If the time has come to put down a new patio, then you have to choose suitable materials and designs. While some people opt for pavers, bricks, or tiles, you can install a concrete patio instead.

This doesn't mean that you have to settle for a plain grey surface. You can use colored and decorative concrete to make your patio look more stylish.

For example, you can use stamping to add designs to the surface. Here, you lay the concrete as a slab and then stamp it to make it look like another material. The slab could end up looking like tiles, pavers, or bricks.

What are the benefits of using stamped concrete?

Get a Faster Build

Even if you have a small patio, some surfaces take time to install. If you're putting down bricks or pavers, then this is a fairly labor-intensive job. You have to prepare the ground, lay individual pieces one at a time, and then set and seal them.

If you want a faster solution, then stamped concrete could be the answer. After basic prep work, the concrete goes down as one slab. You then use a stamping tool to create the surface effect you want. Once the concrete cures and dries, you're good to go.

Get a Cheaper Patio

If you're short on cash, then it can be hard to get the patio you really want on your budget. The costs of pavers, bricks, stones, and tiles soon mounts up. Plus, you'll have to factor in labor costs, which could add up if the build takes a few days.

Installing a concrete slab is a cheaper option. Concrete typically costs less than other patio materials. Even when you factor in basic labor costs and stamping time, you'll pay less overall.

Plus, the finished results can mimic more expensive surfaces. Your patio could look like it is made up of individual stones or bricks even though it isn't.

Get a Low-Maintenance Surface

You will need to do some maintenance work on a patio every year, especially as its surface ages. The amount of work you have to do depends on the surface you lay.

For example, if you install pavers or bricks, then you may have to deal with any weeds that spring up between the stones. Over time, bricks, stones, and pavers may start to work loose and stick up out of the patio floor.

If you use stamped concrete, then you lay a single slab; the stamping goes in at a surface level. So, the only work you'll have to do is to sweep the floor occasionally and reseal the concrete every few years.

To see some examples of what you can do with stamping, contact decorative concrete contractors.