Paver Patio Design
Pavers are pre-cast or pre-cut blocks used to create hardscape surfaces.
They can be made of stone, concrete, or masonry and can come in any color, shape, or size. This diversity allows you to have any number of paver patio designs in your front or back yard. Not only does this enrich your landscape, but it also works to better compliment your home. The many patterns that you create can each reflect specific architecture motifs used in the architecture of your house.
Concrete offers a wide variety of paver patio designs. One of the advantages concrete has over other materials is that it can be poured into molds to make any shape. This allows you to create unique geometric shapes that may be too difficult to cut into other materials.
Concrete also can be stained to mimic the colors of other materials. You are not limited to plain white or off white hardscapes if you are looking for something with a bit more style. Also, concrete can be etched, brushed, or stamped with other designs to create a multi-dimensional effect.
If you are investing in a contemporary landscape, a circular paver patio design, very much like a rotunda, can be built around a contemporary fountain in your front yard. Walkways can be built that intersect it from four directions, with one walkway leading up to the front door. This is a great way to center your home with a combination of very unique geometry and vertical impact.
Using concrete pavers instead of pouring a concrete slab will prevent your patio from cracking as the hot ground dries, shrinks, and shifts in the summer heat.
Luxurious paver patio designs can be created using natural stone pavers. Travertine is a popular type of stone with many naturally occurring colors and patterns. Travertine colors range from opaque white to near red. Many patios feature slightly different colors of stone to alternate patterns between the cut blocks.
One of the more popular designs for travertine hardscapes is the Herringbone pattern. Often found in driveways, this pattern involves alternating blocks at 45 degree or 90 degree angles. Building and entry garden patio in this pattern is an excellent way to continue the aesthetic of your motor court into a transitional space that can also be used for gatherings.
Travertine is rather heat resistant, so it is a good choice for swimming pool patios. If you want to take a cool swim during the middle of the hot afternoon, you can step onto a comfortable travertine pool patio without burning your feet.
Pavers made from bluestone are used in very high-end landscaping projects. Bluestone is a very expensive material, but it is worth every penny if you are willing to invest in its unique, timeless appearance. It has something of a classic look, much like marble, but it lacks the swirls that marble is known for.
If you are having us add a small patio to your house, a great paver patio design to use is the stretcher pattern. It uses rectangular blocks laid down side by side in a linear flow. This creates the illusion that the patio is longer than it really is, and it helps reinforce the linear movement of your exterior wall.
Larger bluestone patios can feature the classic basket weave pattern common to brick patios. This uses two bricks side by side to create a square. Alternating stones with different shades of colors helps create a chic checkerboard pattern that works superbly in formal garden patios and patios around swimming pool spas.
Paver patio design is not recommended as a do-it-yourself project. Pavers need a special foundation to create a flat surface flush to the ground. This foundation must be carefully prepared by Houston landscaping professionals who know how to build it as a shock absorber, of sorts, that will offset the movement of the earth without cracking the spaces between pavers.
