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Poured concrete, concrete pavers, clay brick pavers and natural stone are four common choices for a New Orleans area patio. They look different, go in differently and age differently, so the right pick depends on your yard, your style and how you feel about future repairs. This guide compares how each one looks, how it is installed, what repairs involve and what drives the budget.
If long-term performance is your main concern, our separate guide to patio material durability in South Louisiana covers that in more depth.
Poured concrete. Concrete can be colored, and stamped concrete is a decorative option to discuss with a contractor. The American Society of Concrete Contractors’ Decorative Concrete Council sealer guide explains that color can come from pigments in the concrete or from dyes and stains applied after placement, and that a quality sealer, applied and maintained, ultimately determines the color intensity. As sealer wears, the color loses intensity.
Concrete pavers. The Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute’s construction specification describes pavers as concrete that can be molded into many shapes, often with color added, and lists special surface finishes such as unique aggregates, shot blasting, bush hammering and polishing. ICPI also notes that colored units can be used for artistic designs.
Clay brick pavers. According to the Brick Industry Association’s guide to clay paver systems, red and brown earth tones are common colors, with buff, black and gray also produced, and single colors and variegated pavers can be mixed into blends. Textures include wire cut and molded, and common laying patterns include herringbone, running bond and basket weave. Because clay pavers are made from natural materials, color can vary between production runs, so BIA suggests using a field panel and laying pavers taken from different cubes.
Natural stone. The Natural Stone Institute advises that selecting stone should involve evaluating the environment and intended use of the material rather than focusing on appearance alone, since geology controls a stone’s density, absorption and strength.
Poured concrete is generally placed as a continuous surface with planned joints. The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association’s guidance on cracking says topsoil and soft spots should be removed, the soil beneath the slab should be compacted soil or granular fill, and the slab and subgrade should be sloped for proper drainage. It lists inadequate or no curing among the common causes of cracks, so curing is part of the job.
Concrete pavers follow a set sequence, according to ICPI: a compacted soil subgrade, a compacted aggregate base, a thin bedding sand layer, the pavers themselves, then joint sand and a second round of compaction. Because concrete pavers do not require time to cure, ICPI notes they are ready for traffic immediately after paving.
Clay brick pavers can be set on sand, on a bituminous setting bed or in mortar. For sand-set pavements, BIA’s sand setting bed guidance calls for concrete sand, a setting bed 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick after compaction, joints 1/16 to 3/16 inch wide, edge restraints and a minimum slope of 1/4 inch per foot.
Natural stone can be installed several ways. The Natural Stone Institute explains that mortar-set systems are often used where stability is important, sand-set installation is a common choice for outdoor paving, and pedestal systems allow for drainage and accessibility in certain exterior installations.
Whatever the surface, base preparation and drainage deserve attention on any New Orleans area lot. Our post on patio building mistakes to avoid covers those basics.
Poured concrete. Cracking is a known tendency of the material: NRMCA says concrete has a tendency to crack and that completely crack-free concrete cannot be produced. NRMCA adds that most random cracks appearing at an early age, although unsightly, rarely affect structural integrity or service life, with exceptions such as cracking from alkali aggregate reactions. If you are considering a decorative finish, ask how a contractor would repair a crack and how closely a patch could match.
Concrete pavers. Because a paved area gets its strength from many interlocking units working together through the joint sand, ICPI explains, a section can be opened by pulling up pavers and relaying the same ones, with no jackhammer required. Keep an eye on joint sand, since ICPI describes the sand in the joints as part of how loads are spread across the pavement.
Clay brick pavers. In BIA’s comparison of clay paver systems, easy access to repair underground utilities is listed as an advantage of sand-set pavers over an aggregate base, while BIA lists mortar joint maintenance for mortar-set systems and rates their repairs as the most difficult and expensive among the clay paver systems in its table. BIA also notes that intensive cleaning may erode joint sand in sand-set systems.
Natural stone. The Natural Stone Institute notes that in many cases stone can be refinished or repurposed rather than replaced.
We do not list price ranges here, because cost depends on patio size, access, base work, drainage, material and pattern. A few factors from the sources above help explain why quotes differ:
Compare written quotes that spell out the base, setting method, edge restraints and drainage along with the surface material. For local cost factors, see what a custom patio costs in New Orleans.
For a closer look at two of these options, read stamped concrete vs. pavers for New Orleans patios.
TurnKey Patio offers patio paving and custom patio design and installation for homeowners in New Orleans and our surrounding service areas, including Kenner, Metairie, Harahan, Mandeville and Slidell. We benefit if you hire us, and the comparison above is useful no matter who builds your patio. Call (504) 285-2824, Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, or request a free estimate.
It depends on the size, base work, drainage, access and finish, so compare written quotes for the same scope. In its qualitative comparison table of clay paver systems, the Brick Industry Association labels sand-set pavers on an aggregate base cost-effective and mortar-set systems the least cost-effective. Decorative concrete also carries a recurring cost for resealing, according to the American Society of Concrete Contractors’ Decorative Concrete Council.
Concrete pavers can be used right away, according to the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute, which notes they do not require time to cure and are ready for traffic immediately after paving. Poured concrete needs proper curing, and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association lists inadequate curing among common causes of cracks, so follow your contractor’s schedule before putting heavy furniture or a grill on a new slab.
The Brick Industry Association says the color of clay pavers is typically consistent through the body of the paver and highly resistant to weathering and fading because of its vitrified composition. Color can vary between production runs, so BIA suggests using a field panel and mixing pavers from different cubes.
The Natural Stone Institute describes three installation approaches: mortar-set systems often used where stability is important, sand-set systems commonly used for exterior paving, and pedestal systems that allow for drainage and accessibility in certain exterior installations. The right method depends on the stone, the base and how the patio drains.
A white, powdery film is often efflorescence. The Brick Industry Association explains that it forms when soluble compounds are deposited on the surface as absorbed water evaporates, that it often can be vacuumed or brushed off dry pavers, and that in many cases it is minimal and wears away with traffic and weathering early in the pavement’s life. If it keeps returning, BIA points to proper surface and subsurface drainage and proprietary cleaners.
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