Suggestions for a new patio.

CB is in CA. Stamped concrete is out in WA, too.

I built a Timbertech deck, gray, last summer. It got HOT, and was extremely slippery in snow. I’m in the Midwest. Beautiful, but pricey.

I’m a big fan of natural stone. It shouldn’t be too expensive for such a small area. Slate or flagstone would be lovely.

Stone Deck is indeed awesome. But we realized that slate cracks easier than granite. :slight_smile:

Slate would not have to be in rectangular pieces so a crack would fit right in, lol. And if it’s really thick would it crack?

I am talking specifically about Stone Deck. Of course, it is possible to use slate with cement grout in between, but that is a dated look. Slate pavers (irregular shapes) look so much better with greenery in between. We did that for the front yard walkway around the large planing area.

As stated above I’m a proponent of wood over Trex, but would advise against using pressure treated wood for a deck surface, as it is prone to splitting, doesn’t take stain well, and, to put it nicely, is rather unattractive. My personal ranking, from best to worst, would be ipe, mahogany, redwood, Trex, cedar, and then pressure treated wood.

If you are moving I would only replace if the current concrete is really bad and it would deter from the sale of your house. Otherwise, endure it.

With that being said the very nicest option is stone but if you are moving it isn’t worth the investment unless you believe it will be returned in the sale price.

Pavers leave the grooves or “grout lines” where weeds grow. Not a fan.

Trex is too hot on the feet although the maintenance free is hard to pass up. That leaves you with building a deck. Pressure treated wood is the way to go here especially if you are selling. I had a huge deck in my former house and will never, ever have a wood deck again. It is just too much maintenance. I currently have a beautiful stone patio but it was already installed in the house when I purchased it.

Good luck.

We have a trex deck. We selected the top of the line trex (there are several levels) and have had no problem with it getting too hot or scratching.

Just a thought. When we redid ours we did pavers and installed a gas fire pit. Best investment we ever made. Turn on, enjoy, turn off.

I prefer flagstone patios to wooden decks. Especially if raised a bit, with beds around it. It’s a more natural look for the north east. And totally classic.

Of course, it somewhat depends on the style and age of your house.

If you’ve ever seen warped, faded Trex, you’d be wishing for wood. And I think it gets hotter than wood.

What @gouf78 said. Warped Trex is ugly.

I have not seen warped Trex (maybe the HD quality?) but I have seen warped ipe and cedar! :slight_smile: Ipe works amazingly well as flat horizontal decking material, but does not work well for vertical applications in wet climates.

I’ve installed Trex in sunny locations and the issue for me wasn’t that it became much hotter than any other material, it’s how disconcertingly flexible it becomes once warm. It flexes and sags under weight way too much for my liking when it has heated up.

Don’t use Trex for vertical! Our county used it for piers and the vertical boards warped so badly you’d think you were walking in a fun house. It makes me dizzy. It’s horrible. Not just warping like ends coming up (like wood would do) but talking a roller coaster look (like a wave sign)…

I’m thinking a lovely outdoor rug. Cost under $100. Installation: instant.

Yikes. I suspect that what folks call “Trex” could be any knockoff material that looks similar to Trex.

For such a tiny patio, I would either leave concrete (resurface it and call it good) or go with a stone paver on AWS pedestal patio surrounded by some sort of a border - planters? (making sure that water drainage is adequate).

If they install the pavers over the existing concrete patio that won’t be too much of an issue. The occasional volunteer weed may sprout but it can literally be swept away.

The house I’m renting has stamped faux pavers on the walkway with a large trex-like deck. I do appreciate the ease of maintenance and it doesn’t get that hot here in the summer. DS loved being able to go barefoot on the deck without worrying about splinters. The deck looks pretty sad but I think a pressure wash would make the world of difference. My brother just bought a house with what is clearly a higher quality “trek” decking and it looks much nicer than mine.

Artfully stained concrete is a special love of mine but other people don’t seem to share my interest. If I were redoing the small patio, I would be inclined to paint or stain the flat concrete and maybe mix it up with nice outdoor rug.