When creating an outdoor patio space, you want a paving option that is strong and durable but also very attractive. You can typically choose concrete, paving stones or liquid limestone. Each surface will have its own advantages and disadvantages, so note a few of those here and this can help you better decide the paving solution for your space.
1. Concrete
Concrete is very durable and strong and good for managing added weight, such as for an outdoor kitchen that may include a heavy stove and other features. It's also an eco-friendly choice, as it's made from easily harvested materials. It can be painted or stained and stamped to look like stone.
However, concrete can be difficult to apply on your own and may require heavy-duty mixers and pumps to install, and the material needs to be consistently mixed during installation so it doesn't set before being poured. This can mean fumes and emission from keeping those mixers working as the concrete is poured.
2. Paver stones
Paver stones are very durable since they are natural stone, but they can allow for weeds to grow between them, so they may need more work to keep the patio area looking its best. Paver stones can also be very brittle, so running anything heavy over them can cause cracking; they may also get damaged if you touch them with a lawnmower or weed trimmer.
Paver stones may also require heavy-duty blasting to harvest, so they're not the most eco-friendly choice. You may also notice that paver stones actually shift out of place over time; this can be because of heavy foot traffic, such as from a kid's bike or because the ground under the stones shifts and moves.
3. Liquid limestone
Liquid limestone is a mixture of concrete and crushed limestone, and it is applied much like concrete itself. It can be painted or stained and then also stamped to look like stone or another material, and because it's installed in large sections, it doesn't allow for as much weed growth as paver stones.
Also, you can choose to keep the liquid limestone its own natural reddish colour so that you don't need to worry about having the paint or stain redone over time, as you do with painted or stained concrete. Liquid limestone may crack less often than concrete, so it can mean less repair and maintenance over time. It also stays cooler than concrete, so it's good for any area where people will walk barefoot, such as around a pool.
Share21 March 2017
We have had a space out by the back of the shop for parking since the shop opened. But we noticed that fewer and fewer customers were using it and more customers mentioned the lack of parking in our area. It turned out that they didn't like parking on the back, unsealed lot as this made their shoes muddy and their car dirty. We used a concrete contractor to come and seal the carpark as well as mark out defined parking bays. The customers love it and we have noticed an increase in business. This site talks about how small businesses can create parking spaces with concreting to improve their customer experience.
