Concrete Patios: the Pros and Cons

As a backlash to the amount of time we now spend indoors, people are putting more and more effort into their gardens. This includes spending time and money on gardening, lawn maintenance and patios.

If you’re considering installing a patio, you need to think about what material you’re going to use. Concrete is a good option but it depends on you and your home.

To help you decide whether a concrete patio is right for your property, we’ve come up with a list of its pros and cons.

Pros

Easy to customise

Lots of people want a patio that looks good, both for their own benefit and other peoples. Using concrete to create your patio is a great way to achieve this. Concrete can be dyed lots of different colours, patterned and made to look like other materials, like granite, slate and cobbles. So if you want a customised patio that coordinates with your home or garden, concrete could be the right material for you.

Low maintenance

Another advantage to concrete patios is that they’re low-maintenance. All you need to do is sweep and wash them regularly to keep them in good order.

It’s also a good idea to coat your concrete patio with a sealant. This will protect it and keep it in good condition for longer. Sealant does need reapplying, but only around once every two years or when your patio starts looking tired.

Long-lasting

Concrete is also a good material for a patio because it lasts a long time. If you install it using a quality contractor and take care of it then it can last around 50 years.

Cons

Expensive

A downside to concrete is that it’s expensive. This is due to the fact that it costs more per square metre than other surfacing materials like asphalt and gravel. So a concrete patio is often expensive to install and repair, particularly if it’s a big one.

Prone to cracking

Concrete is also prone to cracking. In extreme temperatures, it’s likely to get stressed and break apart. This can also happen if when it’s under significant pressure.

Difficult to repair

Another disadvantage to concrete patios is that they’re difficult to repair. You can fill cracks up when and if they appear but this can create ugly, unsightly patches. You can try to resurface a concrete patio but this isn’t always successful as new concrete doesn’t always stick to an old layer. The most effective way to repair a concrete patio is to replace it, which is usually expensive and time-consuming.