Adding a deck or porch to your home is a smart investment. In the short term, it deepens the enjoyment of your home’s outdoor space. In the long term, it increases your home’s resale value. Since cost is the main driving force in most homeowners’ decisions, knowing which matters most to you will help you pick the right material, whether it’s a deck, porch, patio, or path.
Concrete is the most affordable option, and natural stone is the most expensive. Between them lie options such as pavers, wood decking, and composite boards. In this blog, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of each material so you can make the best decision for your home’s outdoor spaces.
Concrete is probably the most popular option. Though it may have a cookie-cutter look due to limited color and pattern options, concrete also has neutral character that works with almost any home. It also creates a contrast that makes outdoor furniture look good.
Pros of concrete: The biggest advantage concrete offers is price. It's the most affordable material for your porch or patio. When properly poured and cured, concrete also offers durability and longevity that few materials can match. Not to mention, it requires minimal maintenance.
Cons of concrete: Poured concrete is prone to cracking when exposed to frequent freeze and thaw cycles. Water expands when frozen. If any moisture penetrates or remains trapped in the concrete, it will form ice crystals that eat away a little more structural integrity with each freeze and thaw. Cracked concrete can be patched, but it’s hard to disguise the repair.
Considered a mid-level material in terms of price, pavers cost more than concrete. However, they offer far more flexibility in achieving the custom look many homeowners desire.
Pros of pavers: A vast array of sizes, shapes, and colors gives you lots of options for customizing your porch, patio, and outdoor walkways. Explore mixing them to create eye-catching designs. Picture brick laid in a zigzag pattern with a straight border, or a circle of cobblestone-like pavers at the center of a square patio. Pavers resist becoming slippery when wet, and are easy to remove and replace should you need access beneath them.
Cons of pavers: As mentioned above, pavers are more expensive than concrete. Other potential issues include weeds creeping up between the pavers, their color fading, or the pavers becoming uneven. But good news: These problems usually point toward either poor installation or low-quality materials. If the pavers are laid by an experienced home builder or contractor, such issues are unlikely to occur.
Natural stone earns its reputation for being a premium outdoor material. Options such as bluestone, flagstone, and granite all produce a timeless look that concrete and manmade pavers can’t match.
Pros of natural stone: The biggest upside to natural stone is its look. Many pavers try to capture its elegance, and some come close. But nothing rivals the real thing. Those who invest in natural stone not only get its wow factor, but also its natural durability.
Cons of natural stone: Natural stone costs more than any patio material, making it cost-prohibitive for some budgets. There’s also maintenance to factor in. The mortar used between natural stone pavers usually cracks after about 5–10 years, which requires repointing to repair.
Wood is probably the material that comes to most peoples’ minds when they picture a deck. It’s versatile, easy to work with, and comes in a variety of options. For instance, pressure-treated decking offers extra resilience against the outdoors. Alternatives such as cedar and redwood naturally resist the elements well, but jump up in price quickly.
Pros of wood decking: Wood decking is inexpensive and widely available in most areas. It’s a sound material for both surface and structural integrity. Like with natural stone, some homeowners prefer the rustic, natural look of wood. You can stain it to help bring out the pattern of the grain, or paint it for a bold look.
Cons of wood decking: Though it’s a natural material, wood decking sometimes doesn’t look as natural as expected. Just like concrete is prone to cracking, wood is prone to warping and bending as it’s exposed to the elements. It requires maintenance, too, such as sealing. Pressure-treated decking also contains chemical preservatives that some homeowners don’t feel comfortable with.
Also referred to as engineered wood, composite decking is made from a combination of wood scraps and a binding material. For instance, sawdust combined with plastic. The result is a low-maintenance alternative to wood decking.
Pros of composite wood: Composite decking requires no sanding or staining to install. It eliminates the need for time-consuming maintenance, too, thanks to a long-lasting, easy-to-clean engineered shell that resists fading, scratching, and stains. Various color options combined with a uniform shape create a stylish look. It’s also sustainably made from recycled materials.
Cons of composite wood: Composite decking costs more than wood, at least up front. Quality varies by brand, too. Some look obviously fake, some get slippery, and some don’t resist mold or mildew, especially in the shade. And though composite decking lasts a long time, it’s not immortal. Age and decay look pronounced when they show up. Should composite decking sag or bend, it tends to be worse compared to wood.
For more tips on choosing the best materials for your home, check out Designing Your Custom Home. This collection of blogs from Schumacher Homes will inspire and educate you as you journey toward the custom home of your dreams.
Schumacher Homes, based in Canton, Ohio, is America’s largest custom homebuilder, with operations in 32 markets in 14 states across the country. The National Housing Quality award winning company has built over 19,000 homes, customized to fit each family’s lifestyle, since its founding by Paul Schumacher in 1992. Schumacher Homes takes each customer’s inspiration and gives it a home. Each Schumacher Homes location includes a one-stop shopping design studio and showcase homes displaying the latest in architectural and product trends. Stop in today, be inspired and receive your no obligation price quote.