Concrete or Pavers in New England.......................

Concrete or Pavers?  That's a question homeowners in New England have to make when hiring a contractor to create an outdoor living space at there home.  As a landscape contractor in the North Shore of Massachusetts, I am constantly struggling to find a way to explain the difference to the average homeowner that has no experience or knowledge in the industry.  It is my responsibility to not only sell each client a product that they like but also a product that will hold up in our tough New England winters.  That said, let's compare the two....

CONCRETE:
 Concrete has come along way since the days of the plain old concrete patio or walkway that looks like a regular sidewalk, not exciting.  Since stamped concrete has hit the market it has given concrete a jump in the industry and attracts homeowners because of the extensive color choices and pattern selections.  I started out in the industry just installing pavers and for the last 2 years have been offering both pavers and stamped concrete as an option.  Why?  Because I was losing 4 to 5 jobs a year to contractors who were offering both types of installation.  Here's the bottom line when it comes to concrete, whether it's plain old concrete or stamped concrete.  It's going to crack.  Yes, i said it, it's going to crack. Any contractor that tells a potential client that the concrete is not going to crack is flat out lying.  When concrete cures it shrinks 1/16 of an inch every 10 feet.  The use of expansion joints and control joints try to prevent or limit the cracking, but the bottom line is it's a matter of time.  Don't get me wrong, I actually love installing Stamped Concrete and I think it looks fantastic, but when i'm sitting down with a potential customer and explaining pavers and concrete, I feel it necessary to tell my client that the concrete has a good chance of cracking.


PAVERS:
Concrete Pavers have taken off in New England.  Why?  That's easy. It's a flexible system.  The pavers are installed on a dry base and are interlocked together.  When the earth moves the pavers will move with it.  Each concrete paving unit has joints that allow for a small amount of movement without cracking.  In other words, pavers allow for expansion an contraction.  Concrete slabs do not.  When the slab moves as one huge piece, the contraction will most likely crack the slab.
Now, just one more thing.  The repairs on a stamped concrete patio if it is cracked are much harder than fixing a concrete paver patio.  Also,  if the stamped concrete has color in it, which you know it will, you will never match the existing color.
In the end my vote is for concrete pavers, but I will still install a stamped concrete patio for a homeowner.  If they listen to my rant about concrete and how it will crack and still want the stamped look, then why not?  I am all for giving the customer what they want...........

That's it for now.........

MJ Russo
mjrussoconstruction.com