Today, homeowners seek new ways to maximize their living space and expand beyond their homes’ comfort. They want to make a mark on the immediate surroundings and create an outdoor living space. One of the ways to achieve this is through a patio. A patio is an outdoor space on ground level (unlike a deck), which can serve multiple purposes. It can be a great place to hang out and enjoy the cool evening breeze in the summer or for the place to set up a grill outside.
There are different types of patios available depending on the homes and other factors such as size, purpose, materials, etc. Having a patio that perfectly fits your home is essential and can influence the material you will use. That said, there are many materials for building patios such as stone, tile, concrete, brick, wood, etc. Here, we look at concrete and wood patios, comparing the two to determine which one is best for your home.
Wood Patio
Design: wood offers you a lot of possibilities in design. Naturally, it looks pleasant. When used for the patio, you are free to implement whichever style feels most right to you. The fact that you also have to finish the wood to keep its integrity gives you the option of choosing any decorative pattern or color, which can be changed once every few years when you refinish the patio.
Home value: wooden patios may be expensive, but they definitely add to the value of your home. It is one of the best investments you can make in your property as it provides a return on investment as high as 75% when you decide to sell the home.
Cost: building a patio with wood will cost you much. There are surely different grades of wood, and the higher the quality, the costlier it would be. Wood will usually cost you between $15 to $45 per square foot.
Durability: wood might give you a lot of artistic design options, but it is not durable. It is an organic material, after all. The porosity of the wood allows water to enter into it, and before you know it, it might collapse. Wood patio ranks high in the list of failed renovation projects and could be dangerous if not properly maintained.
Maintenance: wood requires a lot of maintenance fo you to enjoy it. It requires regular cleaning every year, and you have to reseal every few years yo prevent water damage and mold growth from spoiling your investment. You may also need to replace aging boards and inspect the wooden posts often.
Concrete patio
Design: concrete may have a dull gray natural color, but it is open to design in various ways. Add to the fact that the material is ductile and can be shaped in any way you want. You have concrete with different decorative designs to pick from. The grade of your property matters a lot when designing a patio. You must ensure it is flat as slopes will affect the building of the patio.
Cost: concrete patios is very affordable. The average price of concrete, both poured concrete and pavers, is between $4 to $12 per square foot. Adding installation cost and the decorative designs may increase the price, but it would still be much more affordable than wood.
Durability: Concrete is a very durable material and will last very long. For poured concrete, they could crack over time due to the expansion and contraction of the soil. But with concrete pavers, it is less likely to happen as there are seams between the slabs already.
Maintenance: Poured concrete may require Little maintenance with sealing after some years, but concrete pavers rarely need such. So you are all good.
Conclusion
Although concrete appears the best choice, wood is not without its benefits and may be combined with concrete to create a spectacular composite patio.
