A person’s home is their castle and it shouldn’t end with the walls of a house. Even on rainy days, a person should be able to look out into their yard and smile. With paver patios, which are made out of manufactured stone, this is a definite.
Paver patios are preferred over wooden decks and stamped concrete for a number of reasons. Homeowners save money in the long run, because unlike wooden decks, paver patios do not need to be stained and sealed year after year. And while stamped concrete and paver patios cost about the same to install, concrete is sure to crack over time, especially in areas that endure a lot of freezing and thawing.
One of the greatest benefits of paver patios is the wide variety of color, size and pattern. A homeowner can transform their backyard into an outdoor kitchen, a place for entertaining, or a playground for the kids. It is even possible now to personalize your patio with symbols. When thoughtfully designed, a patio can create privacy and shade, direct traffic and separate different sections of the property.
A landscaper’s tip for designing your backyard is to think of the space as a whole; imagine how it will all flow together. 
One of Peak’s Project Managers, Mark Carson, suggests that homeowners really consider the size of their yard before deciding what to build. It is also recommended to build in stages. Take your time, don’t feel pressured, and start with what you know you want. If you want an outdoor kitchen that will take up your entire backyard, think it through, make sure you wouldn’t prefer a pool down the line. Another thing to consider when designing your patio is water runoff. It is important to guide water away from the home so it does not wash into the basement.
After the design stage, comes the installation. One of the most important things to remember when building your patio is to use polymeric sand to fill the joints of pavers. This will ensure that weeds don’t grow between stones, and more importantly this sand will prevent the pavers from coming loose in the future. Once everything has been installed, there’s nothing left to do but enjoy your new patio!
*Photo credit: Maple Crest Landscape – http://www.maplecrestlandscape.com/index.html
Concrete Houston – http://www.concretehouston.org/pavers/
River Pools – http://www.riverpoolsandspas.com/
