Both are expensive. The stamps for concrete cost about $250.00 each but if you have someone else do the work they’ll provide them and just charge a portion of the price. This also requires special colorants and hardners, but those are readily available in most locations.
Pavers are expensive as well and need to be laid on a concrete substrate. Once installed they require some upkeep, but not a lot unless you use sanded joints; mortar is a much better option but does add expense to the project.
For longevity I recommend stamped concrete. The pattern can be made to look like pavers without having to add the expense of pavers. The initial expense is slightly lower and the end product will outlast the pavers.
Good luck and enjoy!
You’re cheapest option is to buy the concrete pavers that look like brick and lay the patio yourself. Very labor intensive, but not that hard once you get the hang of it.
Speaking as a Landscaper for twenty six years now, I would first ask myself a few simple questions. 1. Do I want to do something myself for personal satisfaction? 2. Do I have the money to have someone else do it for me? 3. What look am I trying to achieve. Write these questions down and then write your answers and walk away from it. Then take a day or 2 and go riding around in different high end neighborhoods, pay attention to driveways that look like they’ve cobblestone entrances, brick look, or stamped with a beautiful design. Take your camera with you and take a quick snap of all the things you like. If you can print them out that would be better. After evaluating all of them, you will see what appeals to your personal sense of style. Now go back to you questions and answers and do a process of elimination from there. Pavers are not all that expensive, they DO NOT have to be placed on a concrete pad and DO NOT have to have mortar between bricks. You do have to get the ground pretty level, then you put down a paver base (this can be purchased at you local Home Depot or Lowes in bags, or you can go to a rock quarry if available and you have a truck, and get the same base much cheaper) After putting the base down you tamp it down, a tamper can be purchased at the local hardware also for about $10.00, after tamping it, you take a 2×4 and screet it over the the base to smooth it all even. Each paver is then layed in any pattern you desire, if you get real creative you will have to rent a Tile Wet Saw to cut your pavers for all your angels. Once all the pavers are down you also rent a gas powered tamper and run it over your finished product, this level through vibration all the pavers. You can buy a mortar mix without rock, pour it on the pavers and sweep it into all the cracks of the pavers, then you hose it down with greater than a mist, but less than a straight spray. You may need to do this more than once. OPTION: Sand can be used and is used more often than mortar to brush between the pavers, same as with mortar. Keep in mind you will also have to install paver edging around your patio area prior to installing the pavers. This is plastic and is put in with staked that come with it, sold in 4′ & 8′ sections. Then you are done. It sound very difficult but is not. Stamped: This is done over existing concrete, it is not usually done by a landscaper, but someone that specialized in these products, i does require several steps it is somewhat expensive, but the look in fabulous. I think the pavers will outlive the stamping, but either way you will have many years of enjoyment with either. You now only have to decide if you want personal satisfaction or just come home it’s beautiful. Pavers on the other hand are done by landscapers. Cost, probably not to much difference. Good Luck, It will be great either way
The site below will hopefully answer your question of concrete vs pavers.
stamped concrete is cheaper initially but fades and looks ordinary over the years. clay pavers are more expensive initially but permanent in colour and age gracefully. What can you lay that you never have to fix again in one hundred years or so.
They do not have to be layed on concrete as suggested and the only maintenance is a very little sand sweeping every few years and a spray of roundup for the odd weed in a crack.
Concete colours fade in the sun. To get a look that does not end up light grey eventually you’d probably have to regular paint after the inital colours fade out.
call for an estimate. they do those for free, just call a landscaper come take a look and do the calculations for you
Making the stamped concrete yourself. its fun and easy to do. There are molds you can find online or even a garbage pan lid works. http://www.diyideas.com/howto/Garden/concretepath_1.html
http://www.geckostone.com/pricing.html
http://www.mudart.com/
Both are expensive. The stamps for concrete cost about $250.00 each but if you have someone else do the work they’ll provide them and just charge a portion of the price. This also requires special colorants and hardners, but those are readily available in most locations.
Pavers are expensive as well and need to be laid on a concrete substrate. Once installed they require some upkeep, but not a lot unless you use sanded joints; mortar is a much better option but does add expense to the project.
For longevity I recommend stamped concrete. The pattern can be made to look like pavers without having to add the expense of pavers. The initial expense is slightly lower and the end product will outlast the pavers.
Good luck and enjoy!
You’re cheapest option is to buy the concrete pavers that look like brick and lay the patio yourself. Very labor intensive, but not that hard once you get the hang of it.
Speaking as a Landscaper for twenty six years now, I would first ask myself a few simple questions. 1. Do I want to do something myself for personal satisfaction? 2. Do I have the money to have someone else do it for me? 3. What look am I trying to achieve. Write these questions down and then write your answers and walk away from it. Then take a day or 2 and go riding around in different high end neighborhoods, pay attention to driveways that look like they’ve cobblestone entrances, brick look, or stamped with a beautiful design. Take your camera with you and take a quick snap of all the things you like. If you can print them out that would be better. After evaluating all of them, you will see what appeals to your personal sense of style. Now go back to you questions and answers and do a process of elimination from there. Pavers are not all that expensive, they DO NOT have to be placed on a concrete pad and DO NOT have to have mortar between bricks. You do have to get the ground pretty level, then you put down a paver base (this can be purchased at you local Home Depot or Lowes in bags, or you can go to a rock quarry if available and you have a truck, and get the same base much cheaper) After putting the base down you tamp it down, a tamper can be purchased at the local hardware also for about $10.00, after tamping it, you take a 2×4 and screet it over the the base to smooth it all even. Each paver is then layed in any pattern you desire, if you get real creative you will have to rent a Tile Wet Saw to cut your pavers for all your angels. Once all the pavers are down you also rent a gas powered tamper and run it over your finished product, this level through vibration all the pavers. You can buy a mortar mix without rock, pour it on the pavers and sweep it into all the cracks of the pavers, then you hose it down with greater than a mist, but less than a straight spray. You may need to do this more than once. OPTION: Sand can be used and is used more often than mortar to brush between the pavers, same as with mortar. Keep in mind you will also have to install paver edging around your patio area prior to installing the pavers. This is plastic and is put in with staked that come with it, sold in 4′ & 8′ sections. Then you are done. It sound very difficult but is not. Stamped: This is done over existing concrete, it is not usually done by a landscaper, but someone that specialized in these products, i does require several steps it is somewhat expensive, but the look in fabulous. I think the pavers will outlive the stamping, but either way you will have many years of enjoyment with either. You now only have to decide if you want personal satisfaction or just come home it’s beautiful. Pavers on the other hand are done by landscapers. Cost, probably not to much difference. Good Luck, It will be great either way
The site below will hopefully answer your question of concrete vs pavers.
stamped concrete is cheaper initially but fades and looks ordinary over the years. clay pavers are more expensive initially but permanent in colour and age gracefully. What can you lay that you never have to fix again in one hundred years or so.
They do not have to be layed on concrete as suggested and the only maintenance is a very little sand sweeping every few years and a spray of roundup for the odd weed in a crack.
Concete colours fade in the sun. To get a look that does not end up light grey eventually you’d probably have to regular paint after the inital colours fade out.