Outdoor Flooring and Paver: A Guide to Choosing the Right Flooring

Choosing the right outdoor flooring should be done with proper planning. Your outdoor floor will be subject to all kinds of abuse from the environment and from people so careful considerations must be done to make sure you get the right stuff.



There are three basic considerations before choosing what material to use for your outdoor flooring.



(1) Safety



Rainy and cold seasons can turn your floor into a danger zone. Choosing materials that are anti slip is your obvious option. Glazed or absorbent materials are a no-no. Concrete pavers or brick pavers are the common suggestions. But if you're set on putting tiles, then we suggest you opt for the slip-resistant ceramic tiles.



(2) Maintenance



If you're work or lifestyle keeps you on the move, then its best you choose pavers or floorings that can easily be drained when wet or flooded, as well as those that work well with outdoor furniture. Scratch-proof and durable materials include concrete, brick, and stone.



(3) Budget



Expect to get a big bill from your builders and contractors when having your outdoor living space done. Truly durable and attractive materials do tend to get pricey, but in the long-run, they are cost-effective. Concrete pavers are generally the least expensive materials as compared to brick pavers or stones. They also now come in various designs that doesn't have to compromise the aesthetic aspect of your outdoor space.



Your outdoor living space includes everything outside your home that is within your fences. This includes your driveway, pool deck (if you have one), walkway, porch, and/or patio. Here are the popular choices for pavers or floorings for these areas of the house:



Concrete pavers or flooring



This material is suitable for small to medium budgets. But, it is also the most durable and flexible material among the other choices. They can be colored, stamped, stained, patterned, resized, and applied with all sorts of finishing like an application of a rock-salt surface. They can even be made to look like expensive stone floors. Pool decks made of concrete pavers are now the most popular choice for private homes and commercial areas like resorts. Commercial contractors highly recommend using concrete pavers for large outdoor areas because it is cost and time-efficient. It is also a practical choice during pool remodelling because it is easy to work with even with pre-installed furniture and landscaping.



Stone flooring



Stone floorings are generally for larger budgets. Natural stones are the white truffles of outdoor floors. It is hard, impervious to all the elements and it will last a lifetime. If elegance is what you're after, then this is the way to go.



Brick pavers and tiles



If you're going for a more traditional look for your outdoors, then bricks are the best materials to give you that genuine feel. Even though they can get pricey, they are naturally slip-resistant even when wet. Maintenance is also very easy. But when choosing brick pavers, look for the ones that have been hard-fired to make sure their colors don't fade. Hard-fired brick pavers are also very durable. Its advantage over concrete pavers is that its colors won't fade even under exposure to the sun and rain. Ask your contractor if they'll be using bricks made of fine clay and shale because poor quality of raw materials results to bad bricks. What you should be looking for are bricks with very smooth and fine wire cut texture. Interlocking pavers are very similar to brick tiles but they differ in installation process. Interlocking pavers only require gravel and sand.



The choice is now up to you.





SFL Building Contractors, Corp.

Contact Name: Michael Alfonso

Address: 6190 SW 56th CT Davie Florida 33314

Work: 954-600-4066

Fax: 954-343-8345

Email: info@sflcontractor.com

Website: www.sflcontractor.com