Landscapers Needed
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,200
Likes: 34
From: Kingsville Ontario Canada
Landscapers Needed
(OT) Any Landscapers in the crowd? Or if you can recommend someone.
We would like to get a patio installed. Thinking of natural stone, interlock or stamped concrete.
Any thoughts on which option to go with on this project would be greatly appreciated.
We would like to get a patio installed. Thinking of natural stone, interlock or stamped concrete.
Any thoughts on which option to go with on this project would be greatly appreciated.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 10,747
Likes: 191
From: Toronto Ontario
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,334
Likes: 8
From: Ontario
Here's my 2 cents!
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,200
Likes: 34
From: Kingsville Ontario Canada
Here's my 2 cents!
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 64
From: Bocabec, New Brunswick
We have stamped concrete around the pool. It isn't old enough yet to say if cracking will be a problem or not. Before it was put in I questioned the installer about the slippery surface and patchy finish I'd seen on other installations. He told us that you must use coloured concrete (the concrete is coloured all the way through) and that some installers just sprinkle a powder onto regular concrete which looks bad after a couple of years (any where the surface is chipped or flakes will show the regular concrete colour). Our deck has wire mesh in it and cuts to prevent cracking. The right sealant is non-slip and looks and works good.
Drifting
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,337
Likes: 0
From: Whitby Ontario
Yep....that's what kept me from the track the other day....
PM on the way
Good points and all accurate.....
All three have their uses and applications....budget is the biggest determining factor. Natural stone is by far the nicest and retains the most value when selling a house is considered and very little maintenance is required as the stone has already been around for the last million years. Interlocking has the most versatility and is the easiest and cheapest to maintain over the long haul.
I am personally not a fan of stamped concrete as I have seen the negative side of it far too often. The most maintenance required and the most expensive if repairs are needed.
These are only my personal opinions...but I do have 20 years of experience installing natural stone and interlocking.
Here's my 2 cents!
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
Stamped concrete looks nice when new, but has several negatives in my opinion. My last house had stamped concrete so I do have some experience with it.
Concrete has a tendancy to crack, yes they cut the concrete to encourage cracking to occur on the cuts but I have seen several examples of cracking occuring in other places.
Stamped concrete must be sealed occasionally. This is extra work/cost and you need to be careful what sealer you use. I recommend that you add some silca sand to sealer so the patio isn't like a skating rink when wet.
Stamped concrete can fade and lose some its character over time.
Natural stome is very nice, but expensive. If you have the budget squre cut flagstone is very nice!
I would recommend interlock. It is less expensive than natural stone and has many designs and colours available. If you have any problems with the base sinking it is easy to pull up a section and add some base to level the stones up.
All three have their uses and applications....budget is the biggest determining factor. Natural stone is by far the nicest and retains the most value when selling a house is considered and very little maintenance is required as the stone has already been around for the last million years. Interlocking has the most versatility and is the easiest and cheapest to maintain over the long haul.
I am personally not a fan of stamped concrete as I have seen the negative side of it far too often. The most maintenance required and the most expensive if repairs are needed.
These are only my personal opinions...but I do have 20 years of experience installing natural stone and interlocking.
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Race Director
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 16,024
Likes: 0
From: Stratford Ontario
If Dirty Z can't hook you up give me a shout, I'm all of 20 minutes from Georgetown.
I don't have 20 years like he does, but if I can help at all I'd be glad to........Z helped me a ton last year when I had some questions about the interlock biz......decks are the specialty though.
I don't have 20 years like he does, but if I can help at all I'd be glad to........Z helped me a ton last year when I had some questions about the interlock biz......decks are the specialty though.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,200
Likes: 34
From: Kingsville Ontario Canada
If Dirty Z can't hook you up give me a shout, I'm all of 20 minutes from Georgetown.
I don't have 20 years like he does, but if I can help at all I'd be glad to........Z helped me a ton last year when I had some questions about the interlock biz......decks are the specialty though.
I don't have 20 years like he does, but if I can help at all I'd be glad to........Z helped me a ton last year when I had some questions about the interlock biz......decks are the specialty though.
