Planning a new outdoor space is an exciting process, but choosing the perfect pavers can be a challenge especially today, when there are so many great choices. You can streamline the process by doing what the pros do. Here’s how the pros pick patio pavers to suit a desired design in Wilmette, IL.
Related: Selecting Patio Pavers For A More Spacious Outdoor Living Space In Winnetka, IL
Patio pavers are chosen not only for their beauty, but for functionality as well and the good news is you don’t have to sacrifice one to achieve the other.
Start with Style
The trick is to complement your home with patio pavers, not match it perfectly so that your home remains the focal point but doesn’t overwhelm the outdoor space. While style is a matter of preference, certain types of materials naturally go together. That’s a good place to start.
While you have many paver options, concrete pavers give you the broadest range of styles, colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and finishes so you can achieve exactly the look you want without the inconsistent availability of natural stone. Here are some options:
Large bluestone-look or granite-look pavers will pair well with an elegant home with a brick facade. The cool tones of the pavers will offset the warmth of the brick and give the outdoor space its own elegant character.
A quaint cottage style home just begs for a cozy brick patio but with today’s choices in concrete pavers, you can achieve the classic look of antiqued brick in more modern colors.
Enhance the casual vibe of a suburban home with pavers that look like flagstone but will never spall (flake) like natural flagstone, laid in a “random” Ashlar pattern.
A rustic-sided home looks even warmer and more welcoming when your patio pavers have a weather-worn, tumbled appearance in sandy and earthy colors.
A modern home with minimalist decor and sleek lines looks amazing surrounded by large-format square or plank-like pavers in neutral tones.
Colors
In general, you want to stay just a few tones away from the most dominant feature in your landscape: the home; but also keep in mind that the patio is a transitional space between your home and its surroundings.
To blend your patio into the landscape, consider using mid-toned earthy colors to avoid a stark distinction between the patio and the surrounding vegetation. This applies whether your patio is sunny and surrounded by a lawn, or whether it’s in part shade and surrounded by trees.
If you like the idea of a patio that stands out as an architectural feature, go a few shades lighter than you normally would (going dark can mean a surface that’s too hot under bare feet).
Safety
Slip-resistance is essential in wet areas like pool decks or hot tub surrounds, but this is an important consideration for patios and walkways as well. Today, non-slip doesn’t mean “heavily textured.” Even smooth-textured pavers can have a non-slip finish that’s both comfortable on bare feet and safe when wet.
Durability
Pavers that come pre-sealed will offer protection from food and beverage spills, pool chemicals, deicing salts, household chemicals, and debris such as grass clippings or leaves. A sealed paver will give you peace of mind around an outdoor kitchen or grill area. Some pavers don’t require sealing (per the manufacturer) but we recommend sealing them anyway every 3-5 years to maintain their color, minimize staining, and to make them even more impervious to moisture.
Related: Installing Patio Pavers That Complement The Rest Of Your Winnetka, IL, Hardscape
