Concrete Patio

Choices For Landscape Design

Concrete is an inexpensive, versatile material that makes durable, smooth-surface patios. It can be formed into a variety of sizes and shapes, including curves, and it works well combined with other surfacing materials, such as decorative edges made of rock or tile. It can be finished in many colors and textures, or stamped while still wet to resemble other materials, such as brick or stone. Properly prepared concrete patios will last a lifetime with little maintenance.

A drawback of concrete is its tendency to crack. Over time, temperature extremes and freeze/thaw cycles put stress on a concrete slab. Diligent concrete contractors plan slabs carefully, using reinforcing wire and steel bars inside the slab and control joints throughout the field to prevent cracking. Control joints are seams about 3/8-inch wide that are filled with nonporous felt or pressure-treated wood; they're spaced at least 10 feet apart. Control joints allow the slab to expand and contract without cracking. When planning a concrete patio, be sure to consult with your concrete contractor or designer about the location of control joints so they fit into your design.

Premixed concrete arrives in a truck. The driver will try to park as close as possible to the construction site to simplify delivery of the concrete. However, trucks can be equipped with pumps that deliver the concrete through long hoses to nearly anywhere on the site.