A patio can become an extension of your home, a new living space to entertain family and friends, or a place to retreat for some rest and relaxation. Home backyards have become more accessible throughout the year, winter and summer, with various heating options available now and innovative blinds and furnishings to manage temperatures and airflow.
When you set out to create a patio you’ll love spending time in, consider your lifestyle needs and the space you have to work with.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
Outdoor kitchen – if you want an outdoor kitchen and BBQ, the patio needs space and good airflow. What you use for the patio flooring is important, as you’ll want to choose something that is both durable, long lasting and easy to maintain and clean.
Outdoor sitting area – with outdoor heaters available in a variety of shapes and sizes, people are using their patios throughout winter to watch TV, relax and do the things they would once only have done indoors during winter. In this case you may opt for a smoother concrete paving finish on which you can easily place chairs and a coffee table.
Entertaining style – you may prefer to entertain outdoors in both winter and summer. Furniture, lighting and the concrete paving chosen need to be considered for texture, warmth and ease of use and maintenance.
How much space you have – you don’t need a large space to create a patio where you can relax with a cup of tea. A smaller café table and chairs provides a place to enjoy the outdoors at home. If you have a larger space, consider what activities you’ll be using it for. Do you need boat or camper trailer storage, or will you be installing an outdoor standalone spa?
Small children – if you have smaller children, you may want to allow space for their activities such as riding their tricycles, bikes or playing their games on the floor. In this case, you want a smoother texture on the ground so that its easier on little knees, and you’ll need to choose an exposed aggregate blend with smaller/smoother stones and pebbles.
In our Milled Exposed Aggregate Range, a special reveal product is used which allows smaller amounts of the coloured aggregate to show through creating a smoother surface to walk and play on than traditional exposed aggregate finishes.
Firepit – bringing family and friends around a fire can encourage conversation and connection, not to mention the beauty of bringing the fire element into your back yard. Your patio needs to have an open air section for the firepit and there are various concrete styles such as our platinum exposed aggregate or handcraft saw-cut concrete for a modern or traditional style.
Planter boxes – adding plants brings fresh and natural colour to your patio. You may prefer planter pots but also consider building raised planter boxes around the edges of your patio. We can help you design and build these as part of your concrete project.
Traditional patio design – is your home a more traditional or heritage style? Our stamped concrete range provides a cobblestone, tile or slate finish for a patio with texture and warmth. There are many ways to complement an older style home with concrete paving and choosing the right style will beautifully blend in with your heritage style home and garden.
Related article: Decorative Concrete Ideas For Heritage Homes
Modern patio design – for a modern home, our handcrafted saw-cut concrete creates a clean, smooth style. This style of concrete paving provides an upmarket finish without the weeds.
You can achieve a sleek, modern and contemporary style that concrete pavers provide but without the weeding, subsidence and it’s great for uneven or undulating areas. Our handcrafted saw-cut concrete paving looks like an upmarket concrete paver but with the benefits of low maintenance.
Multiple uses – you may need to use the space for your patio for both entertaining or sitting in as well as for vehicles such as a camper trailer or boat. If this is the case, the concrete paving chosen must be suitable for both uses. Smooth enough to walk on and for a table and chairs, as well as coarse enough for heavier weights.
Related article: The Benefits Of Stamped Concrete And Decorative Paving
Concrete paving finishes ideal for patios
Handcrafted saw cut concrete
This high end paving style has a sleek and smooth appearance and is ideal for modern homes or Zen backyards. You can pick an integral colour concrete or a very fine exposed aggregate mix for more colour and variation.
Once the concrete has been poured, we return a few days later to saw-cut squares from 300mm to 600mm. The larger the size, the more expansive it looks, so if you have a smaller area to concrete, the larger size may give it a greater sense of space.
Below is a milled exposed aggregate saw-cut handcrafted concrete finish for a patio.
Exposed aggregate concrete
Exposed aggregate concrete can be worked with to create a different finish for patios. In the following example, there are four tiles showing treatments/finishes for a darker concrete colour:
From the bottom:
Shale integral colour concrete – This the base for our Platinum Exposed Aggregate Range. The concrete has colour all the way through the exposed aggregate concrete mix. There are many colours to choose from, this particular one is called Shale.
Platinum Exposed aggregate finish – this is a fairly heavy exposure of aggregate and seeding stones with the Shale colour. The amount of exposure and whether seeding stones in varying colours are added can be decided when visiting our office display site to sign the contract. (It’s best to be present when the concrete is being poured just in case you decide to make a change).
Milled Exposed Aggregate – a special reveal product is used to ensure that less of the coloured aggregate is exposed. This allows a smoother more even surface to walk on and better stability for table legs and chairs.
Glass added to the Milled finish – adding glass gives the concrete a glint and lightens up the overall finish. The glass in this photo is clear but there are also different coloured glass pieces which can be added to give more colour variety to the finish.
Honed exposed aggregate finish
For a completely smooth flat tile finish the exposed aggregate can be honed a few days after installation. The cut back stones will give a different brighter look than other exposed aggregate finishes and can be used to highlight a particular area as well as providing a very smooth finish for an outdoor dining area.
Stamped Concrete Paving
Decorative concrete is also called stamped concrete or pattern pave styles, which we have been installing since the 1980’s. They have been a popular alternative to concrete pavers and have been used for many patios in Adelaide’s homes. They still look as good today as the day they were installed.
Related article: Decorative Concrete Paving Ideas To Renovate Your Patio
Stamped concrete has many benefits over concrete pavers. After the slab of concrete is laid, designs of your choice are placed or stamped into the slab. The result is that it looks like concrete pavers, but it does not have the inherent problems of paving – movement, subsidence, and weeds growing in between the pavers.
Panorama Concrete provides a one-stop shop concrete service Adelaide
When we take on a concrete job, we’ll do everything from site preparation to installing steps, low retaining walls and plinths, planter boxes and anything else required to complete your project. We offer a one stop shop concrete service so that you don’t have to worry about running around and coordinating different trades.
Call us on 8297 9611 to discuss your plans for a patio. Our concrete consultants will help you design a purpose built patio that you will live spending time in.