Concrete or brick patio

Bricks looks nicer and you really won't have to worry about cracking.

1. Concrete: + Less expensive. Long life if properly designed and installed. Little or no maintenance.

- (None)

1. Hard set (cemented) pavers: + Nicer looking little maintenance

- More expensive

1. Pavers set in sand: + Beset looking Longest life Damage can be repaired Can be modified making it larger or smaller.

- Most maintenance* Likely most cost

I chose #3 three times. All three are still in use and look good. The oldest is about 30 years old now. Others in the same area are about 150 years old. My newest is 15 years old.

It requires regular maintenance to eliminate weeds (I tend to use a spray) and I tend to do a real clean up and re-sanding about every 5-10 years. In not properly laid originally expect a relaying after about five years (this is a one time thing)

We have a concrete patio (it was here already) and wish we had brick, which would look much nicer.

Perce

-snip-

For negatives, I'd say;

1. It will probably crack at some point-- then the whole thing needs to be replaced. If an area of pavers falls into a sinkhole--not likely- that area can be patched. [more likely is a stain- paint, BBQ grease, etc]
2. If you ever change your mind about the color, shape, size or style- removing pavers is a breeze. Concrete removal is as expensive as its installation.

Also- the OP didn't mention a DIY project, but pavers certainly lend themselves more to that idea than concrete. DIY pavers are probably about the same cost as an installed concrete patio. It is hard work, but within the realm of a healthy adult or two.

Jim

With a slab patio, you have the option of putting flagstone, fieldstone or other mortared in stone surfaces right on top. You can also score and stain it to look more natural stone like.

For a new concrete patio, there is also the option of stamped and stained patterns. The cost savings is mainly in the lower labor cost for pouring a slab as opposed to the prep and manual hard labor of setting pavers. Pavers can be a DIY but a large slab should be done by an experienced crew and cement truck.

In new england, you might get frost heave or root intrusion which moves the patio, pavers make it possisble to fix

The folks that i talked to said that the concrete patios can be made to match any finish - eg: the basketweave brick pattern that we liked a lot. If this could be achieved, would it look as good as a brick patio ? The price diff is huge. Would concrete patio stand up to the new england winter ?

I would say we totally agree, you just provided more information than I had. I totally agree with your additional facts.

Done properly, yes. Just look how much concrete is around the cities. How many 50 and 100 year old sidewalks are still in good shape? You need the proper base, metal screen, expansion joints and a good mix of the right thickness for the job.

How about "dressing it up" with a brick surround

-snip-

I'm in NY where we have similar winters and I can't recall ever seeing one. Actually what I see more of lately is 5 and 10 yr old concrete falling apart or cracking.

And a contractor who has an excellent reputation and who will stand behind his work for a long time.

Jim

If your in a sunny hot climate nice light colored concrete is cooler on your feet

True, but remember there are two kinds of concrete, the kind that's cracked, and the kind that's gonna crack ;-)

Three kinds. You CAN put in concrete that won't crack in your lifetime, it just takes twice as much time, three times as much effort, and four times as much money.

If it's done right, of course concrete can take a NE winter. Just look at all the concrete buildings, bridges, ramps, etc. They aren't falling down.

As to how stamped concrete looks vs pavers, you should call some companies that do stamped concrete and go see what it looks like. Many times they can give you commercial sites they did that you can easily see. You've probably looked at stamped concrete hundreds of times and never even realized what it was.

Also, I'd be careful with the price. I think right now you are comparing std concrete to pavers. Stamped costs more, because there is more material and labor involved. Stamped concrete also requires some maintenance. It needs to be sealed every 2 years or so to keep the finish looking sharp. Otherwise, it takes on a weathered look.

If you really like a particular paver look, you may be better off going with that. If you like some of the stone type looks that stamped concrete can take on, then that may be a better choice.

Except we've had a 20X40 concrete slab patio in CT that has stood for over

John

Good base preparation. If what the slab is sitting on doesn't move, the slab won't crack.

Alas some sanity in the concrete discussion. Unqualified people do substandard installations and convince the customer the cracking is normal.