Design Options for Your Concrete Patio

For many homeowners, your concrete patio is used for entertainment or relaxation. There is nothing better than sitting in your outdoor area with a fresh cup of coffee, breathing the fresh morning air while reading a good book. The only thing that can make this picture-perfect is the right design for your patio. It’s hard to envision this type of morning with a dull, grey patio at your feet. Not to worry! If you’re drawing a blank on ideas you can take confront in knowing that there are many different ways you can personalize your concrete patio to make it a place of comfort and style.

Stained concrete is one of the best ways to add some color to your outdoor space. If you still want a smooth surface or if you opt for a textured look, stained concrete is a great way to add a pop of color to give your outdoor space the look you desire. When it comes to staining there are two main types of stain to choose from that are both great and each can be used to achieve different looks.

Water-based stains are known for being one of the easiest stains to work with. This stain offers deep, penetrating colors and there are many to choose from. This staining option gives you the choice of how you want your color to look from translucent to opaque. One of the best benefits of this type of stain is that you are in total control of the stain and color alike. There is no reaction that occurs which creates a more uniform look to the concrete all around.

Acid-based stains are one of the oldest techniques for coloring concrete and are still popular today! This stain achieves its color by chemical reaction, lightly etching the surface and penetrating with deep color that becomes part of the concrete without the worry of fading, peeling, or chipping away. Acid-based stains are translucent and the color produced will depend on the condition and color or the concrete they are applied to. They mostly come in subtle earth tones to create a more natural look. They can be hard to work with mostly due to the chemical reaction because there is no way to control it. These stains can produce a beautiful marbled effect on concrete making them perfect for a look of elegance for your patio.

Stamped concrete is an extremely popular way to bring some style and design to your outdoor patio area. This method is popular due to its ability to mimic the design of other materials for a fraction of the cost. You can choose to have stamped concrete stand alone for the texture, or even incorporate stain to achieve the look of these high-end materials. You can use stamped concrete to achieve the look of natural stone, brick, tile, or even wood to your outdoor area to either match the rest of your home or just bring something different to your outdoor area. Using stamped concrete to achieve the look of wood has become increasingly popular to use on outdoor areas like your patio because of the beauty it shows and the durability that concrete has made for a stunning piece for your outdoor space.

Sometimes it’s easy to assume everyone just has a patio waiting to be decorated with beautiful stains and stamps, but sometimes we tend to do research on designs because we have the desire for a beautiful outdoor patio area. If that’s the case and you are looking to have a new patio poured, you can opt to have exposed aggregate as your patio material. While this is still concrete, it also includes small pebbles mixed in that as the concrete dries will rise to the surface and create a beautifully textured look. These have become popular because of the subtle beauty of the pebbles but also the added safety feature they provide. Because the pebbles are mixed with the concrete it gives additional slip resistance due to the texture it creates.

Thinking of all the designs available to you for the perfect outdoor patio there is much to take into consideration when designing your outdoor space. It is best to sit and make a plan and envision what you want your patio space to look like. Take everything into account including the use of your patio and how much time you intend to spend out there. If you are more of an inside person you can opt for a much simpler design while if you love being outside and entertaining you may choose to have a more high-end design brought in to impress the guests you have over or just to enjoy to yourself.
After you have carefully thought out how you want to use your patio come up with ideas down to the smallest detail. Even looking into patio furniture can affect which design you choose to go with when deciding on how you want your patio to look. When you take time to think about the details of your patio area it makes the design process fun but also runs more smoothly to have all your thoughts gathered.

Choosing the right professional is important to design your outdoor patio area. Hiring the right contractor ensures that the work is done right and in a timely manner with no mistakes. It is easy to jump online and find many DIY articles but there is a lot that goes into these design techniques that can end up costing not only money but time in the long run. The more time you spend trying to do it yourself the longer you could have been enjoying your patio had you went ahead and hired a professional. The great thing about hiring a professional is they are trained and have years of experience to get the job done at a great price. Typically you can look to spend anywhere from $6-$12 per square foot on your patio depending on size and design, but hiring the right professional to make sure it’s done right is priceless!