It is possible to create a small patio with a huge impact by choosing the right type of material to use for its flooring.
Creating a patio in your Houston outdoor space – be it your front or backyard – is way easier and cheaper than adding a living room indoors. However, building a patio can be quite a challenge, especially if you have compact space to work with. You can make the task less difficult, though, by choosing the right material to put underfoot, which can also make a huge difference in the perceived size of your small patio. Below are some ideal flooring materials that work well in small patios.
Concrete
Regardless if poured or assembled from precast modular slabs, a compact concrete patio is easy to assemble. Its surface can also be tinted or textured, allowing you to choose a style that will complement the existing design of your home. It can also be stamped to resemble the look of slate, allowing you to create a luxurious patio design.
Gravel
If you are working on a tight budget, an inexpensive and easy to apply flooring material you can use to spruce up the look of your small patio is none other than gravel. It is a top choice if you would like to create an informal patio as it accommodates curves really well and coordinates with other outdoor flooring materials like concrete.
The great thing about gravel is that it filters rainwater easily and directs it into the ground, so there is no need to worry about paddling. It is also available in a wide variety of colors, including reds, black, browns, white and yellows, letting you pick a tone that will make your small patio to pop out against the scenery. Should you decide to use gravel for you small patio’s underfoot, make sure to put an edging so as to keep the pebbles in place.
Bricks and pavers
Baked clay bricks as well as interlocking concrete pavers work well in small patios because they create a smooth and uniformed looking space that is easy to sweep clean. They are also small and lightweight, allowing for easy application. Clay bricks are usually available in red, though you can also get them in gray or yellow. Pavers, on the other hand, are available in gray as well as muted shades of brown, green, black, yellow and green. Both clay bricks and pavers come in a wide variety of shapes that include boxy rectangles, squares, and tile-like octagons. Some are even made to mimic the look of cobblestones, which when used on a small patio can lend it a rustic look.
Of course, aside from the small patio ideas for flooring materials mentioned above, there are other elements that can make a small patio appear more spacious than its actual size and more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. These include the type and design of covering used, landscape design, as well as the furniture that will be integrated into the space. The key to successfully design a small patio is to use elements that are appropriate for the scale of the space and, of course, to minimize the use of unnecessary items that will detract from the theme of the patio itself.
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Steel Buildings Design is a premier company in the UK that designs, supplies and erects bespoke steel buildings that can can be used for a wide variety of applications. The content above was contributed by one of the company’s writers.
