Thinking Beyond The Slab--5 Ways Concrete Is A Great Choice For Modern Patios

When installing a new patio, you have many choices for building materials. Most homeowners are looking for something that looks great and will last a long time. One of the best ways you can ensure both qualities is by choosing a quality material, such as concrete.

Today's concrete has a lot going for it that may just make it a better patio flooring choice than you thought possible. Here are 5 reasons that concrete is the perfect option for your patio.

Concrete needs little regular maintenance to keep its luster. And that maintenance is often some of the easiest work you'll have in your yard.

Keeping it free of debris and chemicals-especially in winter or in the salty air around San Diego-is pretty much all you have to do most of the time.

You will, of course, probably want to reseal the concrete about every two or three years to protect it. And keep an eye out for unexpected damage, which can happen even though it's rare.

Concrete has a reputation as a long lasting building material, and for good reason. You'd be hard-pressed to find a flooring that will last as long and prove as impervious to weather and foot traffic. Concrete can take it all, including vehicle weights, so it has no trouble withstanding the rigors of your outdoor grilling parties and kids playing with the family dog.

Because of its nature as a poured material, concrete can actually do what most other hardscape elements can't: bend and twist to your heart's content. This means you can design your patio in any shape you like, from gentle curves to sharp edges to fun circles. Concrete just needs a mold to shape itself to.

This flexibility means you can use concrete curbing and low walls to create a border around any patio. Or create a patio that matches the shape and size of a difficult-to-use section of your yard. Make it fit around a spa or garden beds like it was all designed together.

Thanks to modern technology, concrete can now go well beyond the limits of its old gray appearance. Stamped concrete is a professional technique in which designs and colors can be 'stamped' into the top of drying concrete to give it whatever look you want. Colors can be added earlier in the mixing process or it may be added as the stamps are applied.

Using stamps and colors, you can now mimic most other flooring materials, including natural stone, bricks, and even wood. You can also create shapes and designs to match other aspects of your outdoor room or the home's design. Different methods provide different finished looks, from formal to eclectic, but each will make the patio look more expensive than it really is.

As concrete has matured, it's become more fun to work with. In addition to creating any number of your own designs with stamping, you can get artistic with concrete.

Using crushed glass in the aggregate and then exposing it can create a supernatural sparkle to your patio floors. You and the kids can insert pebbles, glass, or other objects into the drying concrete to create art all your own. Staining concrete can also create a whole new color. Or create the look of large pavers with individual concrete "tiles" and groundcover plants between them. The possibilities are endless.