If you’re spending more time at home and planning a staycation, you might be thinking about the best type of patio for your back garden. You’ll be wanting a place to relax and entertain – a practical area that has many uses for your family.

But what type of patio is best?

The traditional, most common types of patio slabs are:

• Concrete
• Natural (rock) stone
• Limestone
• Sandstone
• Granite
• Slate
• Brick

All use the same, traditional block paving approach to patios, laid one by one (in an array of designs and patterns) directly onto the ground.

Whether they’re small rectangular blocks, large square flagstones or somewhere in between, they all need to be carefully laid and fit together.

And they all bring the same challenges and potential problems to your wonderful new patio…

The upkeep.

The problems with flagstones and block paving for patios

With any type of block paving, you’ll always have one, unavoidable challenge – maintenance.

By their nature, block paving – whether it’s limestone or concrete, brick or slate – is made up of different, individual blocks on your patio. And that means there will always be weak points.

Gaps between blocks that can prove problematic.

While all patios should be sealed, block paving is particularly susceptible to weeds growing between the gaps. Weeds, moss and algae that can quickly spread across the whole patio.

Traditional flagging and block pavers can also dislodge too – there’s nothing holding them together. They may wobble over time or sink into the ground. We’ve all stood on wobbly paving stones on patios, it’s not just a nuisance – it can be dangerous too.

When you’re looking for the best type of patio for your home, you want to be able to enjoy it peacefully for years to come. The last thing you want to be doing is worrying about maintenance and upkeep, replacements and fixes.

So what about more modern types of patios?

Beyond block pavings and flagstones, there are 3 main types of patios:

• Tile
• Loose materials
• Pattern imprinted concrete

Tile paving can bring a really classy, luxurious feel to your patio – but it comes at a cost. Whether it’s porcelain, terracotta or quarry, tile patios are not cheap. You may also be limited on colour/design, and they can break more easily. They are not as durable as other types of patio.

Loose material, like pea gravel, crushed stone or aggregates is a quick, easy-to-install patio type, and it can be really effective in conjunction with another patio type like concrete. On its own, it can be too plain, too messy and too noisy when walking over.

Pattern imprinted concrete, on the other hand, checks all the boxes for the type of patio that looks stunning, is highly practical and cost effective.

Pattern Imprinted Concrete – the best type of patio for every occasion

Printed concrete patios are a superb choice if you’re looking for a low cost, low maintenance option. You can create any type of patio you like – recreating a sandstone flag paving or porcelain tile effect for a lower price and lower maintenance! You could even create wood effect concrete decking!

So whatever design you’re thinking of for your new patio, pattern imprinted concrete is sure to help you achieve it, with excellent results.