These days, if you decide to redecorate or renovate your property’s paving specially in outdoor places such as walkway, patio or driveway; natural stones paving and concrete slabs are the top two materials that professionals will recommend to you. You should know that some types of paving materials, can be more flexible with your budget than others.Granite p Also there are certain types of these materials that need low-maintenance and can be more durable.
Each of these two options have different advantages, it all depends on your personal style, budget and needs. For instance, slabs of poured concrete are easily installed and their cost is to peoples liking. Also, with the presence of stamped concrete in the market, you can have many options in designs and textures. As for natural paving stones, due to their forming process; they have high strength and high durability.
Granite Paving Slabs VS Concrete Paving Slabs
One of the main reasons that people choose concrete slabs over natural stone paving is its price, which can be a harsh decision. If the price and cost is your problem, do not think for a second that one of these two products can automatically be cheaper than the other. Granite paving slabs | Paving stones and concrete slabs are very close in their price, so you should estimate both options before making any decisions. Choosing a material between these two, is not an easy task.
Granite paving slabs | To make it easier, in this article we try to help you decide which one can be the best choice for your project. As you may know, when it comes to exterior design and landscaping; granite paving slabs are the most popular; so here, we will compare them to concrete slabs in aesthetics, durability, value and maintenance.
Aesthetics
It is obvious that due to granite stone’s natural diversity in shape, texture, pattern and different shades of color; they are way more eye-catching and appealing than concrete slabs. But if the available techniques such as staining or embedding with decorative stones have been applied to concrete slabs, they can become more beautiful and have different pattern, design or colors. Note that, stamped concrete is a resemblance of natural stone paving. Based on your budget, personal style and affection, you should decide between having a natural and authentic pavers or a simulation of it.
Durability
As for granite stone pavers, because of all the joints in between each piece, water can rarely settle on their surface and if you apply a proper installation there will be no drainage issues. Studies show that stone pavers are at least four times stronger as a typical concrete slab. So, on their surface they can withstand four times as much weight.
Concrete slabs can be fragile to footstep traffic’s, overweighting or any movement beneath it. The surface of the concrete slabs can stay level and with no sign of damages but once the bedding soil becomes unstable you will see a crack on it. also, temperature changes can live cracks on the concrete slabs. For example; in winter the water in texture of concrete slabs freezes and it needs more room so it will crack the slab.
Value
As for of values, granite stone paving is one of the hardscape material and products that can instantly add value to your project or property. The installation process of granite stone should be handed to a professional. After installation, it will be suitable and compatible with the rest of your property. It is estimated that using this natural stone material as paving can return on investment up to 75% for any paved patio.
On the other hand, since many projects use concrete slabs for paving, the return on investment can be low and minimal.
Maintenance
Most paving stones need very little maintenance. The only hot spot that you need to attend to is the joints between each stone. To make it easier, you can get help from a professional cleaning and sealing service time to time. Note that, if the installation process has happened accurately, it can limit the growth of weeds. however, over time moss, weeds, and grass can grow in between the joints. it is vital to remove the weeds and tend to them because if they over grow, they can break the paving slabs.
Concrete is very easy to maintain. But, over the years staining and cracking is Irresistible. sometimes the stamped concrete slabs, can hide the cracks and stains or they will be less noticeable. for preventing stains to come to the surface you can use sealers and coat each slab with a protective sealant. With any type of concrete slabs, there is always issues about weeds growing through the cracks. Unfortunately, if the cracks or stains are noticeable and you do not like it, you have to replace the entire slab. As for regular maintenance, you should clean them with a broom to make sure that any dirt, grime, or stains cannot become permanent.
Price
Regarding the cost of granite paving, first of all, it should be considered that the efficiency that granite paving will give you compared to concrete paving is much more effective than concrete paving, it is certain that buying granite paving from buying concrete paving is more expensive, Because granite paving has to be paid for the number of tiles you order but instead, as much as it is expensive, it adds to the value of your structure and home.
Conclusion
As we always recommend, try to choose a material that can be better at representing the ideal picture of your project or house that you have in your mind. With all that being said, we give you some final fact and point to have in mind when choosing between granite paving slabs and concrete slabs:
- In terms of cost, poured concrete slabs are more economical choice but they also need more maintenance costs over time. As for stamped concrete, they are more expensive than regular concrete slabs. Funny enough they have the same range of price as paving stones both. Another advantage that stone paving has against concrete slabs; is that over time, if any damages happen to them, they are easier to repair or replace.
- As for appearances, compared to other stones, granite has a great variety of color and hues that will please anybody’s eyes when they are in their flat appearances specially with visible black grains in its texture. Granite has a great prestige among rocks, one of granite’s uses is in projects to present elegance. Because that this beauty has come naturally to granite stone, there is no way that any type of stamped concrete can compete with its elegance.
In the end, the choice is yours and completely depends on your needs and tastes. Granite paving slabs vs concrete paving slabs ? If you want a versatile material, they can both pass with a high score. For best results, you can contact us to consult with our professional group.
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