kiln-fired clay, they are a “green” alternative to other pavers. With the variability of the patterns and colors, porcelain is a great choice for your paver patio. Whether you’re going for a rustic look or an elegant style, porcelain pavers are fade-resistant and therefore low in terms of maintenance. Porcelain pavers are a great choice for pool landscaping design thanks to the durability and high breakage loads.

Patio Pavers Design Ideas

Spacious Porcelain Patio Paver

There are many options for designing your patio paver, and leaving porcelain out of porcelain is not an option. Its versatility, durability, and resistance to all things scratches and liquids put porcelain in a class of its own. This backyard space includes an imitation wood porcelain paver, beautiful floral displays, and a porch area to host events for you and your family and friends. This design was created by Keystone Hardscapes. Check out their porcelain pavers catalogs to view their products to see the various options they have to offer.

Cozy and Quiet Concrete Patio Paver

Take a step back and let it all sink in. A breathtaking area with hardscape features that include granite and stone, clean-cut lines, and a classic style that brings out classic dark and gray tones. This unique design was carried out by Belgard. They carry an assortment of paver families and provide the perfect match to meet your needs. Check out Belgard’s concrete pavers and other hardscape products and materials that they carry, it might give you that spark of inspiration you have been looking for.

Natural Stone Patio Paver with an Outdoor Fire Features

There is no better way to top off the look of your patio than with natural stone pavers in your design. Elegance and warmth from this setting provide earthy brown tones from the paver to the assorted brick pillar and the adobe siding. Perfect layout for a place to sit back, enjoy the views of the outdoors, and maybe cuddle up next to a fire feature like a pit or bowl, whatever suits your fancy. This design was created by Natural Stone Sales, a local paver company from Denver. They are packed with everything from natural stone pavers, to a wide range of flooring materials, and more. Check them out and see what they have in store for you.

Pros and Cons of Paver Patios

When searching for information on pavers and installs, it can be difficult to find reliable information. With biases and misconstrued information, you have to be selective about where you can find your information. Not to worry, through careful research and help from our industry leaders, we’ve been able to come up with this guide to demonstrate the pros and cons of paver patios. By doing this, we’d like to open up an avenue of information so that when it comes time to find out the importance of patio pavers, the books are open for you.

Pros

Durability

• Materials such as clay, brick, concrete, and porcelain, the uniformity and the finish are characteristics that aid in their longevity.
• Durable against climates and constant weather changes.
• Can withstand freezes, rain, and expansion of the material.

Maintainability

• Pavers are easily replaceable if they crack, chip, or move out of place.
• Range in a variety of surface materials, colors, sizes, and styles.
• For example, patio pavers can be dry-setted with anything from fine sands to granite breeze.
• Installation can be rather simple as you can use a variety of bases and materials to set and lock into place.

Cons

Installation & Pricing

• Joints need to be periodically maintained.
• Depending on the filler material used for the joints, weeds can be reduced from appearing through the cracks.
• Many factors are involved when it comes to the installation of pavers.
• The scope may range from work being done to level a surface, removing any previous sod or old material to make way for the paver design, edging installation, bedding, sealing, etc.
• The upfront cost of materials can become your biggest deciding factor, but the quality, durability, and longevity of the pavers themselves outweigh the cost.

Patio Pavers Maintenance (Cleaning Tips)

With anything, maintenance is key. Make sure your landscape design work stays up to par, especially your paver patio; keeping it in good shape and making sure it remains a long-lasting investment. As low-maintenance patio pavers are, it takes a little bit of work to clean your surroundings and keep them looking as they were placed on day one. Here are the top five things you can do to keep your patio pavers clean.

1. Regular Maintenance: Sweeping regularly is one of the basic essentials of keeping your patio pavers clean. Keeping away from dust, build-up and any type of debris will help any deterioration or damage done to the pavers.

2. Spot Cleaning: Cleaning stains on your patio pavers can be rather difficult. When Discoloration is involved or you have stains that won’t come out, it can be hectic. Not to worry, a simple rinse with a mild brush and light-to mild detergent, will help clear out the big mess. Avoid using harsh chemicals and be selective with the cleaning materials used.

3. Grout Repairs: Over time the grout and joints become loose, and the material breaks down. Re-sanding and making sure that the joints are checked routinely is a good practice. Whether that is to remove and reapply grout or even use polymeric sand to fill in the cracks.

4. Controlling Weeds: With paver installs, weed outbreaks can be a hassle. It can be scary having to think of applying pesticides and risk ruining your paver patios. There are a couple of solutions to help prevent or reduce the amount of weed exposure to your weed patios. Polymeric sand has been a material that weeds don’t like to adapt to and help keep their growth to a minimum. If an outbreak occurs, and you don’t like to use harsh chemicals, you can always use vinegar and water as a natural solution.

Installation and Cost

When it comes to cost, there are questions such as how much can I expect to spend? What are the benefits of the installation? Is this investment justified?

In all reality, it is difficult to gauge a specific price point. There are many factors involved and considering them all can become tricky. One of them being the size of your patio. Another factor in planning the layout of your design. Following through with what kind of material will be used and how much you will need. The rest that follows is any specifics that follow through with leveling, adding bedding, sealing, maintenance, and most importantly the labor. It is recommended that you contact a professional landscaper to see the possibilities of getting your patio paver installed or get an estimate to know what you’re working with.

FAQs

Before committing to a patio paver install, there are many questions that a homeowner may ponder when making this investment. Here are the most frequently asked questions when circling through the planning process

What type of pavers should I use?

As professional experts in pavers and paver installations, this is dependent on the style, the area needing coverage, and an overall budget. Whether you are trying to create a patio paver design, using pavers for your driveway, or incorporating it into your garden, the options are endless. Seeking professional help is the best option; can give you an idea of pricing, if an area needs to be demolished, or inspiration to build ideas on what could be your next patio paver design.

How do patios perform against the weather?

Depending on the type of patio paver, some are more weather resistant than others, and some are not.

• A wide variety of pavers like concrete and stone face issues such as color fade and erosion.
• Porcelain pavers have surfaces that are resistant to liquids, oils, fading, and scratches.
• Temperature-wise pavers can get hot or cold, but depending on the material of the paver like travertine, they can remain at a comfortable temperature even in the worst of conditions.
• Color is another factor with the heat; the darker you go the easier it is to absorb the heat and the lighter the color, the cooler the paver.

What can I use my pavers for?

Pavers are very useful and can be used in an array of places. Pavers can be used to construct pathways, outdoor kitchens, driveways, and patios. In Colorado, pavers are efficient since concrete tends to crack in our areas. Almost always it will never crack, but the real question is when will it crack.

Should I have my pavers sealed?

In Colorado, we don’t recommend sealing your pavers. The uniformity of the pavers is very equally dispersed throughout the paver, making it solid all the way through.

• As time passes you can expect to see some slight fading but it’s evenly distributed.
• Sealer can become a maintenance nightmare. If it is not done correctly, you can expect to see blotches and spot fading.
• Sealers can be used for protection purposes and as a color enhancement, but proper maintenance techniques need to be thorough.

We’re Here to Help

Are you in need of a patio pavers? We would love to discuss paver options for patios and share some guidance on which type would suit your needs! Our experienced residential and commercial professionals have worked with many different clients all over Colorado and are here to help you. Contact us today for a consultation, we would love to help!