Concrete Patios, Slabs & Walkways

A concrete patio or sidewalk can be an affordable way to improve your outdoor living space. As a low maintenance and extremely durable option, concrete has become increasingly popular over the years. While stamped concrete has been around since the 50’s, the method gained popularity in the 70s – and with modern innovations, there are more coloring, patterning and stamping options available in concrete than ever before.

This array of concrete patio choices leaves you, as the home-owner with a sometimes overwhelming array of decisions regarding the design of your patios and walkways. Superior Stoneworks can help guide you to the best looks and options for your home’s architectural style and coloring, as well as steer you toward the best options for your target budget, but these are the important factors to consider:

Choosing a Color for Your Concrete Patio

One of the key factors that many homeowners overlook in the coloring of their patio is the amount of sunshine the area receives. Darker colors will absorb the heat. If you enjoy a pool, or have pets and small children, consider lighter colors to help keep the surface cool and safe for your loved ones.

Lighter colors can also be a nice touch to a shady spot to help brighten things up, but adding dark edging can be a nice option. Belgian Block Edging is a great way to add elegance to your concrete project. 

It’s also important to match your colors to the more permanent aspects of your home. Oftentimes, homeowners look to match with colors in their trim, fascia, roof, siding, etc.

Choosing a Pattern for Your Stamped Concrete

Some of the more popular patterns available are made to look like cobblestone, brick, wood plank, fieldstone and slate.

These options often depend on your aesthetic, though we do find that stone patterns against a stone house or brick patterns against a brick house do not complement each other as well as you might think. A different color or shape can be used to avoid an overwhelming amount of any one pattern in your landscape.

It is important to highlight different outdoor living areas to create separation. For instance, you might use a different pattern for your outdoor kitchen than your fire pit area or patio, while keeping with a cohesive color theme.

Choosing a Border for Your Outdoor Living Space

Using a border for your concrete outdoor living space is an easy way to create added luxury. While adding a border can add to the price-tag, it elevates the design and can add much more value to the entire project. Borders can be simply a different color or stamp pattern, or can be done with genuine pavers, upgrading the entire look and appeal of the space.