Deciding on the best patio option for your home depends on its architecture, the space available for the patio and your personal taste. A patio can be added to new construction or as part of a redesigned yard.
Brick Patios and Walkways
Bricks are stones manufactured from clay mixed with sand and lime. They’re usually fired and often glazed for the reddish-brown look. Bricks have been used for centuries for the finest masonry work.
People who own homes with brick exteriors may incorporate that look in their patio area. This style is found extensively among traditional design homes in eastern Pennsylvania. The brick on the exterior of the house may vary in color due to weathering. That popular “used-brick” variation can be extended to the patio.
There are several types of brick patterns for patios: pinwheel, herringbone, diamond, classic running bond with rectangular bricks, and square bricks.
Bricks can be various shades of red, brown, terra-cotta, or gray. Color combinations include a gray brick patio with a red border or vice versa. The border can be raised and even used to create a flower bed. Larger bricks can be used to border a patio of smaller bricks.
Bricks can be set to border trees and fountains or other water elements that are part of your patio design. The brick is often used to build an outdoor fireplace or oven for your patio.
Brick patios must be flat and level for safety. This is a difficult do-it-yourself project and a major reason for using the services of Paul Construction and Awning, a professional patio installation company.
Stone Patios and Walkways
Because of its versatility, flagstone is the most popular stone used for patios and walkways. Flagstone is natural sedimentary rock composed mainly of feldspar and quartz, and it can be used with traditional or modern architecture.
Manufactured pavers that look exactly like natural flagstone, with a wide variety of colors, are also used extensively for patios, walkways, and hardscaping. Flagstone can be used to border planters, swimming pools and spas, and outdoor fireplaces, ovens, or barbecues.
Flagstone is flat with rounded edges, although it’s also available in squares and rectangles similar to brick. Flagstone comes in all sizes and shapes for an exciting variety of designs. Colors vary from gray, yellow-brown, and beige tones to subtle blue, pink, and coral hues.
While brick patios are often made from uniform-size bricks, flagstone patios can use a variety of sizes for unique designs. Large blocks of flagstone can be combined with smaller sizes to cover any area. Squared blocks can be combined with more rounded stones.
Broken flagstone slabs in irregular shapes can be set at any angle. A patio or walkway of jagged flagstone can be used with grass inlays to border a garden.
Flagstone textures vary as well. Although the stones must be set flat, their surface may be slightly irregular, with different colorations in each stone.
Cobblestones
These are the smaller natural stones used for patios, walkways, driveways, and even streets. The stones may be rounded or flat, square or odd shaped. Cobblestone squares are used for a classic concentric circle designs for a small patio.
Cobblestones may be set in a diamond pattern to go with larger flagstone for a patio design. The fish-scale pattern is another popular cobblestone design. Cobblestone is often combined with flagstone for borders, planters, and water elements.
Paul Construction and Awning creates custom-designed patios to complement any home. The stone or brick is professionally installed and sealed using the best products available.
