Patio Floor Ideas: a Base for the Perfect Outdoor Space
As you plan out your patio design, one of the key considerations is the flooring. Natural stone, clay brick, or concrete patio pavers can set the stage for an incredible outdoor living space. Which one should you choose? And what about laying patterns, colors, and embellishments like borders? In this article, we’ll cover the differences in applications, looks, textures, and benefits of classic gray bricks, natural stone slabs, and concrete patio pavers. You’ll know exactly how to choose the right material so your patio project is gorgeous and functional. Let’s get inspired with some great patio floor ideas!
What Can You Use On Your Patio Floor?
There are patio paving materials that will fit every budget and aesthetic. Some are made to last for generations while others are strictly budget-oriented. The six main patio flooring options include:
Clay and concrete bricks
Clay bricks: image from the Clay Brick Association
Traditional clay bricks make a gorgeous and timeless patio surface. The lusciously rich earthy colors are as unique as the clay they come from. Bricks have been used for thousands of years yet they have transitioned well into contemporary design, often bringing much-needed warmth to otherwise stark modern spaces. Today you have a choice between clay bricks and concrete bricks. Bricks can be laid in a number of patterns including the striking herringbone. Their slender shapes make them ideal for curved patios and walkways, or as decorative accents on both horizontal and vertical surfaces.
Concrete Pavers
Concrete pavers: image from Techno-Bloc
Concrete patio pavers have come a long way since they were introduced in the 1960s with technological advances that put them right up there in terms of quality and beauty with time-honored materials like natural stone and clay brick. Today, pavers come in an absolutely astonishing array of textures, shapes, colors, and sizes. They are elegant and technologically advanced. Some are inspired by natural stone, some by traditional clay bricks, and some are unabashedly their own thing with unique textures and colors that can bring an outdoor living space to life. Most modern patios are made using pavers.
Natural Stone
Natural stone slabs: image from Unilock
The wonder of nature makes for some incredible paved surfaces. The intricate and random beauty of each stone makes for a completely unique tapestry of colors and textures that can’t be matched by other materials (though high-end concrete pavers can come very close). For purists, there’s no other option than the character of natural stone.
Porcelain Tile:
Porcelain tile: image from Unilock
This isn’t your grandma’s china! Porcelain tile is extremely strong and hard-wearing, non-slip, and it’s a modern alternative to natural stone or pavers. It is available in wood-look, stone-look, and other styles. Porcelain doesn’t absorb water, which makes it impervious to the freeze-thaw cycle. Other types of tile such as ceramic or clay, will absorb water so they are not as commonly used in outdoor applications.
Poured Concrete
Stained concrete: image from the Concrete Network
Poured concrete is the most budget-friendly option. A professionally-installed concrete patio can last a very long time. If you’re not in love with the industrial-chic look of matte gray concrete, you can use concrete that has color integrally added to the concrete mix; or, you can stain the concrete, paint it, add a gloss finish, or even stamp it to mimic the look of natural stone slabs, fossils, leaves, and other patterns.
How Can You Combine Masonry Materials in a Patio?
For a patio with more visual “pop” than you can achieve with a single material, you can work with two or three materials that will play off each other. For example, the border of your patio is a great place to use complementary masonry materials. There are several benefits of planning out a border course for your patio:
Defining spaces
A border can define separate outdoor living “rooms'' within one larger space. Creating “area rugs” using contrasting pavers is another way to define spaces.
Guiding movement
A visually striking border can help guide movement throughout the space. An inlaid course border using contrasting bricks or pavers can draw attention to a focal point such as the front door of your home or the flickering flames of a fire pit.
Adding a creative accent
The border is a perfect place to let your creativity flow on a paved surface. This is a place where the eyes are naturally drawn, so putting a little artistic touch in masonry materials is a wonderful tactic to make your entire outdoor living space more detailed and charming.
Need some ideas on how to mix materials? Here are some popular blends:
A natural stone patio with a concrete cobblestone border
A flagstone-inspired paver patio with brick accents
A poured concrete patio with a natural stone border
A ceramic tile patio with a travertine-inspired “area rug” inlay
How Can You Pair Masonry Colors in a Patio?
The colors you choose for your masonry materials will have a huge impact on the perception of your patio and entire outdoor living space. Generally, masonry colors fall into three categories:
Warm earth colors
The warm earth colors include shades of reds, oranges, yellows, tans, browns, and pinks. These colors can visually warm up a shaded patio and bring cheer to a sunny patio.
Cool grays
The different shades of grays, including bluish and steely versions, are anything but drab. They are surprisingly complex and sophisticated. Grays are often used in modern settings, though they can add an elegant touch to rustic and casual spaces as well.
Neutrals
Neutrals are colors that go with practically everything. Generally these are white/off white, cream, very pale grays, or black.
It’s important to choose which color scheme you’ll go with since cool and warm tones generally don’t play well together. You can find countless different combinations within each category, and even more so if you choose one element from the neutral family and one element from either the cool or warm families.
Take color cues from a more permanent aspect of your home such as the roof (which is less likely to be replaced than siding color) when making your patio material color decision.
If you want your patio to have more visual depth, consider natural stones that have large color variations such as bluestone. Or, you could randomly blend two or three colors of a particular brick or patio paver to achieve a more dimensional effect.
How Can You Choose the Right Laying Pattern For Your Patio?
Laying patterns help set the mood and create very different visual effects on the patio. Pavers, bricks, and natural stone slabs most commonly come in square or rectangular shapes, though there are a few exceptions like hexagons and other specialty shapes. But you might be surprised at just how many possible arrangements there are just using rectangular materials; and even more when a product comes in several sizes within each shape.
A very general rule is that if you want the space to appear larger, use large-format stone slabs or plank-style pavers in a simple laying pattern such as a running bond; or simple poured concrete.
If you want to create intimacy (say, on a very large patio) you could choose more dynamic and complex brick laying patterns such as herringbone and basketweave, or opt for stamped concrete or smaller format pavers.
If you’re working with pavers, the manufacturer will list the laying patterns for each product. A skilled mason can also recommend a great pattern for your unique space. Remember to consider the dramatic impact of working with diagonals instead of always aligning the pattern with the orientation of the home.
There are no “wrong” choices in materials. Even the most basic (poured concrete) can be made exceptional and high-end. It really depends on your personal aesthetic and your budget and the cues from your home when choosing the material, the color, and the laying pattern for a harmonious look.