What’s the best material to build your deck or patio with? Here are 4 outdoor flooring choices and the cost, pros and cons, and ideal locations for each.

Wood

Pros and cons: Wood decking is one of the simplest DIY projects, which lowers the cost substantially, but wood requires sealing every one to two years depending on UV exposure.

Cost: Around $8.00 – $24.00 per square foot for higher-end wood such as IPE.

Ideal location: Ground level or raised decks, pool decks.

Design ideas: Using wood deck tiles is greener and can be less expensive, since the tiles can lay over any existing flat surface there is no labor costs involved.

Tile

Pros and cons: Porcelain tile installed outdoors must be highly slip-resistant and able to withstand freeze-thaw cycles. Look for tile specifically formulated for the outdoors, which is dense with low absorption ratings.

Cost: $8.00 – $20.00 per square foot

Ideal location: Pool Decks, Front Porches, Patios.

Design ideas: Pair large tiles such as 18″x18″ or 20″x20″ with a thin grout line to create a seamless look ; use accent tiles to create a border.

Concrete

Pros and cons: A basic slab of concrete is inexpensive, low-maintenance and a good long-term option, though cracking is difficult to repair.

Cost: $3.50 – $4.00 per square foot for basic concrete; $8.00 per square foot for pavers; $12.00 per square foot for stamped or acid-etched concrete.

Ideal location: Driveways, Patios, Pool Areas, Front Porches, Garden Paths.

Design ideas: Update a traditional concrete slab by choosing a unique finish such as stamped or acid-etched. Concrete pavers are durable, low-maintenance, and come in a wide variety of designs as well.

Natural stone

Pros and cons: Natural Stone such as slate or pebble tile costs less and is more eco-friendly. Once installed, natural stone is extremely durable and almost maintenance-free.

Cost: $9-25 per square foot, varies by type of stone and region,

Ideal location: Patios, pool decks, front porches, walkways, driveway accents

Design ideas: Use pebble tile to create a mosaic pathway; for a more uniform appearance, select cut modular stones. Natural stones have beautiful color variations including gray, green, blue and red, which can form an important design element in your outdoor space.

*All costs for all materials are estimates that include labor and installation. Prices may vary by region, and installing materials yourself will cost substantially less in most cases.

Related posts:

1. Outdoor Showers! by Ana Morales
2. Selecting the Right Bathroom Flooring
3. Unique Outdoor Planters

Tags: design ideas, ipe wood, mosaic, outdoor tile, Pebble Tile, porcelain, Tile Installation, Wood Deck Tiles

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 1:31 pm and is filed under Ana's Design Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.